Psa 107:5-6 | KingComments | STEP | This section refers to wandering in a wilderness ( ). It refers to people who wander, who are lost, who have no safe city in which to live. The Hebrew word for “wander” here is not the same as “wander” in Numbers 32 ( ). In Numbers 32 they had not lost their way in the wilderness journey, for they were led by the pillar of cloud in their wandering with a purpose. Those who comprise the remnant from the two tribes and the ten tribes have wandered in the wilderness of this world, “in a desert region”. It is reminiscent of the curse on Cain. As a result of his sin, the murder of his brother Abel, Cain became a wanderer on earth ( ). So Israel murdered Christ and Israel also had to go wandering in the wilderness of the world. The world became for them ‘a burial place for strangers’, a piece of land purchased with the thirty pieces of silver at which they valued their Lord ( ; ). Nowhere did they find “a way to an inhabited city”. They were in the wilderness looking for a city to find rest and safety. They longed for it, but in a wilderness there is no rest anywhere. An inhabited city they would find in the promised land. That is Jerusalem, the city where the LORD dwells ( ). Where He dwells, there is rest and safety. Prophetically, the wilderness speaks of “the wilderness of the peoples” ( ), to which the LORD scattered the Israelites because of their unfaithfulness ( ; ). The return from there and their entry into the promised land is the final fulfillment. The return from exile in Babylon to the land of Israel is not the final fulfillment, but it is a pre-fulfillment. The LORD speaks of this in view of what He will do in the future: “Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” ( ). In the wilderness they were “hungry and thirsty” ( ). About this they grumbled, for “their soul fainted within them”. The way was full of misery and sorrow. They were weary and weakened. This was the result of their unbelief, restlessness and discontent. They saw only the miserable circumstances and not the LORD Who so faithfully cared for them every day. Then they do the only right thing a man can do when he is in trouble and to which God has also brought him in that trouble: “They cried out to the LORD in their trouble” ( ; cf. ). God’s answer does not delay: “He delivered them out of their distresses.” This verse is repeated like a refrain throughout this psalm ( ). It is the main theme of the psalm: when the people of God are in trouble and they cry out to the LORD, He rescues and delivers. At God’s covenant, His promise to Abraham, the LORD showed a smoking oven and a flaming torch as a sign that tribulation and distress were the means He would use to bring His people back to Him ( ). The distress is the result of God’s work of plowing the hearts of the people (distress makes them pray) to prepare fertile ground in which to sow the Word. In that Word they can believe and be saved and redeemed by it ( ). Plowing is a prerequisite to sowing. After delivering them out of their distresses – as the answer to the need in – God also took upon Himself the leadership of the people ( ). “He led them also by a straight way”, a way straight to His goal. That goal was the promised land. Under His leadership they went “to an inhabited city” (cf. ). In the land were cities for all the people. To dwell in one of these cities meant the end of their wanderings through the wilderness. The blessings of food and drink, guidance in the wilderness and a city to live in are a great contrast to wandering in the wilderness and grumbling about their lack. This is not the city of man, Babel, which is a city with a tower, but the city which has foundations, “whose architect and builder is God”, the city God showed Abraham ( ). The blessing received, against a backdrop of grumbling, must result in “giving thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men” ( ). The giving thanks of this verse is encapsulated in two answers to prayer: in response to , and in response to . The wonders, i.e. wonderful acts, for which they give thanks to the LORD here have to do with the return to the promised land, while the wonders in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106 refer to the Red Sea, what He did there. He did not give them what they deserved, but out of the fullness of His lovingkindness. He is acting according to the covenant mentioned in Leviticus 26 ( ): if the remnant would repent, then and only then could the LORD show His lovingkindness to them. He has “satisfied the thirsty soul” ( ). He has done so by bringing them to an inhabited city. Thereby their thirst for God was satisfied (cf. ). The same is true of “the hungry soul”. He fills the hungry soul “with what is good” ( ; ). He fills the soul with peace and joy. Hunger and thirst refer to spiritual hunger and thirst (cf. ). It is hunger for the Word of God ( ; ). Satisfaction of this is the LORD’s response to the need of .

‏ Psalms 107:5-6

Led by a Straight Way

This section refers to wandering in a wilderness (Psa 107:4). It refers to people who wander, who are lost, who have no safe city in which to live. The Hebrew word for “wander” here is not the same as “wander” in Numbers 32 (Num 32:13). In Numbers 32 they had not lost their way in the wilderness journey, for they were led by the pillar of cloud in their wandering with a purpose.

