Come, let us read our diaries and see if there be not choice favours recorded there for which we have rendered no grateful return. Psalm 103 is based on the two elements of the hymn of praise (see Psalm 113 for an example) with calls to praise in verses 1-2a and 20-22 supported by reasons for praise in 2b-4, 6-10, 11-14, 15-18, and 19. (15-18) For the government of the world. Psalms 36:5, "Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds"). Jehovah occurs in the first strophe four, and in the second seven times. Everest” of praise psalms. my soul—myself (Ps 3:3; 25:1), with allusion to the act, as one of intelligence. Certainly, he uses no vain repetitions, for the Holy Spirit guides his pen; and thus he shews us that we have need, again and again, to bestir ourselves when we are about to worship God, for it would be shameful to offer him anything less than the utmost our souls can render. Our very life and essential self should be engrossed with this delightful service, and each one of us should arouse his own heart to the engagement. It tells us 7 times to praise the *LORD, (tell him that he is very great). Psalm 103. Read with me from the first verse. By the name we understand the revealed character of God, and assuredly those songs which are suggested, not by our fallible reasoning and imperfect observation, but by unerring inspiration, should more than any others arouse all our consecrated powers. It needs spurring to its duty, though that duty ought to be its delight. Then shall mercy be preserved to them. Memory is very treacherous about the best things; by a strange perversity, engendered by the fall, it treasures up the refuse of the past and permits priceless treasures to lie neglected, it is tenacious of grievances and holds benefits all too loosely. Not so much as one of the divine dealings should be forgotten, they are all really beneficial to us, all worthy of himself, and all subjects for praise. An exhortation to bless God for his mercy. See why he pities. Find Top Church Sermons, Illustrations, and Preaching Slides on Psalm 103. What would become of us, if God should deal so with us? The Psalm opens and closes with the imperative “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” (103.1) “Praise the LORD! An exhortation to bless God for his mercy. Truly God is good to all: he is in a special manner good to Israel. God is still forgiving, as we are still sinning and repenting. What a beautiful, merciful God we have Who declares through David, that God “does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). There is a world of holy angels who are ever praising him. This psalm calls more for devotion than exposition; it is a most excellent psalm of praise, and of general use. "And forget not all his benefits." "Bless the Lord, O my soul." Psalm 103 sets a marvelous precedent for all Christian songwriters about how to teach people through songs about God’s character and actions. (19-22) 1-5 By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. He who made all, rules all, and both by a word of power. In just a few short days we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Psalms 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. The Psalm begins (Psalm 103:1–2) and ends (Psalm 103:20–22) with David’s exhortation to his own soul to bless the Lord. Don’t be unmindful or insensitive about his benefits. The first cause of our worship is that the Lord is holy. his holy name—(Ps 5:11), His complete moral perfections. by Hank Workman. When God, by the graces and comforts of his Spirit, recovers his people from their decays, and fills them with new life and joy, which is to them an earnest of eternal life and joy, they may then be said to return to the days of their youth, Job 33:25. Sicknesses of body and soul came into the world by sin, and as sin is eradicated, diseases bodily, mental, and spiritual will vanish, till "the inhabitant shall no more say, I am sick." While there is much to draw out of this rich text, I’d like to highlight two observations: 1. It is a shame that we have only one day set aside each year to give thanks to God as a nation. God's mercy is better than life, for it will outlive it. Ps 103:1-22. 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Psalm 103:2, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” “Forget” here is from the Hebrew word, shakach, “to cease to care” (BDB); “to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention” (Strong) David is telling his soul, “Soul, don’t forget. Let us awake then, and with intense enthusiasm bless Jehovah. As the phrase goes, “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it” refers to someone who must accept the results, usually unpleasant, of something they’ve done. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Psalms 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. September 14, 2014 Psalms 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. Jehovah is worthy to be praised by us in that highest style of adoration which is intended by the term bless - "All thy works praise thee, O God, but thy saints shall bless thee." if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. When the cause is gone, namely, iniquity, the effect ceases. This Psalm teaches us how to praise God. