"And forget not all his benefits." Second Reading Commentary on Romans 14:1-12 We have come into a body worship cult. The distance of about 12,500 miles, that is, unless you are going straight through. Remember how the Persian king, when he could not sleep, read the chronicles of the empire, and discovered that one who had saved his life had never been rewarded. Think of the provocation; it was sin, and yet pardoned: how many the provocations, yet all pardoned! And all that is within me - All my powers and faculties; all that can be employed in his praise: the heart, the will, the affections, the emotions. For our task our energies should be suitably called out. 2. Also, the recently-discovered Ras Shamra texts reveal Aramaic elements (Aramaisms) dating back to 1500 to 1400 B.C. Now we don't remember that ourselves often. The eagle is long-lived, and, as naturalists say, when she is nearly 100 years old, casts all her feathers (as indeed she changes them in a great measure every year at moulting time), and fresh ones come, so that she becomes young again. Our crimes were capital, but God saves our lives by pardoning them; our diseases were mortal, but God saves our lives by healing them. And he declares, "Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, plenteous in mercy." 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Now it's another vein, "Bless the Lord, O my soul.". They continually praise him in the upper world; they began betimes to do it (Job 38 7), and it is still their business, from which they rest not day nor night, Rev 4 8. And so science is changing. Half-hearted, ill-conceived, unintelligent praises are not such as we should render to our loving Lord. Psalm 103:2 American Standard Version (ASV) God is portrayed as loving with motherly affection (4, 13) as well Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! yet more and more. Psalm 103 . He hath a raven 160.]. Let the holy angels praise him (v. 20, 21): Bless the Lord, you his angels; and again, Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, you ministers of his. He knew that I was but dust. "He has not only saved thee from death and ruin, but has made thee truly and completely happy, with honour, pleasure, and long life." The idea is, that God is worthy of all the praise and adoration which the entire man can render. Observe that he calls all that is within him to remember all the Lord's benefits. First, They live a life of faith; for they keep God's covenant; having taken hold of it, they keep hold of it, fast hold, and will not let it go. 2; also at the end of the The transcendent riches of God's mercy (v. 11): As the heaven is high above the earth (so high that the earth is but a point to the vast expanse), so God's mercy is above the merits of those that fear him most, so much above and beyond them that there is no proportion at all between them; the greatest performances of man's duty cannot demand the least tokens of God's favour as a debt, and therefore all the seed of Jacob will join with him in owning themselves less than the least of all God's mercies, Gen 32 10. "Bless the Lord, O my soul." He is not long angry; for (v. 9) he will not always chide, though we always offend and deserve chiding. Under such a weight of obligation the lips can do little; the soul and all its powers must be engaged. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. How he stirs up himself to the duty of praise, Psalms 103:1; Psalms 103:2. WebMatthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 103:1-4 Commentary on Psalm 103:1-5 (Read Psalm 103:1-5) By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. 3. (2.) Sin, sickness and the prospect of a hopeless death have been replaced by forgiveness, good health and a renewed enjoyment of life (3-5).The constant love of God for his people is seen in the history of Israel. "Come on, just you know. How he pitiesas a father pities his children, and does them good as there is occasion. Psalm 103:1. WebMatthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 103:1-4 Commentary on Psalm 103:1-5 (Read Psalm 103:1-5) By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. It is the Lord that is to be blessed and spoken well of; for he is the fountain of all good, whatever are the channels or cisterns; it is to his name, his holy name, that we are to consecrate our praise, giving thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. If we do not give thanks for them, we do forget them; and that is unjust as well as unkind, since in all God's favours there is so much that is memorable. II. ; Psalm 103:2 tn Or his benefits (see 2 Chr 32:25, where the noun is also used of kind deeds performed by the Lord). [Ex. [2.] Ps 103:1-22. 1. How he furnishes himself with abundant matter for praise, and that which is very affecting: "Come, my soul, consider what God has done for thee." Or was he now doubly sensible of the importance, the imperative necessity of adoration? Let others forbear if they can: "Bless the Lord, O my soul." He will not keep his anger for ever against his own people, but will gather them with everlasting mercies, Isa 54 8; 57 16. These first verses are a tuning of the harp, a screwing up of the loosened strings that not a note may fail in the sacred harmony. (2.) Man's life is not only wasting of itself, but its period may be anticipated by a thousand accidents. A man may be in peril of life, not only by his crimes, or his diseases, but by the power of his enemies; and therefore here also we experience the divine goodness: Who redeemed thy life from destruction (Psalms 103:4; Psalms 103:4), from the destroyer, from hell (so the Chaldee), from the second death. Secondly, They live a life of obedience; they remember his commandments to do them, else they do not keep his covenant. II. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. Bless the LORD, all his works in all of the places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul ( Psalms 103:17-22 ). WebNew King James Version Praise for the LORD's Benefits. 