Psalm 106
National Confession
Rev Dr Devadosan Sugirtharaj
Introduction
This psalm is the counterpart of Psalm 105. In Psalm 105, the psalmist invites us to
remember God’s mighty works, and in Psalm 106, he elaborates on how the people of
Israel forgot God’s mighty works.
1. Prayer of Praises. Psalm. 106:1-5
- Praise the Lord is the translation of the Hebrew word ‘Hallelujah. The psalmist expresses his gratitude to God for he is good and his mercy endures forever. Here the mercy is described as God’s loyal covenant love to the disobedient people of Israel. (Vs.1)
- The psalmist acknowledges that there are no words matching to describe God’s mighty acts. However, the obedient people of God are blessed as they keep justice. These blessed have the hearts to praise God for his mighty acts. (Vs.2-3)
- Then the psalmist prays God to remember them to receive his favor and to visit them to redeem them with his salvation. It is a prayer like a patient crying to the doctor for healing. This prayer is focused on three important blessings. He prays that God may bless the people with his mighty works, fill them with joy to share with his people and give glory to his name because of victories. ( vs.4-5)
2. Prayer of confession. Psalm 106:6-43
The psalmist identifies several repeated sins of Israel throughout her history. He does not note that these sins are not the past failures only but also the present.
- Sin 1: They did not understand God’s wonders and mercies but continued to rebel against God. However, God did not stop to show his mercies to them for His name’s sake and did wonders such as rebuking the Red Sea. (vs.6-12)
- Sin 2: They are ingratitude and disobedient to God, though they experience his love and mercies. However, they lusted after physical and material things and tested God in the desert. In response, God gave them their cravings, then the cravings became graves. (vs.13-15)
- Sin 3: They rebelled against God’s anointed leaders, Moses and Aaron, and conspired against them. In response to this sin, God punished them with earthquake and fire. (vs.16-18)
- Sin 4. They followed other gods and idols and worshipped them. They tried to replace God with idols and gave glory to them instead of God. They provoked God. Moses stood before God to show his mercy. (vs.19-23)
- Sin 5. They despised the word of God and did not believe it. They complained more about the word of God and did not listen to his word. God made an oath to scatter and overthrow them in the wilderness. (vs. 24-27)
- Sin 6. The Moabites enticed them the people of Israel to idolatry and immorality at Baal of People. The Israelites fell into the trap and followed the Moabites. They even made sacrifices to the dead. So God sent a plague to judge them because of it. (vs.28-31)
- Sin 7: The people of Israel angered Moses at Meribah with complaints and contentions. It made him frustrated. They rebelled against the Spirit of the Lord and so Moses was stammered with his lips and filled with anger. (vs.32-33)
- Sin 8: When they came to the promised land, they did not destroy the Canaanites but mingled with their cultures, religious practices, and even unacceptable behaviors. They even sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons and polluted the promised land. In response to it, God gave them up to the hands of the Gentiles to rule over them. The humiliation and slavery of the Gentiles were part of it. (vs.34-43)
3. Prayer of Exaltation ( Psalm 106:44-48)
- Amid all their sins, God regarded their affliction and remembered his covenant with them. Because he is a merciful and faithful God, when they cried for help in captivity, God was compassionate to them and delivered them. The psalmist brings exalation to God’s immeasurable grace. (vs.44-46)
- As he exalts God’s mercies, He prayed to the Lord to save them from the hands of the Gentile so that they may give thanks to his holy name. He ended the psalm by praising God and letting the nation say amen. It is the doxology of the psalm (vs.47-48)
Conclusion
When we are disobedient to God, God invites us to confess our sins and repent. If we do
not listen to him, he disciplines us, but not destroys, due to his everlasting love and
covenant with us.