Psa 106:43-48 | KingComments | STEP | When the people arrived in the land, their obedience and faith did not improve. Joshua had called them to faithfulness to the LORD ( ), but that was said to deaf ears. They continued on the path of disobedience and unbelief. The LORD had commanded them to destroy the peoples, but “they did not destroy the peoples” ( ; ). The book of Judges gives an account of their disobedience to this command of the LORD. Instead of destroying the nations they mixed with them ( ; ; ; ). For us, the command is to keep ourselves unstained from the world ( ). If we do not, more and more of the habits of the world will come to cling to us, for bad company corrupts good morals ( ). We see this with Israel: they “learned their practices” and thus flouted the commandment that they were not to imitate the customs of Canaan ( ). Thereby, it were also nonsensical customs ( ). The people did not care about what God had said because they just wanted to live like the nations around them. That appealed to them more than doing what God had commanded them, commandments that are for life. Because of their mingling with the nations and learning their customs, they began to serve their idols ( ). They bid the LORD, Who had been so good to them, farewell, and knelt down before the idols of the nations. However, the idols did not produce prosperity, but “became a snare to them” into which they were caught and would die ( ; ). They were so caught in the snare that they not only served and worshiped idols, but “even sacrificed their sons and their daughters” to them ( ; ; ; ). Thus they also plunged their children into destruction. It says here that they offered their sons and daughters “to the demons”. That is what they actually did. Behind dead idols of wood and stone are demons ( ; ; ). By their actions they “shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters” ( ; cf. ). They were blood-guilty murderers of their own children. Their sacrifices “to the idols of Canaan” had the effect of polluting “the land with the blood”. By their abominable practices they profaned the land that belonged to God, His property (cf. ; ; ). The people broke both the first tablet and the second tablet of the ten commandments: the first tablet by committing idolatry, the second by shedding innocent blood. It is comparable to the two sins of David: adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah. Thus the people of Israel both shed the blood of Christ and committed idolatry with the antichrist. The Lord Jesus put it this way: “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him” ( ). In the first part of this verse He speaks of His rejection, in the second part of their acceptance of the antichrist. They not only profaned God’s land, but “they became unclean” themselves “in their practices [literally: works]” ( ). Paul puts it this way: “The immoral man sins against his own body” ( ). Their works were all sin. How could God ever tolerate them in His presence in that condition? They “played the harlot in their deeds”, that is, their way of life represented the grossest unfaithfulness to God. After all, God had taken Israel to be His wife ( ). But by having intercourse with idols in unfaithfulness to Him, they committed blatant harlotry (cf. ; ). God was deeply grieved by this. He could not let this go unpunished. “Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people” ( ). His land and His people were horribly polluted. He turned away from them with distaste, “He abhorred His inheritance”. Their behavior caused Him loath. No mitigating circumstance can be imagined by which they could be declared less accountable. The blood of the idolaters had to flow because of the blood guilt that they had brought upon themselves through their ritual murders. Therefore, He gave them “into the hand of the nations” ( ). These nations, who “hated them ruled over them”. The nations were idol-worshipers. Through them God wanted to teach His people the harsh service of idolaters, so that thereby His people would come to their senses. All of this is consistent with the curse of the covenant in Leviticus 26 ( ). Ultimately, this is with the intention of bringing them to repentance through which the LORD can restore and bring them back. God’s disobedient, rebellious people were oppressed by their enemies ( ), but it was actually the hand of God that pressed down on them. In this way “they were subdued under their power [literally: hand]”. The oppressors invaded their land, destroyed their vineyards, took them captive and forced them into slave labor. They had to bow their necks under their rule. Then when they cried out in their misery, He saved them ( ). He did this “many times” over a period of hundreds of years. That He did this many times shows His great longsuffering. It also means that the people kept turning away from Him and He had to give them again and again into the hand of the nations. We see this in the book of Judges ( ). There, in the beginning, they cried out to the LORD in their misery ( ). Later, for example in the time of Samson, there is no more crying out to the LORD for help. We also see this here in . It does say that they cried out in their distress, but it does not say that they cried out to God in their misery. Even though He saved them many times, they continued to taunt Him “in their counsel”. They had their own opinions about serving God. God had said how He wanted to be served, but they did not bother. It is like a father who keeps telling his child how to do something, but the child always does it stubbornly in his own wrong way, so that everything always fails. How taunting that is for a father. The result for the people is that they “sank down in their iniquity”. Sin is debilitating to one’s strength and wears one down. A person who perseveres in sin becomes depleted. They were weakened, their national strength was exhausted, there was no strength left to defend themselves. This was the punishment for their sins.

