WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.940 Psalm 106 tonight. 00:00:08.500 --> 00:00:15.519 It is only 48 verses long, so we can go verse by verse. 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:17.820 Yeah, have this thing done by tomorrow. 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:19.660 I'm just kidding. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:44.960 Now, this psalm is a little lengthy because as we go through it, we're going to be able to see little stories about Israel's rebellion and unfaithfulness to God. 00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:50.340 And through all that, we see God's faithfulness and his love for his people. 00:00:51.260 --> 00:00:53.820 So we're just going to go through it like that. 00:00:53.820 --> 00:00:59.359 We're going to read the little stories, have a few little comments, and continue through it that way. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:03.719 So although it looks long, I don't think it'll be that scary. 00:01:06.540 --> 00:01:07.780 Psalm 106. 00:01:08.819 --> 00:01:09.700 Praise the Lord. 00:01:10.340 --> 00:01:15.379 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:16.500 --> 00:01:20.920 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord or declare all his praise? 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:36.040 Just starting off this psalm with thinking about and reflecting on the goodness of God and the things he has done on his steadfast love. 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:39.020 And then verse 3. 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:44.020 Blessed are those who observe justice, who do righteousness all the time. 00:01:44.620 --> 00:01:49.340 So blessed are those who act justly and do what is right. 00:01:49.340 --> 00:01:53.159 Verse 4. 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:56.760 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people. 00:01:58.260 --> 00:02:03.579 Help me when you save them, that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:09.659 that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your inheritance. 00:02:09.659 --> 00:02:20.699 So here we see wanting to be saved from the Lord and wanting to be able to be a part of his plan, 00:02:20.859 --> 00:02:25.079 to know what God is doing and to be brought into that. 00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:28.039 Verse 5. 00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:34.079 That I may look, rejoice in glory in the work that God is doing in his people. 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:36.400 Verse 6. 00:02:37.620 --> 00:02:49.860 And this is kind of the, or it's not kind of, this is like the topic verse of the next large section of this psalm. 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:53.280 It says, both we and our fathers have sinned. 00:02:53.660 --> 00:02:57.260 We have committed iniquity and we have done wickedness. 00:02:59.600 --> 00:03:01.080 And that's what we're going to see here. 00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:08.720 We're going to get a summary in various instances where the hearts of the people are not where they should be. 00:03:08.980 --> 00:03:11.840 We'll get to see the situation, their heart status, 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:17.540 and we end up seeing the result of that take place and what that means for the people. 00:03:20.540 --> 00:03:23.620 So we're looking at verse 6. 00:03:24.620 --> 00:03:28.640 Just before we break into the small stories. 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:31.559 Both we and our fathers have sinned. 00:03:31.699 --> 00:03:36.839 So we're going to see sin instead of seeing righteousness in the people of God. 00:03:37.079 --> 00:03:38.839 We have committed iniquity. 00:03:39.559 --> 00:03:43.179 So there's going to be iniquity where there should be faithfulness. 00:03:45.139 --> 00:03:47.500 And then we have done wickedness. 00:03:47.579 --> 00:03:51.060 So there's wickedness in place of justice. 00:03:51.060 --> 00:03:56.659 Starting with verse 7. 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:00.800 We'll do 7 to 12 for this next, the first story. 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:05.699 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works. 00:04:06.420 --> 00:04:12.099 They did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea at the Red Sea. 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:17.540 Yet he saved them for his namesake, that he might make known his mighty power. 00:04:17.540 --> 00:04:20.560 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry. 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:23.680 And he led them through the deep as through a desert. 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:29.900 So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. 00:04:30.400 --> 00:04:32.540 And the waters covered their adversaries. 