Psa 103:3 | KingComments | STEP | In Psalm 102, the believing remnant saw the suffering of Christ with the people of Israel. In Psalm 103 they see that Christ also suffered for or on behalf of the people. The Lord opens the understanding of the remnant making them realize that the Christ had to suffer and thus enter His glory ( ). In Psalm 103 they see that Christ’s suffering is the suffering of the Servant of the LORD as a guilt offering ( ) and as the sin offerings of the day of atonement ( ). It is not possible to contemplate the meaning of Christ’s suffering in an objective, detached way. We see, therefore, that once the remnant begins to understand the meaning of the suffering, they begin to sing a song of praise. Psalm 103 begins with two exhortations and ends with four exhortations to praise the LORD. Who can remain silent when he has been made partaker of so great a salvation? This is a psalm “of David” ( ). He calls on himself to praise the LORD. His “soul” means his feelings. He also wants “all that is within” him, his whole inner being, his will, his thoughts and deliberations, to praise God’s holy Name. His Name includes all His attributes and actions. We cannot be half married; neither can we love the LORD our God with part of our heart, part of our soul, and part of our strength ( ). So cannot David, so cannot the remnant, and so cannot we, in Psalm 103 praise God with only a part of what is in him, in them, in us. The Lord Jesus has given us everything, He has given Himself. It is our spiritual service of worship to present our body to God as a living and holy sacrifice ( ) and to praise Him with all that is within us. He is worthy to be magnified and He is worthy to be served with all our being. He is worthy to receive praise from all that is within us. All of God’s actions flow from Who He is and bear His inscription. Who He is and what He does calls for praise by David’s whole person. is blessing, or praising, the LORD for Who He is, for what He does. The latter continues until . Then in Who He is comes as the occasion for praising and giving thanks to Him in . His Name is holy because everything He is and does bears the mark of holiness. It is all completely free from any stain of sin or even the thought of it. God is light and there is no darkness in Him ( ). This is evident in all that He does. One more time David says that his soul will bless, or praise, the LORD ( ). He also said that in , but now he says it with reference to all God’s benefits. Of these he must not and will not forget one. It concerns both the material and the spiritual benefits. It is necessary for us to remind ourselves of this, for we are quite forgetful. Forgetfulness with regard to all the benefits that God has bestowed on us is inexcusable and shows ingratitude. The greatest and first-mentioned benefit, however, is the pardon or forgiveness of “all” our “iniquities” ( ; cf. ). The pardon of God concerns every iniquity, without exception. Its confession is presupposed here ( ). If one iniquity were not pardoned, Christ’s work and God’s pardon would forever fall short. Fortunately, it is not like that. The pardon is total because the work of Christ is perfect. The word for “pardon” here is not the ordinary word for forgiveness, but a word that implies Divine forgiveness of serious transgressions (cf. ). This is the basis of pardon that we find in picture in the day of atonement. It is on this basis that the angel Gabriel can speak to Daniel about atoning iniquity and bringing in eternal righteousness ( ). The LORD is also the Healer ( ). In conjunction with the pardon of iniquity, He also heals “all your diseases”. The total healing of all diseases, both of the body and the soul, will take place in the realm of peace, for then His people will serve Him ( ). In the Lord Jesus’ healing of the paralytic we see this portrayed ( ). He first forgives the paralytic his sins and then heals him physically. So it will also be in the future with the remnant (cf. ). In the age in which we now live, there can be no claim to total healing. That the believer is healed by the wounds of the Lord Jesus ( ), refers to the health of the spiritual life that had been affected and destroyed by sin. The wounds referred to here are not the wounds through the scourging given to Him by Pilate’s soldiers, but the wounds of God’s judgment on sin. Wounds caused by men cannot possibly have a healing effect on people. The Lord Jesus suffered God’s judgment on the cross for sin. The sins of those who believe are removed thereby. It is a fallacy to assume that thereby the consequences of sin, such as sickness, were also removed. Taking on Himself the infirmities and carrying away the diseases does not refer to the cross, but to His life on earth ( ). It does not say that the Lord Jesus bore the diseases on the cross and therefore a believer would no longer need to be ill. Just as the Lord can sympathize with infirmities, He can sympathize with them in the case of diseases, which He cannot do with sins. The next benefit to praise God for is that He “redeems your life from the pit” ( ). By this the psalmist is saying that he has been redeemed from death. This is consistent with the horizon of the believer in the Old Testament. Next, he says that he is crowned “with lovingkindness and compassion”. He experiences the covenant faithfulness or lovingkindness of the LORD during his life. The same is true of compassion, which is the compassion with the believer’s affliction in this life. It is about the reversal of the believer’s fate: instead of the threat of death, he is now crowned – others translate ‘surrounded’ – with lovingkindness and compassion. He is therefore invulnerable to the threat of destruction. This is possible only because the suffering and death of Christ brought about reconciliation. It is the fulfillment of the word: “Death is consumed to victory” ( ; ). In a general sense, the believer knows that destruction has no hold on him. He can die, but death has no power over him. The Lord Jesus by His resurrection has conquered death for everyone who believes in Him ( ). God satisfies the “years” – or “soul”, as it can also be translated – of His own “with good things” ( ). It means that He lavishes the believer with blessings, with good things. As a result, we can say that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, that praise will be the result. This also relates to life on this side of the grave. This is not about food, but about giving thanks, speaking and singing good words about all the benefits that God has rendered. The mouth will be full of thanksgiving. This will never end, for in the regeneration, that is in the realm of peace, eternal youth will be enjoyed with renewed vigor (cf. ). The eagle, which Isaiah also speaks of ( ), confirms the picture of renewal of power. An eagle is a mighty bird that dominates the skies. It can live up to thirty years in the wild and up to sixty years in captivity. Until its sixth year, this powerful bird receives a new plumage each year, so its age is recognizable by its plumage.

