Psa 107:2-3 | KingComments | STEP | With Psalm 107 begins the fifth and last book of Psalms. This last book – Psalms 107-150 – describes the ways of God with His people, that is the faithful remnant, along which He brings them back from exile into His land ( ). This is God’s answer to the prayer at the end of the fourth book ( ). The so-called songs of ascent (Psalms 120-134) describe this. In them we hear the feelings of both the two and the ten tribes. This fifth book can be compared to the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of Moses. In that book, the people are at the end of the wilderness journey and about to enter the promised land. Moses gives a review on Israel’s journey through the wilderness and a preview to the promised land. We also see this in this fifth book of Psalms. Psalm 107, the first psalm of this book, describes the various events and circumstances the people went through before they entered the land. It is a description of trials and tribulations, in which they came to know the LORD, His word and His ways better and praise Him for it. We find four examples of this in this psalm which at the same time form a division of the psalm: 1. The wilderness. In it they wandered ( ). 2. The captivity. They have been captives of the nations ( ). 3. Their transgressions. As a result, they were afflicted, near death ( ). 4. The great tribulation and wrath through which they have passed, represented in the storm ( ). 1. The answer to their wandering in the wilderness ( ) is the city with foundations. 2. The answer to their captivity ( ) is the return. 3. The answer to their afflictions ( ) is the healing. 4. The answer to the storm ( ) is the desired haven of the realm of peace. God has delivered the people again and again when they cried out to Him. Likewise, in the future, when they are in the great tribulation, He will listen to them when they cry out to Him. Each time, the remnant is exhorted to praise and give thanks to the LORD. This is also the teaching found in the conclusion of this psalm ( ). Those who take this teaching to heart prove themselves to be wise ( ). The wise in the future – the maskilim – will learn the lesson by taking to heart the covenant faithfulness – Adonai, favors – of the LORD and trusting in Him. The psalm begins with the call to give thanks to the LORD, for He is good ( ). His goodness is evident in “His lovingkindness”, that is, He is eternally faithful to His new covenant as the foundation of all blessings ( ). Every believer can say it with David: “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life” ( ). His goodness abides forever and never fails because the new covenant is an eternal covenant because of the power of the blood of Christ as the foundation of all blessings ( ). “His lovingkindness is everlasting” is a refrain. It is and has been sung at every restoration of Israel that takes place through the lovingkindness of the LORD: a. At Israel’s deliverance from Egypt ( ). b. At the return of the ark ( ). c. At the return from Babylon ( ). d. At the future restoration of Israel ( ). His lovingkindness is evident in the deliverance of His people “from the hand of the adversaries” ( ). They were in the hand of the adversaries, that is, in their power. From this they have been redeemed by Him Who is stronger than the strongest enemy, so that they no longer have any danger to fear. Prophetically, this applies to the faithful remnant that has been in the scattering. They prayed at the end of Psalm 106 to save them from the power of the nations ( ). Here in Psalm 107 we hear a song of thanksgiving about the answer to this prayer ( ). They did not deserve that answer. After all, Psalm 106 speaks of the scattering as God’s judgment on their rebellion against the LORD ( ). Their rebellion contrasts sharply with Psalm 105, where we read of their deliverance by the LORD from Egypt and that He gave them the lands of the nations ( ). The quoted verses from these three psalms indicate that despite the fact that they belong to different books of Psalms (the fourth and fifth book) they form in a sense a triptych. The issue in is the redemption of the faithful remnant of the two tribes. The word for “redeemed” comes from the Hebrew word for “ransom” ( ). This means that we are talking about people who have been ransomed from slavery by a powerful family member. It is not so much about deliverance through battle as it is about deliverance through buying back, where the one who ransoms has the right to buy back, while the other is obliged to sell, without any other option. The redeemed are the ransomed of the LORD ( ). Those who are redeemed by the LORD are exhorted to also say it aloud. It is not possible for a believer to remain silent ( ). It must be expressed in words of thanksgiving, in songs of praise or sacrifices of praise. It is not only about feelings of gratitude, but also about words of gratitude. The redemption is a special redemption and therefore thanks should also be a special thanks. He redeemed us from our sins by buying us, not with silver or gold, but with His precious blood ( ). In it is about the remnant of the ten tribes returning to the land from the nations ( ). God will gather all who are scattered in all directions from the lands to which they have been scattered. He will bring them back “from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south” to His land ( ; ). This verse has not been fulfilled anywhere in the past. The return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon during the time of Cyrus ( ) is only from one direction, from Babylon. Since not a title or an iota of God’s Word will fall to earth, this verse will still be fulfilled – and soon, we may assume. Then all of the twelve tribes still in the scattering will return to Israel from all directions. We have seen this happen time and again since the late nineteenth century in the aliyah , the return of Jews from all parts of the world to Israel. Prophetically, it is about the time when the beast, the antichrist and the king of the North are eliminated. The ten tribes have returned from the scattering into the land and joined the two tribes there. The whole people are then back in the land, all twelve tribes, that is, a remnant from them. For us Christians, the Lord Jesus died in order to gather us together into one, we who are scattered children of God ( ; cf. ).

‏ Psalms 107:2-3

Introduction

With Psalm 107 begins the fifth and last book of Psalms. This last book – Psalms 107-150 – describes the ways of God with His people, that is the faithful remnant, along which He brings them back from exile into His land (Psa 107:2-3). This is God’s answer to the prayer at the end of the fourth book (Psa 106:47). The so-called songs of ascent (Psalms 120-134) describe this. In them we hear the feelings of both the two and the ten tribes.