‏ Psalms 106:43-48

In the Land

When the people arrived in the land, their obedience and faith did not improve. Joshua had called them to faithfulness to the LORD (Jos 13:1-7 ; Jos 23:9-11), but that was said to deaf ears. They continued on the path of disobedience and unbelief. The LORD had commanded them to destroy the peoples, but “they did not destroy the peoples” (Psa 106:34; Deu 7:2 ; 16). The book of Judges gives an account of their disobedience to this command of the LORD.

Instead of destroying the nations they mixed with them (Psa 106:35; Deu 7:1-5; Jdg 3:5-6; Ezra 9:1-2). For us, the command is to keep ourselves unstained from the world (Jam 1:27b). If we do not, more and more of the habits of the world will come to cling to us, for bad company corrupts good morals (1Cor 15:33).

We see this with Israel: they “learned their practices” and thus flouted the commandment that they were not to imitate the customs of Canaan (Lev 18:3). Thereby, it were also nonsensical customs (Jer 10:2-3). The people did not care about what God had said because they just wanted to live like the nations around them. That appealed to them more than doing what God had commanded them, commandments that are for life.

Because of their mingling with the nations and learning their customs, they began to serve their idols (Psa 106:36). They bid the LORD, Who had been so good to them, farewell, and knelt down before the idols of the nations. However, the idols did not produce prosperity, but “became a snare to them” into which they were caught and would die (Exo 23:33; Deu 7:16).

They were so caught in the snare that they not only served and worshiped idols, but “even sacrificed their sons and their daughters” to them (Psa 106:37; 2Kgs 16:3; Eze 16:20 ; Eze 20:31; Isa 57:5). Thus they also plunged their children into destruction. It says here that they offered their sons and daughters “to the demons”. That is what they actually did. Behind dead idols of wood and stone are demons (1Cor 10:20; Deu 32:17; Rev 9:20).

By their actions they “shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters” (Psa 106:38; cf. Jer 19:4-5). They were blood-guilty murderers of their own children. Their sacrifices “to the idols of Canaan” had the effect of polluting “the land with the blood”. By their abominable practices they profaned the land that belonged to God, His property (cf. Num 35:33-34; Isa 24:5; Jer 3:1-2 ; 9).

The people broke both the first tablet and the second tablet of the ten commandments: the first tablet by committing idolatry, the second by shedding innocent blood. It is comparable to the two sins of David: adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah. Thus the people of Israel both shed the blood of Christ and committed idolatry with the antichrist. The Lord Jesus put it this way: “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him” (Jn 5:43). In the first part of this verse He speaks of His rejection, in the second part of their acceptance of the antichrist.

They not only profaned God’s land, but “they became unclean” themselves “in their practices [literally: works]” (Psa 106:39). Paul puts it this way: “The immoral man sins against his own body” (1Cor 6:18b). Their works were all sin. How could God ever tolerate them in His presence in that condition? They “played the harlot in their deeds”, that is, their way of life represented the grossest unfaithfulness to God. After all, God had taken Israel to be His wife (Jer 2:1-3). But by having intercourse with idols in unfaithfulness to Him, they committed blatant harlotry (cf. Isa 1:21; Hos 2:2-12).

God was deeply grieved by this. He could not let this go unpunished. “Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people” (Psa 106:40). His land and His people were horribly polluted. He turned away from them with distaste, “He abhorred His inheritance”. Their behavior caused Him loath. No mitigating circumstance can be imagined by which they could be declared less accountable.

The blood of the idolaters had to flow because of the blood guilt that they had brought upon themselves through their ritual murders. Therefore, He gave them “into the hand of the nations” (Psa 106:41). These nations, who “hated them ruled over them”. The nations were idol-worshipers. Through them God wanted to teach His people the harsh service of idolaters, so that thereby His people would come to their senses. All of this is consistent with the curse of the covenant in Leviticus 26 (Lev 26:17). Ultimately, this is with the intention of bringing them to repentance through which the LORD can restore and bring them back.

God’s disobedient, rebellious people were oppressed by their enemies (Psa 106:42), but it was actually the hand of God that pressed down on them. In this way “they were subdued under their power [literally: hand]”. The oppressors invaded their land, destroyed their vineyards, took them captive and forced them into slave labor. They had to bow their necks under their rule.

Then when they cried out in their misery, He saved them (Psa 106:43). He did this “many times” over a period of hundreds of years. That He did this many times shows His great longsuffering. It also means that the people kept turning away from Him and He had to give them again and again into the hand of the nations.