00:04:33.080 --> 00:04:34.379 Not one of them was left. 00:04:35.180 --> 00:04:37.939 When they believed his words, they sang praise. 00:04:37.939 --> 00:04:47.579 So this first section, as you can pick up, is when the Israelites face their first trial as Moses is leading them out of Egypt. 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:49.560 And that's coming to the Red Sea. 00:04:52.339 --> 00:05:00.680 And we can pick up from how this is worded that it was more than just fear for the enemies coming to them. 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:07.240 Because at the end of verse 7, it says that they rebelled by the sea. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:16.340 So there's more than disbelief, but there's rebellion in wanting to not follow God and go back to where they came from. 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:19.160 And yet God saved. 00:05:19.280 --> 00:05:21.280 God has already started a work in his people. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:30.359 So verse 8, for his name's sake, and so that his power would be made known, he continued to save his people. 00:05:30.479 --> 00:05:34.539 And he did that by providing a dry path right through the middle of the sea. 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:39.899 They go through, and as you know, the Egyptians come through after them, and they are completely wiped out. 00:05:43.019 --> 00:05:47.659 And then they believed the words of the Lord, and they sang his praise. 00:05:47.660 --> 00:05:52.180 That's actually one of the different little stories that we're going to read about. 00:05:52.260 --> 00:05:59.680 This is one of the few that they actually believe what God has said, and you see a change in their heart. 00:06:00.980 --> 00:06:03.500 So there's a change in their heart, and then we get to verse 13. 00:06:04.060 --> 00:06:06.060 But they soon forgot his works. 00:06:06.760 --> 00:06:11.379 They did not wait for his counsel, but they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:13.600 and put God to the test in the desert. 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:18.340 He gave them what they ask, but sent a wasting disease upon them. 00:06:19.260 --> 00:06:24.500 This is a reference to when they were complaining they're tired of manna, and they want meat. 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:27.460 And so God sends them quail. 00:06:28.400 --> 00:06:32.800 But it wasn't that they were just asking for quail because they were tired of manna, 00:06:32.860 --> 00:06:35.900 but they were complaining about how God was taking care of them. 00:06:36.760 --> 00:06:41.260 And so instead of just giving them what they wanted, it was also a judgment. 00:06:41.259 --> 00:06:48.379 So there was a disease that as they started to eat the meat, they started to become sick with this disease, 00:06:48.620 --> 00:06:50.699 and many of them died because of it. 00:06:52.939 --> 00:06:58.659 But you see that in verse 13, it starts out because they had forgotten the works that God had just done for them 00:06:58.659 --> 00:07:01.199 and did not wait for his counsel. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.279 So we'll move down to verse 16. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:10.180 When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the Holy One of the Lord, 00:07:10.420 --> 00:07:16.279 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abram. 00:07:16.860 --> 00:07:18.879 Fire also broke out in their company. 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:20.740 The flame burned up the wicked. 00:07:20.740 --> 00:07:32.879 This is another reference to when the Israelites were starting to rebel against who Aaron and Moses were. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:43.460 They wanted to start to lead the people and have, like, they didn't see Aaron or Moses as being any more holy than them. 00:07:43.459 --> 00:07:54.719 And so they wanted to be able to offer sacrifices and do things like Aaron did and a rebellion that started in all of that. 00:07:54.819 --> 00:07:59.719 And basically, when that took place, God just opened up the earth and swallowed these people, 00:08:00.060 --> 00:08:04.139 or some of them were burned who were in the area around that. 00:08:04.139 --> 00:08:09.219 And again, after this, you don't see any change of heart. 00:08:09.539 --> 00:08:15.219 You don't see people's eyes open to the holiness of God and how we should follow him. 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:16.979 They just continued. 00:08:18.099 --> 00:08:23.419 In verse 19, they made a calf in Horeb and worshipped a metal image. 00:08:23.899 --> 00:08:27.779 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. 00:08:28.300 --> 00:08:32.000 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:36.679 wondrous works in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:44.600 Therefore, he said he would destroy them had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:47.720 and turned away his wrath from destroying them. 