‏ Psalms 103:3

Introduction

In Psalm 102, the believing remnant saw the suffering of Christ with the people of Israel. In Psalm 103 they see that Christ also suffered for or on behalf of the people. The Lord opens the understanding of the remnant making them realize that the Christ had to suffer and thus enter His glory (Lk 24:46). In Psalm 103 they see that Christ’s suffering is the suffering of the Servant of the LORD as a guilt offering (Isa 53:10) and as the sin offerings of the day of atonement (Lev 16:5-28).

It is not possible to contemplate the meaning of Christ’s suffering in an objective, detached way. We see, therefore, that once the remnant begins to understand the meaning of the suffering, they begin to sing a song of praise. Psalm 103 begins with two exhortations and ends with four exhortations to praise the LORD.

Who can remain silent when he has been made partaker of so great a salvation?

Bless the LORD, O My Soul

This is a psalm “of David” (Psa 103:1). He calls on himself to praise the LORD. His “soul” means his feelings. He also wants “all that is within” him, his whole inner being, his will, his thoughts and deliberations, to praise God’s holy Name. His Name includes all His attributes and actions.

We cannot be half married; neither can we love the LORD our God with part of our heart, part of our soul, and part of our strength (Deu 6:5). So cannot David, so cannot the remnant, and so cannot we, in Psalm 103 praise God with only a part of what is in him, in them, in us.

The Lord Jesus has given us everything, He has given Himself. It is our spiritual service of worship to present our body to God as a living and holy sacrifice (Rom 12:1) and to praise Him with all that is within us. He is worthy to be magnified and He is worthy to be served with all our being. He is worthy to receive praise from all that is within us.

All of God’s actions flow from Who He is and bear His inscription. Who He is and what He does calls for praise by David’s whole person. Psa 103:1 is blessing, or praising, the LORD for Who He is, Psa 103:2 for what He does. The latter continues until Psa 103:18. Then in Psa 103:19 Who He is comes as the occasion for praising and giving thanks to Him in Psa 103:20-22.

His Name is holy because everything He is and does bears the mark of holiness. It is all completely free from any stain of sin or even the thought of it. God is light and there is no darkness in Him (1Jn 1:5). This is evident in all that He does.

