Some psalms are on everyone’s list of favorites. Some have memorable lines; some capture just perfectly what we are feeling but couldn’t put into words.
Sometimes we love these psalms—or portions of these psalms—without looking at them carefully. Today we’ll take a close look at Psalm 103.
Bless the Lord!
Psalm 103 begins with a repeated, jubilant call to bless the Lord (Psalm 103:1). Why should we bless him? There are many, many reasons (Psalm 103:2).
The list of “benefits” that David writes is glorious.
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:3–5)
What is true of the one who is blessed by the Lord? He is completely forgiven, thoroughly healed, redeemed, crowned with love and mercy, satisfied with good, and renewed in his youth. That sounds pretty good! It’s fitting that David calls “all that is within [him]” to “bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1).
Merciful and Gracious
In the second portion of Psalm 103, we learn more about this Lord whom we should bless. David tells us not just what God has done, but who he is.
At the heart of this portion of the psalm (Psalm 103:6–14) is a description of God that appears in multiple places in Scripture.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Psalm 103:8)
The theme of God’s steadfast love is also apparent later in this section.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. (Psalm 103:11)
The rest of this section explains the meaning of verse 8. He does not repay us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103:10). He removes our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). God is compassionate toward us like a father toward his children (Psalm 103:13). Part of his compassion is shown in remembering our frame, that we are dust (Psalm 103:14).
We need to observe the text carefully. God does not show compassion to everyone; he shows compassion to those who fear him (Psalm 103:13). Fearing the Lord is also a requirement for receiving God’s steadfast love (Psalm 103:11).
From Everlasting to Everlasting
The third portion of this psalm is short but presents a profound contrast. Man’s days are brief, like grass or a flower of the field. They are fragile and can blow away in the wind (Psalm 103:15–16).
There is a fabulous connector at the beginning of verse 17: but. In contrast to the brevity of man’s days, David writes that “the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 103:17). In the flow of this section of the psalm, the subject of this clause is surprising. If man’s days are finite, we expect to read that the Lord’s days are infinite. But David emphasizes that the Lord’s love is everlasting! He comes back again and again to God’s love.
This section of the psalm reiterates the bounds of God’s steadfast love. It is for those who fear him (Psalm 103:17). Those who fear him are marked by keeping his covenant and doing his commandments (Psalm 103:18). This is all God’s prerogative, of course, since “his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19).
Bless the Lord!
Psalm 103 ends with another call to bless the Lord. Though the psalm begins with a personal, internal call to the soul, it ends with a summons for all creation—including our souls—to bless the Lord.
God’s obedient angels should bless him (Psalm 103:20). All his ministers who do his will should bless him (Psalm 103:21). Even all his works should bless the Lord (Psalm 103:22).
Application From a Favorite Psalm
This is a psalm of exultation, rejoicing in who God is for the people of his covenant. David calls himself and all of creation to meditate on God’s unending love. What is David’s main point in writing this psalm?
God abounds in everlasting, steadfast love toward those who fear him. So, bless the Lord!
As we wrap up, what are some possible applications? I know that I need to grow in the fear of the Lord, and I can help my Christian friends grow in this fear as well. I can also search for any false ideas about God’s love that I might believe and replace them with the truths from this psalm. Finally, I can call others to bless the Lord with me, rejoicing in all his benefits and his great compassion.
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