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. He is all things to us, as our needs call for him, and our infirmities do but reveal him in new characters. The Book of Psalms Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET PSALM 103 Psa 103:1-22.A Psalm of joyous praise, in which the writer rises from a thankful acknowledgment of personal blessings to a lively celebration of God's gracious attributes, as not only intrinsically worthy of praise, but as specially suited to … God's all cannot be praised with less than our all. All that is within me, bless his holy name —. Psalms 103:11. Think of the provocation; it was sin, and yet pardoned: how many the provocations, yet all pardoned! How short is man's life, and uncertain! How unlike are those to God, who take every occasion to chide, and never know when to cease! The psalmist, I. Stirs up himself and his own soul to praise God ( v. 1 , v. 2 ) for his favour to him in particular ( v. 3-5 ), to the church in general, and to all good men, to whom he is, and will be, just, and kind, and constant ( v. 6-18 ), and for his government of the world ( v. 19 ). Babes may praise the divine goodness, but fathers in grace magnify his holiness. It exalts the soul to breath-taking heights. Bless, &c.—when God is the object, praise. The Lord has saved us with a great salvation, shall we render no recompense? Remember how the Persian king, when he could not sleep, read the chronicles of the empire, and discovered that one who had saved his life had never been rewarded. Let others forbear if they can: "Bless the Lord, O my soul." According to the superscription — which is not a part of the inspired text, but is, nonetheless very ancient — it is a psalm of David. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary PSALM 103 Ps 103:1-22. (1-5) And to the church and to all men. Psalm 103—a Psalm of David. 2. Had he been very sleepy before? (6-14) For the constancy of his mercy. All Rights Reserved. There is no reason to question David’s authorship of the composition. and all that is within me, bless his holy name; meaning not only all within his body, his heart, reins, lungs, &c. but all within his soul, all the powers and faculties of it; his understanding, will, affections, and judgment; and all the grace that was wrought in him, faith, hope, love, joy, and the like; these he would have all concerned and employed in praising the name of the Lord; which is exalted above all blessing and praise; is great and glorious in all the earth, by reason of his works wrought, and blessings of goodness bestowed; and which appears to be holy in them all, as it does in the works of creation, providence, and redemption; at the remembrance of which holiness thanks should be given; for he that is glorious in holiness is fearful in praises, Psalm 97:12. Many are our faculties, emotions, and capacities, but God has given them all to us, and they ought all to join in chorus to his praise. The psalmist, I. Stirs up himself and his own soul to praise God for his favour to him in particular (), to the church in general, and to all good men, to whom he is, and will be, just, and kind, and constant (), and for his government of the world (). Psalm 103 Scripture Interpretation Genre: The genre of Psalms is poetry, and more specifically, Psalm 103 is a personal hymn (song of praise). We begin by tracing the movement of the psalm as a whole. Such is man. He has revealed himself and his grace to them. The name of ingrate is one of the most shameful that a man can wear; surely we cannot be content to run the risk of such a brand. 103:6-14 Truly God is good to all: he is in a special manner good to Israel. He selects a few of the choicest pearls from the casket of divine love, threads them on the string of memory, and hangs them about the neck of gratitude. God considers this, and pities him; let him consider it himself. "Bless the Lord, O my soul." JOSEPH A ALEXANDER Psalms Commentary (1864) Spurgeon had high praise for Alexander's work writing that it "Occupies a first place among expositions. He is in real earnest, and again calls upon himself to arise. If the law of justice demanded all our heart and soul and mind for the Creator, much more may the law of gratitude put in a comprehensive claim for the homage of our whole being to the God of grace. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. A Psalm of joyous praise, in which the writer rises from a thankful acknowledgment of personal blessings to a lively celebration of God's gracious attributes, as not only intrinsically worthy of praise, but as specially suited to man's frailty. I. Reader, have we not cause enough at this time to bless him who blesses us? He considereth the frailty of man, Psalm 103:15,16; and showeth God’s everlasting mercy to his covenanted ones, Psalm 103:17-19. For our task our energies should be suitably called out. Many-sided is the character of our heavenly Father, for, having forgiven as a judge, he then cures as a physician. Let all my thoughts and affections be engaged, and united, and stirred up to the highest pitch in and for this work. Soul music is the very soul of music. The body finds the melancholy consequences of Adam's offence, it is subject to many infirmities, and the soul also. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him (comp. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary. Psalms 103 may be the “Mt. Of David. … (1-5) And to the church and to all men. By his ways we may understand his precepts, the ways he requires us to walk in; and his promises and purposes. Such it will in a measure become, if we are born of God. The ten is divided by the five, and the twelve falls into three divisions, each of four verses. He disposes all persons and things to his own glory. "Who healeth all thy diseases." David stirreth up himself to bless God, Psalm 103:1,2; who forgiveth his sins, Psalm 103:3, redeemeth and satisfieth his soul, Psalm 103:4,5; for other manifold mercies to himself and the church, Psalm 103:6-14. Psalm 103 has been immensely helpful for me as a pattern for commanding my soul in seasons of low affection. 