22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul. 20(Q)Bless the Lord, you His angels,Who excel in strength, who (R)do His word,Heeding the voice of His word.21Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,(S)You [c]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.22Bless the Lord, all His works,In all places of His dominion. And forget not all His benefit s: . Scripture taken from the New King James Version. He exhorteth all creatures to praise him, Psalm 103:20-22. The doctrine of universal providence laid down, v. 19. He began with Bless the Lord, O my soul! The old body cult. The continuance of the mercy which belongs to such as these; it will last them longer than their lives on earth, and therefore they need not be troubled though their lives be short, since death itself will be no abridgment, no infringement, of their bliss. Psalm 103:1 sn Psalm 103.The psalmist praises God for his mercy and willingness to forgive his people. Why do I feel upset? The work requires the inward man, the whole man, and all little enough. February 27, 2023. Some of the critical writers would assign this psalm to the times of the exile, or afterward, depending upon the occurrence of certain Aramaisms; but as Leupold observed, "Aramaisms are never a sure index of date. 3. The sins of believers shall be remembered no more, shall not be mentioned unto them; they shall be sought for, and not found. And as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us ( Psalms 103:11-12 ). In fact, all created things are to praise God. It is God's glory that he has such attendants, but more his glory that he neither needs them nor is benefited by them. The facts are changing, the facts of science seem to often change, but that is totally inconsistent. What their service is. If the law of justice demanded all our heart and soul and mind for the Creator, much more may the law of gratitude put in a comprehensive claim for the homage of our whole being to the God of grace. Nothing but divine wisdom can undertake to fill its treasures (Proverbs 8:21); other things will surfeit, but not satiate,Ecclesiastes 6:7; Isaiah 55:2. WebPsalm 103 Exposition Explanatory Notes and Quaint Sayings Hints to the Village Preacher Other Works TITLE. Bless, &c.when God is the object, praise. The Lord has a throne of his own, a throne of glory, a throne of government. Though he signify his displeasure against us for our sins by the rebukes of Providence, and the reproaches of our own consciences, and thus cause grief, yet he will have compassion, and will not always keep us in pain and terror, no, not for our sins, but, after the spirit of bondage, will give the spirit of adoption. WebMatthew Henry's Commentary Psalm 103:1 << A Psalm of David.>> Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 14:18]; Deut. 33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. That is one dimension of it, but from another dimension, it's from everlasting to everlasting, from the vanishing point to the vanishing point, God's mercy. WebThis psalm calls more for devotion than exposition; it is a most excellent psalm of praise, and of general use. Had he been very sleepy before? The body finds the melancholy consequences of Adam's offence, it is subject to many infirmities, and the soul also. Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). WebPsalm 103 . Tools. What is the crown of glory but God's favour? God has been merciful to us. The scripture says a great deal of the mercy of God, and we may all set to our seal that it is true, that we have experienced it. We think that we are the rock of Gibraltar. Used by permission. Note, Divine revelation is one of the first and greatest of divine favours with which the church is blessed; for God restores us to himself by revealing himself to us, and gives us all good by giving us knowledge. (a) He wakens his dulness to praise God, showing that both understanding and affections, mind and heart, are too little to set forth his praise. "He has given thee true pleasure: He satisfies thy mouth with good things" ( v. 5); it is only the favour and grace of God that can give satisfaction to a soul, can suit its capacities, supply its needs, and answer to its desires. Wisdom . Realizing how easily people forget God, David reminds himself of the many blessings, physical and spiritual, that God has given him. It was the inspiration for H. F. Lytes popular hymn, "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven. WebPsalm 103:1-3. They are able; for they excel in strength; they are mighty in strength (so the word is); they are able to bring great things to pass, and to abide in their work without weariness. Bless the Lord, O my soul,. His better part, his soul, which comes immediately from God, and returns to him, which is immaterial and immortal, and of more worth than the world: God is to be served with the best we have; as with the best of our substance, so with the best of our persons; and it is the heart, or soul, which he requires to be given him; and such service as is performed with the soul or spirit is most agreeable to him; he being a Spirit, and therefore must be worshipped in spirit and in truth: unless the spirit or soul of a man, is engaged in the service of God, it is of little avail; for bodily exercise profiteth not; preaching, hearing, praying, and praising, should be both with the spirit, and with the understanding: here the psalmist calls upon his soul to "bless" the Lord; not by invoking or conferring a blessing on him, which as it is impossible to be done, so he stands in no need of it, being God, all sufficient, and blessed for evermore; but by proclaiming and congratulating his blessedness, and by giving him thanks for all mercies, spiritual and temporal: and all that is within me, bless his holy name; meaning not only all within his body, his heart, reins, lungs, c. but all within his soul, all the powers and faculties of it his understanding, will, affections, and judgment; and all the grace that was wrought in him, faith, hope, love, joy, and the like; these he would have all concerned and employed in praising the name of the Lord; which is exalted above all blessing and praise; is great and glorious in all the earth, by reason of his works wrought, and blessings of goodness bestowed; and which appears to be holy in them all, as it does in the works of creation, providence, and redemption; at the remembrance of which holiness thanks should be given; for he that is glorious in holiness is fearful in praises, Psalms 97:12. 1500 to 1400 B.C is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, plenteous in mercy. my soul ``! 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