Lecture notes for Psalm 107
Psalm 107 is part three of a trilogy:
- Psalm 105:44 He gave them also the lands of the nations
- Psalm 106:27 He swore He would scatter them in the lands
- Psalm 107:2 He has gathered from the lands
- God chooses, chastises, and then redeems.
Outline
Psalm 107 is a series of word pictures, parables or metaphors of the human condition
vs. 1-3 Introduction
- The redeemed of the LORD are those gathered back from captivity.
- The redeemed are to say, “God is good and His love endures forever.”
vs. 4-9 Wanderers retrieved
- Wanderers are the rootless, restless, alienated, and disenchanted.
- Hebrew thirsty is dried out. Used of dried out plants without any life
- They cried out to the LORD in their trouble and God comes to the rescue
- Lostness, hunger, thirst, and exhaustion but
- Christ is the Way, the Bread and Water of Life, and the Giver of Rest
- Climax in verse 7: a city to dwell in
vs. 10-16 Prisoners released
- Guilt (v.11) darkness, grinding toil, bonds, doors, and bars
- All word pictures of the way in which we are enslaved because of our sin
- Darkness and gloom is a picture of despair
- God does not say, “You did it; now get yourself out of it.”
- They stumbled, and there was no one to help
vs. 17-22 The sick restored
- Best translation, “Fools, because of their rebellious way, were afflicted.”
- Fools are perverse, not unintelligent. Their trouble is self inflicted.
- Neurotic and psychotic because of their sin
- Hebrew the grave is a pit, something you cannot get out of by yourself.
- God turns our insanity into joy, thanksgiving, health, and wholeness of mind
vs. 23-32 The storm-tossed rescued
- This section speaks not of our guilt, but of our littleness
- Hebrew wisdom is a skill in living, all their skill at seamanship was useless,
- literally all their wisdom was swallowed up
- They are humbled by the open deep. The sea is inhospitable to life.
vs. 33-42 Summary statement
- The redeemed are to say, “God is good and His love endures forever.”
- God is behind it all. He is working everything out according to his plan and purpose, and it is good. That is what he wants us to see. We tend to blame God for the trouble we are in, and we attribute evil to him. We say he is not good; God is not treating us right, and we play right into Satan’s hands when we do that. Satan wants us to believe that God is not trustworthy, that he does not care about us, that he does not love us, but he does. Even when life is hard, Paul says, he is “working all things out according to his purpose,” which is good.
43 The Psalmist’s conclusion
- Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.
For more detail and explanation, please listen to the podcast.
Teacher: David John Marotta
Part of the Series: Understanding Psalms
Resources: Understanding Hebrew Poetry
Photo used here under Flickr Creative Commons.