Psalm 103 - Part 2 "Bless the Lord, O My Soul!" KJV

 

Psalm 103:12-22 A Psalm of David with Comments by Dennis Edwards - Part 2.               To go back to Part 1.

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Elsewhere in the Bible, God gives similar imagery. He states that he remembers our sins no more against us. In Jeremiah, God says, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more,” Jeremiah 31:34b. God says he will throw our sins into the depths of the sea. In Micah 7:18-19 we read,

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retains not his anger for ever, because he delights in mercy. He will turn again; he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

In Isaiah we find, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool,” Isaiah 1:17b. 

Apostle John also wrote concerning God’s forgiveness and shows us the condition that is necessary. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” I John 1:9. We find the same formular in the Proverbs of Solomon.

“He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but he that confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy,” Proverb 28:13.

Again, in Isaiah we see the same idea.

“For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back,” Isaiah 38:17b.

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon,” Isaiah 55:7.

Confessing, repenting, and returning to the Lord is what grants us mercy.

Psalm 103:13 Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear him.

In the book of Hebrews we read,

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” Hebrews 4:14-16.

Jesus knows what it is to be human, therefore, he is a high priest that understands our human predicament and is willing to extend mercy to the repentant who come unto him.

Psalm 103:14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul,” Genesis 2:7.

After Adam had sinned, the Lord said, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” Genesis 3:19.

Knowing our state, we should fear God and keep his commandments.

Psalm 103:15-16 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

Apostle James, the brother of Jesus, makes a similar description. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away,” James 4:14.

Psalm 103:17-18 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Again, we go back to God’s own words to Moses.

“The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty,” Exodus 34:6-7b.

Moses prayed to the Lord that he pardons the sins of his people in Numbers 14. The people had rebelled against Moses and the Lord and had believed the evil report of the ten spies. Moses prayed thus:

“Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now,” Numbers 14:19.

“And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord,” Numbers 14:20-21.

That is the happy ending when the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Psalm 103:19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom rules over all.

The day is coming when God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things shall be passed away. He will make all things new. The holy city, new Jerusalem, shall come down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. God will dwell with men. We shall be his people, and God himself shall be with us and be our God. Revelation 21:4-5&2-3.

Psalm 103:20-22 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

All mankind will eventually have to submit to Jesus. In Philippians we read the following:

“Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in the fashion of man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” Philippians 2:5b-11.

In the prophecy of Daniel regarding the Son of man, we see the same imagery and results.

“I saw in the night vision, and, behold, one like the Son of man (Jesus) came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days (God the Father), and they brought him near before him. And there was given him (the Son of man) dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed,” Daniel 7:13-14.

All creation shall come before him and serve and worship him.

“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him who lives for ever and ever,” Revelation 5:11-14.

That’s the happy ending. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and not be weary and faint in our minds. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life,” Revelation 2:10b.

King James Version (KJV) Public Domain