When traveling by boat or plane there are no roads to travel on to get from one place to another, so it is important for the navigator to chart an accurate course. If one is off by even just one degree, you can miss your desired destination by many miles. Not only is care needed to chart that course correctly, but it is also very important to stay on that course, and not veer off in any direction. Laxness in staying on track can end up taking you far from where you want to be. Charting a correct course is important, not only when traveling by boat or plane, but it is also done in a sense with corporations, with organizations, even within families and personally. If they have a desired goal they want to achieve, it is important that they stay on track if they want to accomplish that. In our psalm for today, we read of the nation of Israel having a goal they wanted to achieve, a path that they wanted to remain on. Were they successful, or did they stray off course? Let’s look at our psalm.
After the people of Israel left Egypt, they made a covenant with Yahweh, that they would be His people, and He would be their God. They promised that they would obey His laws, and worship only Him. That was their promise, that was the goal, the path they wanted and chose to follow. Would they be successful, or would they stray off course? As we read through Psalm 106, we quickly see that this is a psalm of confession. It is a psalm that reviews the nation’s past, recounting numerous times where they strayed off course and into sin. This psalm is a national confession of Israel’s repeated sins, and also of God’s enduring mercy. The unknown author of our psalm sought to lead God’s people, both then and now, to repentance and also praise by remembering their failures and God’s faithfulness.
The psalmist begins our psalm with a call to praise and to acknowledge God’s mercy (vs. 1-5). Two very important characteristics of Yahweh are His goodness and His mercy. Everything He does is good. There is no spot or stain of evil, wickedness, or even meanness in Him. Yahweh is also merciful. As sinful humans, we deserve His wrath and punishment. However, mercy withholds what we deserve. As mentioned, Psalm 106 is a psalm of confession, and confession should always begin with words of worship to the Lord.
Next, the psalmist confesses the sins of the nation (vs. 6-7). Though he, himself, may not have fallen into these specific sins, though he may have remained faithful in his worship of only Yahweh, he confesses the sins of Israel, the nation. We see this also with some others in the Old Testament, such as Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Though not every person in the nation fell into pagan idolatry, many did, and the nation as a whole did. Sin is not just personal - it affects the whole community. If there is to be revival in the land, it is essential that godly Christians confess both personal and communal sins, sins of the community, the church, and of the nation.
The bulk of the remainder of this rather long psalm recounts multiple episodes where the people of Israel really strayed off the course, off of the path that had been set for them by Moses when they left Egypt. Each time they swerved away off the path. Let’s quickly look at some of these. The psalmist recounts first in verses 7-12 the rebellion of the people at the Red Sea. This was when they approached the shores of the Red Sea, and were afraid of the approaching Egyptians, so they lashed out at Moses and God (Exodus 14:11-12). However, God in His mercy, opened the waters of the sea for them to pass, despite their faithlessness.
In verses 13-15 the people complained to God about their diet and lack of water (Exodus 15:24; Numbers 11:4). And yet the Lord provided for them the whole time they were in the wilderness. We read in verses 16-18 of the rebellion that some led against Moses and Aaron. God judged those rebels as we read in Numbers 16. When the people arrived at Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai) they fell into idolatry and made the golden calf to worship (vs. 19-23). We read of this in Exodus 32:1-14, and it is through the intercession of Moses that God turns away His wrath. In verses 24-27 they were not satisfied with the looks of the Promised Land (Numbers 14:1-4) which led to their wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Verses 28-31 recount an incident of blatant sin, which the actions of Phineas brought an end to the judgment of (Numbers 25:6-9). The people of Israel’s rebellion and complaining even affected Moses at the waters of Meribah (vs. 32-33), which we read of in Numbers 20:3-13.
After entering the promised land the people continued to fall into deliberate sin and pagan idolatry (vs 34-43). Spiritual compromise will always lead to moral collapse. Throughout the Old Testament we read of repeated cycles of judgment and then God’s mercy. All of these historical accounts are literal events that demonstrate the consequences of sin and the necessity of obedience. God’s holiness demands judgment, but His mercy provides deliverance.
As we come to the end of this lengthy psalm we read the psalmist’s final pleas and his praise (vs. 44-48). God will hear the prayers of the repentant. His compassion flows from His character. No matter how far one has fallen into sin, God’s mercy is available. When we cry out to Him in faith and repentance, He will guide us to get back on track, on to the correct path. In closing, let us confess and forsake our sins each day so we do not stray away from Yahweh. Trust in His mercy, as He will restore those who repent. There is always hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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