One more time David says that his soul will bless, or praise, the LORD (Psa 103:2). He also said that in Psa 103:1, but now he says it with reference to all God’s benefits. Of these he must not and will not forget one. It concerns both the material and the spiritual benefits. It is necessary for us to remind ourselves of this, for we are quite forgetful. Forgetfulness with regard to all the benefits that God has bestowed on us is inexcusable and shows ingratitude.

The greatest and first-mentioned benefit, however, is the pardon or forgiveness of “all” our “iniquities” (Psa 103:3; cf. Isa 53:4-5). The pardon of God concerns every iniquity, without exception. Its confession is presupposed here (1Jn 1:9). If one iniquity were not pardoned, Christ’s work and God’s pardon would forever fall short. Fortunately, it is not like that. The pardon is total because the work of Christ is perfect.

The word for “pardon” here is not the ordinary word for forgiveness, but a word that implies Divine forgiveness of serious transgressions (cf. Psa 25:11). This is the basis of pardon that we find in picture in the day of atonement. It is on this basis that the angel Gabriel can speak to Daniel about atoning iniquity and bringing in eternal righteousness (Dan 9:24).

The LORD is also the Healer (Exo 15:26). In conjunction with the pardon of iniquity, He also heals “all your diseases”. The total healing of all diseases, both of the body and the soul, will take place in the realm of peace, for then His people will serve Him (Exo 23:25). In the Lord Jesus’ healing of the paralytic we see this portrayed (Mt 9:2-7). He first forgives the paralytic his sins and then heals him physically. So it will also be in the future with the remnant (cf. Rev 22:2).

In the age in which we now live, there can be no claim to total healing. That the believer is healed by the wounds of the Lord Jesus (1Pet 2:24), refers to the health of the spiritual life that had been affected and destroyed by sin. The wounds referred to here are not the wounds through the scourging given to Him by Pilate’s soldiers, but the wounds of God’s judgment on sin. Wounds caused by men cannot possibly have a healing effect on people.

The Lord Jesus suffered God’s judgment on the cross for sin. The sins of those who believe are removed thereby. It is a fallacy to assume that thereby the consequences of sin, such as sickness, were also removed. Taking on Himself the infirmities and carrying away the diseases does not refer to the cross, but to His life on earth (Mt 8:16-17). It does not say that the Lord Jesus bore the diseases on the cross and therefore a believer would no longer need to be ill. Just as the Lord can sympathize with infirmities, He can sympathize with them in the case of diseases, which He cannot do with sins.

The next benefit to praise God for is that He “redeems your life from the pit” (Psa 103:4). By this the psalmist is saying that he has been redeemed from death. This is consistent with the horizon of the believer in the Old Testament. Next, he says that he is crowned “with lovingkindness and compassion”. He experiences the covenant faithfulness or lovingkindness of the LORD during his life. The same is true of compassion, which is the compassion with the believer’s affliction in this life.

It is about the reversal of the believer’s fate: instead of the threat of death, he is now crowned – others translate ‘surrounded’ – with lovingkindness and compassion. He is therefore invulnerable to the threat of destruction. This is possible only because the suffering and death of Christ brought about reconciliation. It is the fulfillment of the word: “Death is consumed to victory” (1Cor 15:54; Isa 25:8a).

In a general sense, the believer knows that destruction has no hold on him. He can die, but death has no power over him. The Lord Jesus by His resurrection has conquered death for everyone who believes in Him (Jn 11:25-26).

God satisfies the “years” – or “soul”, as it can also be translated – of His own “with good things” (Psa 103:5). It means that He lavishes the believer with blessings, with good things. As a result, we can say that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, that praise will be the result. This also relates to life on this side of the grave.

This is not about food, but about giving thanks, speaking and singing good words about all the benefits that God has rendered. The mouth will be full of thanksgiving. This will never end, for in the regeneration, that is in the realm of peace, eternal youth will be enjoyed with renewed vigor (cf. Psa 110:3).

The eagle, which Isaiah also speaks of (Isa 40:31), confirms the picture of renewal of power. An eagle is a mighty bird that dominates the skies. It can live up to thirty years in the wild and up to sixty years in captivity. Until its sixth year, this powerful bird receives a new plumage each year, so its age is recognizable by its plumage.