Those who comprise the remnant from the two tribes and the ten tribes have wandered in the wilderness of this world, “in a desert region”. It is reminiscent of the curse on Cain. As a result of his sin, the murder of his brother Abel, Cain became a wanderer on earth (Gen 4:12). So Israel murdered Christ and Israel also had to go wandering in the wilderness of the world. The world became for them ‘a burial place for strangers’, a piece of land purchased with the thirty pieces of silver at which they valued their Lord (Zec 11:12-13; Mt 27:9-10).

Nowhere did they find “a way to an inhabited city”. They were in the wilderness looking for a city to find rest and safety. They longed for it, but in a wilderness there is no rest anywhere. An inhabited city they would find in the promised land. That is Jerusalem, the city where the LORD dwells (Eze 48:35). Where He dwells, there is rest and safety.

Prophetically, the wilderness speaks of “the wilderness of the peoples” (Eze 20:35), to which the LORD scattered the Israelites because of their unfaithfulness (Psa 106:25-27; Deu 28:64). The return from there and their entry into the promised land is the final fulfillment. The return from exile in Babylon to the land of Israel is not the final fulfillment, but it is a pre-fulfillment. The LORD speaks of this in view of what He will do in the future: “Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isa 43:19).

In the wilderness they were “hungry and thirsty” (Psa 107:5). About this they grumbled, for “their soul fainted within them”. The way was full of misery and sorrow. They were weary and weakened. This was the result of their unbelief, restlessness and discontent. They saw only the miserable circumstances and not the LORD Who so faithfully cared for them every day.

Then they do the only right thing a man can do when he is in trouble and to which God has also brought him in that trouble: “They cried out to the LORD in their trouble” (Psa 107:6; cf. Hos 5:15 ; Hos 6:1). God’s answer does not delay: “He delivered them out of their distresses.” This verse is repeated like a refrain throughout this psalm (Psa 107:13 ; 19 ; 28). It is the main theme of the psalm: when the people of God are in trouble and they cry out to the LORD, He rescues and delivers.

At God’s covenant, His promise to Abraham, the LORD showed a smoking oven and a flaming torch as a sign that tribulation and distress were the means He would use to bring His people back to Him (Gen 15:17). The distress is the result of God’s work of plowing the hearts of the people (distress makes them pray) to prepare fertile ground in which to sow the Word. In that Word they can believe and be saved and redeemed by it (Isa 28:23-25). Plowing is a prerequisite to sowing.

After delivering them out of their distresses – as the answer to the need in Psa 107:4 – God also took upon Himself the leadership of the people (Psa 107:7). “He led them also by a straight way”, a way straight to His goal. That goal was the promised land. Under His leadership they went “to an inhabited city” (cf. Psa 107:36). In the land were cities for all the people. To dwell in one of these cities meant the end of their wanderings through the wilderness.

The blessings of food and drink, guidance in the wilderness and a city to live in are a great contrast to wandering in the wilderness and grumbling about their lack. This is not the city of man, Babel, which is a city with a tower, but the city which has foundations, “whose architect and builder is God”, the city God showed Abraham (Heb 11:10).

The blessing received, against a backdrop of grumbling, must result in “giving thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men” (Psa 107:8). The giving thanks of this verse is encapsulated in two answers to prayer: Psa 107:7 in response to Psa 107:4, and Psa 107:9 in response to Psa 107:5. The wonders, i.e. wonderful acts, for which they give thanks to the LORD here have to do with the return to the promised land, while the wonders in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106 refer to the Red Sea, what He did there.

He did not give them what they deserved, but out of the fullness of His lovingkindness. He is acting according to the covenant mentioned in Leviticus 26 (Lev 26:40-42): if the remnant would repent, then and only then could the LORD show His lovingkindness to them.

He has “satisfied the thirsty soul” (Psa 107:9). He has done so by bringing them to an inhabited city. Thereby their thirst for God was satisfied (cf. Psa 42:1-2). The same is true of “the hungry soul”. He fills the hungry soul “with what is good” (Lk 1:53; Mt 5:6). He fills the soul with peace and joy. Hunger and thirst refer to spiritual hunger and thirst (cf. Isa 55:1-2). It is hunger for the Word of God (Deu 8:3; Mt 4:4). Satisfaction of this is the LORD’s response to the need of Psa 107:5.