1. (19-22). Psalm 103 (and 111) is pure thanksgiving to Yahweh, the God of Israel. "And all that is within me, bless his holy name." "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities." Let others use only their tongues, but as for me I will cry, "Bless the Lord, O my soul." Verses 1-22: (Psalms 103 and 104), appear as an intentional pair designed to promote the blessing exaltation of God. How quickly did he do him honour! By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. We’ve each laid in such a bed at times. Let others bless themselves and their idols, but do thou bless the Lord. We should have some time set aside each day, to give our praise to Him who has blessed us so richly. (Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to my Students: Commenting and Commentaries)Rosscup adds: This is one of the more thorough older exegetical … Or was he now doubly sensible of the importance, the imperative necessity of adoration? His righteousness, the truth of his promise, shall be unto children's children, who tread in the footsteps of their forefathers' piety. Psalm 103, a masterful and well-loved composition, is classified as an Individual Hymn of Thanksgiving, a psalm in which a single voice praises God for God’s goodness to or on behalf of that individual, usually for deliverance from some trying situation. And let the feeling of each redeemed heart be, Bless the Lord, O my soul. He considers the frailty of our bodies, and the folly of our souls, how little we can do, how little we can bear; in all which his compassion appears. Psalms 103:12. He exhorteth all creatures to praise him, Psalm 103:20-22. We don’t know the circumstances in which it was written, but since David was a man who knew the grace and deliverance of God many times, it could have been written at many different times of his life. First the Psalmist sings of personal mercies which he had himself received Ps 103:1-5; then he magnifies the attributes of Jehovah as displayed in his dealings with his people, Ps 103:6-19; and he closes by … Commentary on Psalm 103:6-14. He concludes by invoking all creatures to unite in his song. A covenant is when two groups of people agree. He has revealed himself and his grace to them. Let all his works praise him. Browse Sermons on Psalm 103. The Psalmist strikes the best key-note when he begins with stirring up his inmost self to magnify the Lord. It is the Lord that is to be blessed and spoken well of for he is the fountain of all good, whatever are the channels or cisterns it is to his name, his holy name, that we are to consecrate our praise, giving thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. The father pities his children that are weak in knowledge, and teaches them; pities them when they are froward, and bears with them; pities them when they are sick, and comforts them; pities them when they are fallen, and helps them to rise; pities them when they have offended, and, upon their submission, forgives them; pities them when wronged, and rights them: thus the Lord pities those that fear him. Psalm 103 Commentary. Chapter 103 This psalm calls more for devotion than exposition; it is a most excellent psalm of praise, and of general use. These first verses are a tuning of the harp, a screwing up of the loosened strings that not a note may fail in the sacred harmony. The idea is, that God is worthy of all the praise and adoration which the entire man can render. This Psalm, Psalm 103 can help us to tune our hearts to sing God’s grace as we should. The Scripture says a great deal of the mercy of God, and we all have experienced it. He has revealed himself and his grace to them. Bible students believe that David wrote this psalm when he was an old man. Christ alone forgives all our sins; it is he alone who heals all our infirmities. The Story of Psalm 103. By his ways we may understand his precepts, the ways he requires us to walk in; and his promises and purposes. It is instructive to note how the Psalmist dwells upon the holy name of God, as if his holiness were dearest to him; or, perhaps, because the holiness or wholeness of God was to his mind the grandest motive for rendering to him the homage of his nature in its wholeness. Commentary for Psalms 103 . Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Introduction. The pardon granted is a present one - forgiveth; it is continual, for he still forgiveth; it is divine, for God gives it; it is far reaching, for it removes all our sins; it takes in omissions as well as commissions, for both of these are in-equities; and it is most effectual, for it is as real as the healing, and the rest of the mercies with which it is placed. Purpose In the first verse, David states the purpose of Psalm 103 is to bless the Lord with everything that is within him. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits— who... Psalm 103 Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness - Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Promote the blessing exaltation of God suitably called out how short is man 's,. Let him consider it himself 14, 2014 how he stirs up himself to the church to. Are those to God, who take every occasion to chide, and the soul also infinite. 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