“Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever. (2) Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all His praise? (3) Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times. (4) Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people. O visit me with thy salvation; (5) that I may see the good of thy chosen – that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation – that I may glory with thine inheritance.” [Ps.106:1-5]
This Psalm – which declares the foreboding reality of historical Israel’s sinfulness and yet also God’s manifold mercies bestowed upon them — is a demonstration of that which is taught us from Ro.5:20-21> “Moreover, the law entered that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded – grace did much more abound: (21) that as sin hath reigned unto death – even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Consequently, therefore, this Psalm begins and ends with – “Praise the Lord!”. This is the first of the Psalms that are called the “Hallelujah Psalms”. And, as vs.1 goes on to say: We are to (lit.) give praise and thanks unto the Lord for His goodness…and His mercy…forever!
Next is a declaration of pure truth: “Who can utter the mighty acts (or, works) of the Lord?” How can fallen mortals adequately articulate all the wonderful miracles of the Lord? Especially those that describe the eternal redemption of His people by Christ. The conversion and perseverance of them displays the mighty power of God’s great grace! Only He is worthy of all our praise for the eternal salvation of our souls. [See Ps.40:5]
Vs.3 pertains to God’s righteous judgments when it describes: “Blessed are they that keep (or, observe) judgment…” Regeneration – which is only obtained by a work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God – quickens the eyes of our understanding to reveal to us that God’s judgment and will in all of our providences — is as Ps.19:9 says: “true and righteous altogether”. God’s righteous judgment on all our sins we understand and see by the grace of faith was executed upon our Savior,. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. Hence, in and through Him – and Him alone — do we fulfill the description of the last phrase of vs.3: “…and He that doeth righteousness at all times.” I think it’s interesting that the first phrase describes all the blessed ones that observe God’s judgment, whereas the second phrase describes He that doeth righteousness at all times. The first may be us – but the last must be Christ our Savior and substitute!
Then comes the request of vs.4: “Remember me, O Lord, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people – oh visit me with thy salvation.” This is not unlike the request of the thief on the cross to the immediate right of Jesus at Calvary. All of the true people of God can identify with the verbal exchange of that thief and Jesus. The Lord said unto him – “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise!” How wonderful is that!
Finally, vs.5 delivers the rest of the request that is started in vs.4. There are a total of four parts of the request to be remembered by the Lord. The first is seen in the last phrase of vs.4: “O visit me with thy salvation”. The next three are all found in vs.5: “that I may see the good of thy chosen” – “that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation” – “that I may glory with thine inheritance.” This echoes 1Pe.2:9> “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people – that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you…” into the light of life!
– For Christ’s Glory Only
John Carpenter