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:54.600 So there's a couple references to a couple different stories, 00:08:54.720 --> 00:09:00.159 the main one being where the people make their own idol and start to worship that instead of God. 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:10.439 And also how they saw the awesome deeds by the Red Sea, 00:09:11.019 --> 00:09:15.120 and still they weren't worshipping God. 00:09:15.379 --> 00:09:19.139 They decided to worship whatever they could make with their hands, thinking that that was better. 00:09:20.579 --> 00:09:27.740 And we also, in that last verse, we see how Moses stood in the breach before God 00:09:27.740 --> 00:09:29.480 and them turning away his wrath. 00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:42.940 So we get a kind of a brief look towards what Jesus the Savior is going to do for us ultimately. 00:09:43.419 --> 00:09:49.039 Here we have Moses standing and taking the wrath that God wanted to lay on his people 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:56.279 with kind of an image portrayed of what that is going to look like just to a greater extent 00:09:56.279 --> 00:10:00.199 when Jesus steps in and takes the wrath of God for us. 00:10:02.339 --> 00:10:04.360 And then down to verse 24, 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:09.560 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:13.200 They murmured in their tents and did not obey the voice of the Lord. 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:18.960 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:24.519 and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands. 00:10:29.100 --> 00:10:30.180 Verse 24, 00:10:30.179 --> 00:10:32.359 Then they despised the pleasant land. 00:10:32.659 --> 00:10:35.599 I'm talking about the promised land that God had given to them. 00:10:35.779 --> 00:10:41.419 And you know the story of the 12 spies that they sent into the land 00:10:41.419 --> 00:10:46.819 and only two of them came back saying that it's good, we can take them. 00:10:46.959 --> 00:10:50.019 And 10 other ones did not. 00:10:50.139 --> 00:10:52.479 And those are the ones that the people listened to. 00:10:53.539 --> 00:10:58.120 But God had given them the promise and the command to go take the land. 00:10:58.120 --> 00:10:59.980 And instead they didn't. 00:11:00.299 --> 00:11:04.960 And so they're cursed with 40 years of wandering in the desert. 00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:07.259 So when he says that they would fall in the wilderness, 00:11:08.060 --> 00:11:11.659 they're referring to basically a whole generation is going to die in the wilderness 00:11:11.659 --> 00:11:14.720 because they didn't have that faith to follow God. 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:21.580 So again, another example of their unfaithfulness, of their unbelief. 00:11:21.580 --> 00:11:24.259 And then verse 28, 00:11:24.259 --> 00:11:30.160 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:33.300 These were the people, the Moabites. 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:38.960 They provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. 00:11:39.800 --> 00:11:43.500 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:47.640 And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever. 00:11:47.639 --> 00:11:56.840 However, again, we have the people of God basically forsaking him and living however they want, 00:11:57.399 --> 00:12:00.120 making sacrifices that are offered to the dead. 00:12:01.460 --> 00:12:08.340 As you know, the touching or having anything to do with anything dead was a defilement. 00:12:08.340 --> 00:12:16.899 So for the people of God to worship or eat sacrifices that were offered to something that was dead 00:12:16.899 --> 00:12:20.940 just brought them more in connection to those things they were supposed to stay away from. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:27.399 And in addition to that, it also pulled them into some of the same things that the Moabites did, 00:12:27.820 --> 00:12:29.860 one of those being adultery. 00:12:29.860 --> 00:12:35.320 In verse 30, when it talks about Phinehas stood up and intervened, 00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:42.820 there's a story back in Numbers which is pretty graphic when you read about what Phinehas did 00:12:42.820 --> 00:12:53.300 to basically, he wanted to uphold this covenant of faithfulness that his people weren't following. 00:12:53.299 --> 00:13:00.899 And so he stood and basically stood to stop this that was going on. 00:13:02.039 --> 00:13:10.159 And he did it by murdering someone who was having adultery right in the camp of the people. 00:13:10.359 --> 00:13:13.639 So just the blatant defilement. 00:13:14.459 --> 00:13:20.000 And so he stood up to protect that covenant between God and his people and to stop the plague. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:26.480 And so we see that that was counted to him as righteousness because of what he did. 00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:30.159 And then verse 31, 00:13:31.100 --> 00:13:35.080 They angered him, him being God, at the waters of Meribah. 00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:41.659 And it went ill with Moses on their account, for they made his spirit bitter. 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:50.480 This is referring to when the people again were murmuring. 00:13:51.199 --> 00:14:00.039 And they know that Moses is God's spokesman, but they still complained to Moses as if it's all Moses' fault. 00:14:01.019 --> 00:14:03.019 Moses is just a spokesman for the Lord. 00:14:03.019 --> 00:14:09.220 So they complained to Moses to the point where he just, you know, we would be the same way. 00:14:09.299 --> 00:14:14.019 I hate to point fingers at Moses and say you just couldn't take it anymore, but I don't think I could take as much as Moses took. 00:14:14.579 --> 00:14:17.319 But basically Moses lost it. 00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:22.139 And when God told him to speak to the rock, he was mad and he struck the rock. 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:28.139 And as you remember, that's when God says, I'm not going to allow you to go into the promised land because you didn't obey me. 00:14:28.139 --> 00:14:33.939 And that happened because people angered Moses and pushed him to that point. 00:14:34.299 --> 00:14:45.500 So this is, I never thought about it before, but these verses are a good example of like why we are not able to blame someone else for our anger or for our sin. 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:47.460 We're still held accountable for that. 00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:52.819 But the people are also held accountable for the sin that they brought on as well. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:56.200 But that's what that is referring to. 00:14:56.200 --> 00:15:03.520 So, and I didn't finish verse 33, for they made his spirit bitter and he spoke rashly with his lips. 00:15:04.340 --> 00:15:10.820 And his punishment was that he was only able to look into the promised land, but not go into it. 00:15:10.820 --> 00:15:29.800 And then the next section is not as specific, but we see through it a continual pattern of disobedience and unfaithfulness. 00:15:29.940 --> 00:15:31.280 So let's start with verse 34. 00:15:31.279 --> 00:16:01.259 Verse 34. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:14.299 Just thinking about how they, like just from a humanitarian standpoint to sacrifice your own kids. 00:16:14.379 --> 00:16:17.620 I can't even imagine that, but that's where they brought themselves to. 00:16:17.620 --> 00:16:34.779 And to sacrifice your sons and your daughters on top of that was such, like so opposed to God and like we're made in the image of God. 00:16:34.779 --> 00:16:44.959 So to kill his own was like just direct opposition and defiance and not caring about who God is and who he made. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:48.759 On top of the fact that they're killing their own family. 00:16:49.199 --> 00:16:53.519 It's just, it's just crazy to think about. 00:16:53.519 --> 00:17:05.920 And so in verse 40, we see how then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people and he abhorred his heritage. 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:14.000 He gave them into the land, into the hand of the nations so that those who hated them ruled over them. 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:22.160 Their enemies oppressed them and they were brought into submission under their power. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:31.599 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:41.159 So in that verse 43, we can see how this aligns with when we went through Jeremiah. 00:17:41.500 --> 00:17:46.019 But all through the period of the judges, there's this repeating theme. 00:17:47.159 --> 00:17:51.980 God delivers them, they get rebellious, and then they're brought low with their iniquity. 00:17:51.980 --> 00:18:03.960 And it's over again where they get delivered because they ask for salvation, where God feels kindness towards them. 00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:09.779 And he lifts them up, they rebel, and then they're back again with their iniquity. 00:18:09.900 --> 00:18:13.680 So we see that repeating theme just over and over all through the Old Testament. 00:18:14.940 --> 00:18:16.160 And then verse 44, 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:42.259 So if we look back at verse 6, 00:18:42.259 --> 00:18:44.300 I'm sorry, back at verse 7. 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:50.320 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, they did not consider your wondrous works. 