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Psalm 103

Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness

Of David.

1

Bless the L ord, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name.

2

Bless the L ord, O my soul,

and do not forget all his benefits—

3

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

4

who redeems your life from the Pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5

who satisfies you with good as long as you live

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 

6

The L ord works vindication

and justice for all who are oppressed.

7

He made known his ways to Moses,

his acts to the people of Israel.

8

The L ord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9

He will not always accuse,

nor will he keep his anger forever.

10

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12

as far as the east is from the west,

so far he removes our transgressions from us.

13

As a father has compassion for his children,

so the L ord has compassion for those who fear him.

14

For he knows how we were made;

he remembers that we are dust.

 

15

As for mortals, their days are like grass;

they flourish like a flower of the field;

16

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

and its place knows it no more.

17

But the steadfast love of the L ord is from everlasting to everlasting

on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to children’s children,

18

to those who keep his covenant

and remember to do his commandments.

 

19

The L ord has established his throne in the heavens,

and his kingdom rules over all.

20

Bless the L ord, O you his angels,

you mighty ones who do his bidding,

obedient to his spoken word.

21

Bless the L ord, all his hosts,

his ministers that do his will.

22

Bless the L ord, all his works,

in all places of his dominion.

Bless the L ord, O my soul.


8. Jehovah is merciful and gracious David seems to allude to the exclamation of Moses, recorded in Exodus 34:6, where the nature of God, revealed in a remarkable way, is more clearly described than in other places. When Moses was admitted to take a nearer view of the Divine glory than was usually obtained, he exclaimed upon beholding it, “O God! merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity, slow to wrath, and abundant in goodness.” As, therefore, he has summarily comprehended in that passage all that is important for us to know concerning the Divine character, David happily applies these terms, by which God is there described, to his present purpose. His design is to ascribe entirely to the goodness of God the fact that the Israelites, who by their own wickedness forfeited from time to time their relation to him, as his adopted people, nevertheless continued in that relation. Farther, we must understand in general, that the true knowledge of God corresponds to what faith discovers in the written Word; for it is not his will that we should search into his secret essence, except in so far as he makes himself known to us, a point worthy of our special notice. We see that whenever God is mentioned, the minds of men are perversely carried away to cold speculations, and fix their attention on things which can profit them nothing; while, in the meantime, they neglect those manifestations of his perfections which meet our eyes, and which afford a vivid reflection of his character. To whatever subjects men apply their minds, there is none from which they will derive greater advantage than from continual meditation on his wisdom, goodness, righteousness, and mercy; and especially the knowledge of his goodness is fitted both to build up our faith, and to illustrate his praises. Accordingly, Paul, in Ephesians 3:18, declares that our height, length, breadth, and depth, consists in knowing the unspeakable riches of grace, which have been manifested to us in Christ. This also is the reason why David, copying from Moses, magnifies by a variety of terms the mercy of God. In the first place, as we have no worse fault than that devilish arrogance which robs God of his due praise, and which yet is so deeply rooted in us, that it cannot be easily eradicated; God rises up, and that he may bring to nought the heaven-daring presumption of the flesh, asserts in lofty terms his own mercy, by which alone we stand. Again, when we ought to rely upon the grace of God, our minds tremble or waver, and there is nothing in which we find greater difficulty than to acknowledge that He is merciful to us. David, to meet and overcome this doubting state of mind, after the example of Moses, employs these synonymous terms: first, that God is merciful; secondly, that he is gracious; thirdly, that he patiently and compassionately bears with the sins of men; and, lastly, that he is abundant in mercy and goodness.

9 He will not always chide David, from the attributes ascribed to God in the preceding verse, draws the conclusion, that when God has been offended, he will not be irreconcilable, since, from his nature, he is always inclined to forgive. It was necessary to add this statement; for our sins would be continually shutting the gate against his goodness were there not some way of appeasing his anger. David tacitly intimates that God institutes an action against sinners to lay them low under a true sense of their guilt; and that yet he recedes from it whenever he sees them subdued and humbled. God speaks in a different manner in Genesis 6:3, where he says, “My Spirit shall no longer strive with man,” because the wickedness of men being fully proved, it was then time to condemn them. But here David maintains that God will not always chide, because so easy is he to be reconciled, and so ready to pardon, that he does not rigidly exact from us what strict justice might demand. To the same purpose is the language in the second clause: nor will he keep anger for ever The expression, to keep anger for ever, corresponds with the French phrase, Je lui garde, Il me l’a garde, 171171     “I am watching him, as he has watched to do a bad turn to me.” which we use when the man, who cannot forgive the injuries he has received, cherishes secret revenge in his heart, and waits for an opportunity of retaliation. Now David denies that God, after the manner of men, keeps anger on account of the injuries done to him, since he condescends to be reconciled. It is, however, to be understood that this statement does not represent the state of the Divine mind towards all mankind without distinction: it sets forth a special privilege of the Church; for God is expressly called by Moses, (Deuteronomy 5:9) “a terrible avenger, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children.” But David, passing by unbelievers, upon whom rests the everlasting and unappeasable wrath of God, teaches us how tenderly he pardons his own children, even as God himself speaks in Isaiah, (Isaiah 54:7, 8,) “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from them for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee.”


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