We see this in the book of Judges (Jdg 2:16 ; 18). There, in the beginning, they cried out to the LORD in their misery (Jdg 3:9 ; 15 ; Jdg 4:3 ; Jdg 6:6 ; Jdg 10:10). Later, for example in the time of Samson, there is no more crying out to the LORD for help. We also see this here in Psa 106:44. It does say that they cried out in their distress, but it does not say that they cried out to God in their misery.

Even though He saved them many times, they continued to taunt Him “in their counsel”. They had their own opinions about serving God. God had said how He wanted to be served, but they did not bother. It is like a father who keeps telling his child how to do something, but the child always does it stubbornly in his own wrong way, so that everything always fails. How taunting that is for a father.

The result for the people is that they “sank down in their iniquity”. Sin is debilitating to one’s strength and wears one down. A person who perseveres in sin becomes depleted. They were weakened, their national strength was exhausted, there was no strength left to defend themselves. This was the punishment for their sins.

The Greatness of God’s Lovingkindness

The closing verses of the psalm, like the beginning of the psalm, are a song of praise for the grace of God. He had responded to their distress and their crying out (Psa 106:44). It had caught His attention. He had not turned away from them, but saw their distress and heard their cry. He had not lost sight of them. He had not closed His ear to them. The reason is that He had not removed them from His heart.

“He remembered” namely “His covenant” (Psa 106:45) which He had made with the fathers. Therefore, He remembered “for their sake”. He could not forget the covenant He had made with them, the promises He had made that made the covenant unconditional. Therefore, He could not completely destroy them (Lev 26:44-45). His covenant He fulfilled and all the promises attached to it He fulfilled.

That He “relented” is not regret over a wrong act or decision. God is never wrong and never needs to relent (1Sam 15:29). If He does relent, it is “according to the greatness of His lovingkindness”. Relenting here means coming back from a certain path. It does not concern God’s counsel, but God’s governmental ways.

In this case, He stops His disciplining of His people because otherwise He would utterly destroy them (cf. Exo 32:14; Jdg 2:18; 2Sam 24:16). He can prove His lovingkindness because Christ has fulfilled all the conditions for the covenant. All who are joined to Him receive the promises and blessings of the covenant.

On the basis of the work of His Son, which He foresaw, He was able to show mercy to them (Psa 106:46). That mercy He worked in the heart of all those who had carried away His people as captives. He had the people carried away into exile as a result of their disobedience. In their exile they repented and cried out to the LORD for help (Psa 106:47). For this they appealed, not to their actions, but to the holy Name of the LORD their God (cf. Eze 36:20-23).

We see examples of the mercy the LORD worked on all those who had taken them away as captives by Cyrus, Evil-Merodach and Arthahsasta (Ezra 1:1-4; cf. 2Kgs 25:27-30; Neh 2:1-6). This shows the power of God over the heart of men, including kings (1Kgs 8:50; Pro 21:1; Dan 1:9).

These proofs of lovingkindness and mercy in the misery that has come upon the people through their own fault bring the psalmist to a prayer and a thanksgiving. His prayer is a prophetic prayer. It concerns the situation in which God’s people will be in the end time, the time of the great tribulation. Then they will pray: “Save us, LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations.” It is a prayer for the intervention of God for their deliverance from the power of the nations.

When God does, they will be able to “give thanks to” His “holy name” in the place where He dwells, in Jerusalem (cf. Mt 6:9b). They will boast in His praise, which is to say that there will be nothing else and higher for them than to give thanks to God for His mighty deeds.

The psalmist already makes a start, as it were, when he exults: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel” (Psa 106:48). This jubilation will never cease, but will continue “from everlasting even to everlasting”. God is worthy of worship in the realm of peace and for all eternity. The psalmist calls on “all the people” to join in with this with a resounding “amen” – meaning ‘so it is’.

Then he ends the psalm as he began it, with a loud “hallelujah!”, or “praise the LORD!” (Psa 106:1). See at Psalm 105:35.

Psa 106:1 and Psa 106:47-48 of this psalm also occur in 1 Chronicles 16 and as a contiguous section (1Chr 16:34-36). This underscores the special connection between the beginning and the end of the psalm. At Psa 106:1 we have seen that the occasion for the call to praise God is His lovingkindness which is eternal. By connecting this with the prayer of Psa 106:47-48, it becomes clear that trust in God’s lovingkindness is the basis of the prayer for salvation.