Psalm 103:1-5

George Clayson

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Introduction

This week we are going to look at some verses from Psalm 103.

One person has said In the galaxy of the Psalter Psalm 103 and 104 are twin stars of the first magnitude.

This Psalm is a wonderful psalm and I’m sure many people consider this one of their favourites. It has wonderful reminders of the grace of God scattered throughout. For example, v.12 where it says “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

It is this beginning unit that I want us to look at today.

Have you ever felt the need to remind yourself of God’s grace so that you can stir yourself up to praise and worship? Like you need to shake off the coolness of your heart so you remind yourself of all that God has done for you?

This is what David does in these first five verses.

David begins this psalm with a call to worship followed by the reason to obey the call.

A call to worship-

David calls himself to worship.

He begins in v.1 by talking to himself. “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

He is speaking to himself and telling himself to praise God with all that he is. It seems that David could be trying to shake of apathy, to arouse his heart to worship.

He says All that is within me, bless his holy name. It is as though David wants to praise God with every fibre of his being.

Then in v.2 he goes on and repeats the command.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

Here in v.2 David commands himself to worship God again and he also commands himself to do so while remembering all of God’s blessings.

We see from these words of David that he deeply loved the LORD and wanted to worship him with every part of his being.

David didn’t want to do it by half measures. He didn’t want to worship God with only half of his affections. He didn’t want to love the LORD his God with half of his heart, mind soul and strength, but rather with all his heart, mind soul and strength.

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The question that faces those who are Christians is do we have this same kind of desire to worship our God?

Do we long to bless the LORD with all that is within us?

Do we seek to love him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength?

Ofcourse one of the ways we would know the answer to this question is by looking at our lives. Do we live lives that are devoted to bringing glory and honour to our God.

By the way we behave, the way we tell others about him.

David wanted to bless the LORD with every fibre of his being and then he gives the reason why.

He tells himself not to forget God’s benefits and then he lists what these benefits are.

A reminder of God’s grace-

In v.3-5 it is as though David reminds himself of the reasons why God should be worshipped with all his being.

What are the benefits?

forgiveness- Who forgives all your iniquities (v.3)

David reminds himself that God has forgiven all of his sin. Every bad thing that David had done, had been forgiven by the judge of all the earth.

This is possible because 1000 years after David, the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world and died for the sins of the world.

David in the past was looking forward to the time when someone would come from his line and redeem God’s people from their sins. David spoke again in this psalm of God’s forgiveness as I have already mentioned. In v.12 he says as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

healing- who heals all your diseases (v.3)

Maybe David wrote this and was thinking back to a time of sickness when God healed him from it. Ofcourse there is a difference between the forgiveness of sin and the healing of disease, God always forgives all the sin of the one who believes in Christ, but he may not always heal all our diseases.

redemption- who redeems your life from destruction (v.4)

David here is again thinking of God’s saving power. Other translations says who redeems your life from the pit. This can be taken in two ways. David may be speaking about times when God has saved his life.

For the believer this also has a deeper meaning though. God redeems his people from hell, which is often referred to as destruction, or the pit.

David here is acknowledging God’s salvation, the resurrection to eternal life.

love and mercy- who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies (v.4)

David now remembers God’s covenant loyalty, God’s steadfast love. His loving kindness and his tender mercies.

satisfaction- Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (v.5)

Here in v.5 David is confessing the truth that God satisfies his deepest longings. God satisfies all of his desires.

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These are the benefits that David enjoyed and these are benefits that ecery child fo God enjoys. Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, enjoys all of these benfits,

All of these benefits are found in Jesus Christ- Who has become our redemption.

Through the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, all of these benfits are bestowed on those who believe. Forgiveness of sin, redepmtion, loving kindness, tender mercies, God will satisfy your deepest longings.

If you dont have these benefits but desire forgiveness of sin, redemption- then turn to Jesus Christ and be saved

If you have them already the psalmist calls you to respond correctly in v.1 and 2. Respond with praise, praise him with all that is within you. Love him and live for him, take up your cross and follow him. Tell others about him.

Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is with in me, bless his holy name.

Conclusion

In the beginning unit of Psalm David arouses himself to praise almighty God. He calls himself to praise God with every fibre of his being, and then reminds himself of all of God’s many blessings. He wanted to praise God because of all that he had done for him.

If you are a follower of Jesus then you too have recieved all these benefits in Christ, and so you too must praise his holy name with all that is within you. Love him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Live for his glory and honour.

If you are not a follower of Jesus, you do not enjoy these benefits. But you can the moment you turn to Jesus Christ in repentace and faith.

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