00:18:50.840 --> 00:18:54.000 They did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love. 00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:57.560 And then we compare that to what we just read in verse 45. 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:03.800 God relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:06.060 So we put those two together. 00:19:06.740 --> 00:19:13.220 What we see there is this comparison between a faithful God, in verse 45, 00:19:13.220 --> 00:19:17.400 and an unfaithful people, in verse 7. 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:21.299 And so it's very unbalanced. 00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:26.079 You have a faithful God seeking a faithful people, and they're not there. 00:19:27.380 --> 00:19:32.319 We move down to the end, verse 47. 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:36.779 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, 00:19:36.779 --> 00:19:41.559 that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. 00:19:44.519 --> 00:19:47.200 The first part of 47. 00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:50.779 Save us, O Lord, and gather us from among the nations. 00:19:50.779 --> 00:19:53.960 Why? 00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:57.599 Like, what is the reason for that? 00:19:58.359 --> 00:20:01.579 The answer to that is because God is faithful. 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:06.279 And he's faithful to those who align themselves to his goal. 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:09.099 Not to their own goal, which is what they're doing, but to God's goal. 00:20:09.500 --> 00:20:10.220 And what is that? 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:16.160 And that is that they may give thanks to his holy name and glory in his praise. 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:19.420 That's what he desires. 00:20:19.700 --> 00:20:20.900 Looking back at verse 8. 00:20:21.340 --> 00:20:23.300 He saved them for his namesake. 00:20:23.560 --> 00:20:26.180 It's all about the name of the Lord. 00:20:27.420 --> 00:20:29.120 Because he deserves the praise. 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:30.500 Because he deserves the honor. 00:20:32.060 --> 00:20:33.900 And then we move down to the last verse. 00:20:34.200 --> 00:20:34.900 Verse 48. 00:20:35.380 --> 00:20:39.440 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 00:20:40.180 --> 00:20:42.580 And let all the people say, Amen. 00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:44.440 Praise the Lord. 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:50.059 So here we see, if you notice at the very beginning of the psalm, it says praise the Lord. 00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:52.000 And at the very end it says praise the Lord. 00:20:52.120 --> 00:20:55.600 So we have these two bookends of praising the Lord. 00:20:55.720 --> 00:20:59.759 And then in the middle we have these stories of unfaithful people. 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:07.080 So we're looking at a holy and mighty God who's faithful. 00:21:07.660 --> 00:21:11.360 Who's always been faithful and is always going to be faithful. 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:21.119 And then we're shown these examples of what happens when we are unfaithful. 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:31.239 So one of the things that the psalm wants us to see here and in many other places that our greatest joy, 00:21:32.179 --> 00:21:39.119 our greatest blessing, our greatest usefulness, usefulness, 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:45.519 is going to happen when we remain faithful to God. 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:49.759 So we have a faithful, always faithful. 00:21:50.259 --> 00:21:52.180 Like just count on it because it's God. 00:21:52.299 --> 00:21:54.240 Like the rock that never moves. 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:55.319 You guys know this. 00:21:55.900 --> 00:21:57.279 He's forever faithful. 00:21:57.279 --> 00:22:03.480 And so if we are going to become in alignment with Him, 00:22:03.539 --> 00:22:09.920 if we're going to find our joy and our purpose and needing and blessings that come from Him, 00:22:10.220 --> 00:22:13.839 that's going to happen if we are on, if we're in sync with Him. 00:22:14.819 --> 00:22:20.899 If we're out of sync in His faithfulness, then it can't work. 00:22:21.899 --> 00:22:25.480 God can't use a people that don't trust and stay faithful with Him. 00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:31.180 So that would be my encouragement to you is your greatest joy, your greatest blessing. 00:22:31.539 --> 00:22:36.960 If you're looking for purpose and usefulness, 00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:40.620 it's going to happen when we're faithful to a God that's forever faithful.