History Proclaims Human Depravity: Psalms 106
“6) We have sinned like our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly. 7) Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember Your abundant kindnesses, But rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 8)Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known.”
13) They quickly forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, 14) But craved intensely in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert.
16) When they became envious of Moses in the camp, And of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord, 17) The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And engulfed the company of Abiram.
19) They made a calf in Horeb And worshiped a molten image. 20) Thus they exchanged their glory For the image of an ox that eats grass. 21) They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt,
24) Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe in His word, 25) But grumbled in their tents; They did not listen to the voice of the Lord. 26) Therefore He swore to them That He would cast them down in the wilderness,
28) They joined themselves also to Baal-peor, And ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 29) Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, And the plague broke out among them.
32) They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah, So that it went hard with Moses on their account; 33) Because they were rebellious against His Spirit, He spoke rashly with his lips. 34) They did not destroy the peoples, As the Lord commanded them, 35) But they mingled with the nations And learned their practices, 36) And served their idols, Which became a snare to them. 37) They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, 38) And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood. 39) Thus they became unclean in their practices, And played the harlot in their deeds. 40) Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people And He abhorred His inheritance.
43) Many times He would deliver them; They, however, were rebellious in their counsel, And so sank down in their iniquity. 44) Nevertheless He looked upon their distress When He heard their cry; 45) And He remembered His covenant for their sake, And relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness. 46) He also made them objects of compassion In the presence of all their captors.” Psalms 106:6-78, 13-14, 16-17, 19-21, 24-26, 28-29, 32-40, 43-46 Psalm 105 looked at the goodness and faithfulness of God over five centuries. Psalm 106 traces the sin and rebellion of Israel against God over the same period of time. These two Psalms are opposite sides of the coin.
When reading Psalm 106, it is staggering to see how rebellious Israel became against God. They forgot about God and worshipped demons by sacrificing their own children. They sank to the depth of human depravity. It is a shocking chapter to read!
Though God disciplined and judged His people who plunged into depravity, He kept His covenant and forgave them when they turned back to Him. This Psalm establishes the fact that God is a covenant keeping God.
Yet, verses 1-5 establishes another principle. Even though the nation as a whole forsook God, He blessed and favored those who remained faithful to Him. God distinguishes between the wicked and the righteous in judgement.
The beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-16 are always faithful and true. God blesses and honors those who seek Him and orders their ways according to His Word no matter what the majority in the world are doing around them. God has always had a faithful remanent.
When I read this Psalm, I am encouraged to seek and walk sincerely with God no matter the cost or opposition. This Psalm screams that God always keeps His promises to His chosen. I put my hope in God and not man.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
“6) We have sinned like our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly. 7) Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember Your abundant kindnesses, But rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 8)Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known.”
13) They quickly forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, 14) But craved intensely in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert.
16) When they became envious of Moses in the camp, And of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord, 17) The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And engulfed the company of Abiram.
19) They made a calf in Horeb And worshiped a molten image. 20) Thus they exchanged their glory For the image of an ox that eats grass. 21) They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt,
24) Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe in His word, 25) But grumbled in their tents; They did not listen to the voice of the Lord. 26) Therefore He swore to them That He would cast them down in the wilderness,
28) They joined themselves also to Baal-peor, And ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 29) Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, And the plague broke out among them.
32) They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah, So that it went hard with Moses on their account; 33) Because they were rebellious against His Spirit, He spoke rashly with his lips. 34) They did not destroy the peoples, As the Lord commanded them, 35) But they mingled with the nations And learned their practices, 36) And served their idols, Which became a snare to them. 37) They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, 38) And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood. 39) Thus they became unclean in their practices, And played the harlot in their deeds. 40) Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people And He abhorred His inheritance.
43) Many times He would deliver them; They, however, were rebellious in their counsel, And so sank down in their iniquity. 44) Nevertheless He looked upon their distress When He heard their cry; 45) And He remembered His covenant for their sake, And relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness. 46) He also made them objects of compassion In the presence of all their captors.” Psalms 106:6-78, 13-14, 16-17, 19-21, 24-26, 28-29, 32-40, 43-46 Psalm 105 looked at the goodness and faithfulness of God over five centuries. Psalm 106 traces the sin and rebellion of Israel against God over the same period of time. These two Psalms are opposite sides of the coin.
When reading Psalm 106, it is staggering to see how rebellious Israel became against God. They forgot about God and worshipped demons by sacrificing their own children. They sank to the depth of human depravity. It is a shocking chapter to read!
Though God disciplined and judged His people who plunged into depravity, He kept His covenant and forgave them when they turned back to Him. This Psalm establishes the fact that God is a covenant keeping God.
Yet, verses 1-5 establishes another principle. Even though the nation as a whole forsook God, He blessed and favored those who remained faithful to Him. God distinguishes between the wicked and the righteous in judgement.
The beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-16 are always faithful and true. God blesses and honors those who seek Him and orders their ways according to His Word no matter what the majority in the world are doing around them. God has always had a faithful remanent.
When I read this Psalm, I am encouraged to seek and walk sincerely with God no matter the cost or opposition. This Psalm screams that God always keeps His promises to His chosen. I put my hope in God and not man.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