This fifth book can be compared to the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of Moses. In that book, the people are at the end of the wilderness journey and about to enter the promised land. Moses gives a review on Israel’s journey through the wilderness and a preview to the promised land.

We also see this in this fifth book of Psalms. Psalm 107, the first psalm of this book, describes the various events and circumstances the people went through before they entered the land. It is a description of trials and tribulations, in which they came to know the LORD, His word and His ways better and praise Him for it.

We find four examples of this in this psalm which at the same time form a division of the psalm:

1. The wilderness. In it they wandered (Psa 107:4-9).

2. The captivity. They have been captives of the nations (Psa 107:10-16).

3. Their transgressions. As a result, they were afflicted, near death (Psa 107:17-22).

4. The great tribulation and wrath through which they have passed, represented in the storm (Psa 107:23-32).

1. The answer to their wandering in the wilderness (Psa 107:4-9) is the city with foundations.

2. The answer to their captivity (Psa 107:10-16) is the return.

3. The answer to their afflictions (Psa 107:17-22) is the healing.

4. The answer to the storm (Psa 107:23-32) is the desired haven of the realm of peace.

God has delivered the people again and again when they cried out to Him. Likewise, in the future, when they are in the great tribulation, He will listen to them when they cry out to Him. Each time, the remnant is exhorted to praise and give thanks to the LORD.

This is also the teaching found in the conclusion of this psalm (Psa 107:33-42). Those who take this teaching to heart prove themselves to be wise (Psa 107:43). The wise in the future – the maskilim – will learn the lesson by taking to heart the covenant faithfulness – Adonai, favors – of the LORD and trusting in Him.

Song of Praise for Redemption

The psalm begins with the call to give thanks to the LORD, for He is good (Psa 107:1). His goodness is evident in “His lovingkindness”, that is, He is eternally faithful to His new covenant as the foundation of all blessings (Psa 106:1 ; Psa 108:4). Every believer can say it with David: “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life” (Psa 23:6a). His goodness abides forever and never fails because the new covenant is an eternal covenant because of the power of the blood of Christ as the foundation of all blessings (Heb 13:20).

“His lovingkindness is everlasting” is a refrain. It is and has been sung at every restoration of Israel that takes place through the lovingkindness of the LORD:

a. At Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (Psa 136:1-26).

b. At the return of the ark (1Chr 16:34).

c. At the return from Babylon (Ezra 3:11).

d. At the future restoration of Israel (Jer 33:11).

His lovingkindness is evident in the deliverance of His people “from the hand of the adversaries” (Psa 107:2). They were in the hand of the adversaries, that is, in their power. From this they have been redeemed by Him Who is stronger than the strongest enemy, so that they no longer have any danger to fear.

Prophetically, this applies to the faithful remnant that has been in the scattering. They prayed at the end of Psalm 106 to save them from the power of the nations (Psa 106:47). Here in Psalm 107 we hear a song of thanksgiving about the answer to this prayer (Psa 107:2-3). They did not deserve that answer. After all, Psalm 106 speaks of the scattering as God’s judgment on their rebellion against the LORD (Psa 106:27). Their rebellion contrasts sharply with Psalm 105, where we read of their deliverance by the LORD from Egypt and that He gave them the lands of the nations (Psa 105:43-44). The quoted verses from these three psalms indicate that despite the fact that they belong to different books of Psalms (the fourth and fifth book) they form in a sense a triptych.

The issue in Psa 107:2 is the redemption of the faithful remnant of the two tribes. The word for “redeemed” comes from the Hebrew word for “ransom” (Lev 25:48-49). This means that we are talking about people who have been ransomed from slavery by a powerful family member. It is not so much about deliverance through battle as it is about deliverance through buying back, where the one who ransoms has the right to buy back, while the other is obliged to sell, without any other option. The redeemed are the ransomed of the LORD (Isa 35:9-10).

Those who are redeemed by the LORD are exhorted to also say it aloud. It is not possible for a believer to remain silent (Psa 116:10). It must be expressed in words of thanksgiving, in songs of praise or sacrifices of praise. It is not only about feelings of gratitude, but also about words of gratitude. The redemption is a special redemption and therefore thanks should also be a special thanks. He redeemed us from our sins by buying us, not with silver or gold, but with His precious blood (1Pet 1:18-19).

In Psa 107:3 it is about the remnant of the ten tribes returning to the land from the nations (Deu 30:1-4). God will gather all who are scattered in all directions from the lands to which they have been scattered. He will bring them back “from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south” to His land (Isa 11:11-12 ; Isa 43:5-6; Mt 24:31).

This verse has not been fulfilled anywhere in the past. The return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon during the time of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-3) is only from one direction, from Babylon. Since not a title or an iota of God’s Word will fall to earth, this verse will still be fulfilled – and soon, we may assume. Then all of the twelve tribes still in the scattering will return to Israel from all directions.

We have seen this happen time and again since the late nineteenth century in the aliyah, the return of Jews from all parts of the world to Israel. Prophetically, it is about the time when the beast, the antichrist and the king of the North are eliminated. The ten tribes have returned from the scattering into the land and joined the two tribes there. The whole people are then back in the land, all twelve tribes, that is, a remnant from them.

For us Christians, the Lord Jesus died in order to gather us together into one, we who are scattered children of God (Jn 11:52; cf. 1Cor 12:13).