The ESV Devotional Psalter summarizes this psalm beautifully:
“The point of Psalm 107 is captured in its final verse: ‘Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD’ (v. 43). The entire psalm leads to this conclusion, for the entire psalm is a recitation of concrete examples of the steadfast love of the Lord – to those wandering in barren places (vv. 4-9), to those sitting in darkness (vv. 10-16), to those suffering for their own sinful folly (vv. 17-22), and to those caught in a storm (vv. 23-32). We are to ‘consider the steadfast love of the LORD.’ The Hebrew verb ‘consider’ here means to understand, to discern, to perceive. The point is that in considering God’s history of delivering his people, we are to see in those rescues the steadfast love, the certain mercy, of the Lord.”
Verse 2 is often used by pastors to “prime the pump” for “testimony time” during church meetings. Too often, however, the testimonies devolve into praise for superficial “blessings” that only resulted in more physical comforts or material things for the testifier. I’m not saying material things can’t be a form of God’s blessings, but verses 2-3 call the redeemed to testify of Yahweh’s redemption from trouble and the gathering of God’s people from “the four corners of the earth.” What follows are God’s deliverances from various kinds of troubles or afflictions or suffering God’s people faced. These troubles had multiple causes. Sometimes they came from no fault of their own as they journeyed through life (4-9), from their own rebellion or sinful folly (10-22), from God himself (believe it or not) in the regular course of life’s “business” (23-32) or from “oppression, evil & sorrow” brought on by others, namely “the wicked” (39-42). What is quite evident is that God is in control of all the reversals of life, as clearly seen in verses 33-38. So, the poet’s point is well made in verse 43: “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of Yahweh.” I definitely need to pay better attention to God’s display of his goodness & committed love to his people every day in our world. There is no end to the testimonies we could give and the thanksgiving that would rise up to God, if we all took time to ponder the many times God has delivered us all from trouble. The greatest trouble we have been delivered from is the sin we inherited and the sins we committed that rightly deserved God’s righteous judgment. But thanks be to God that he DID NOT deliver Jesus Christ from the “trouble” and “affliction” and “evil” of the cross by wicked men, so that I could be delivered from the trouble I deserved. Truly, God is good, and his steadfast love endures forever (1).
Leave a Reply