October 13, 2012
Bible Study for tonights Prayer MeetingFocus praying for our country
Psalm 107:1-43 (NKJV)
1 Oh, give thanks to
the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of
the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3 And gathered out of
the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.
4 They wandered in
the wilderness in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried out
to the LORD in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And He led them
forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
8 Oh, that men would
give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the
children of men!
9 For He satisfies
the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
God's Providential
Care of the Children of Men in Distresses, in Banishment, and Dispersion
Psalm(107:1-9)
Psalm(107:1-9)
In these verses there is reference to the deliverance from
Egypt, and perhaps that from Babylon: but the circumstances of travellers in
those countries are also noted. It is scarcely possible to conceive the horrors
suffered by the hapless traveller, when crossing the trackless sands, exposed
to the burning rays of the sum. The words describe their case whom the Lord has
redeemed from the bondage of Satan; who pass through the world as a dangerous
and dreary wilderness, often ready to faint through troubles, fears, and
temptations. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, after God, and
communion with him, shall be filled with the goodness of his house, both in
grace and glory.
Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.
10 Those who sat in
darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons--
11 Because they
rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High,
12 Therefore He
brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to
help.
13 Then they cried
out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.
14 He brought them
out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces.
15 Oh, that men would
give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the
children of men!
16 For He has broken
the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two.
In Captivity
(107:10-16)
This description of prisoners and captives intimates that
they are desolate and sorrowful. In the eastern prisons the captives were and
are treated with much severity. Afflicting providences must be improved as
humbling providences; and we lose the benefit, if our hearts are unhumbled and
unbroken under them. This is a shadow of the sinner's deliverance from a far
worse confinement. The awakened sinner discovers his guilt and misery. Having
struggled in vain for deliverance, he finds there is no help for him but in the
mercy and grace of God. His sin is forgiven by a merciful God, and his pardon
is accompanied by deliverance from the power of sin and Satan, and by the
sanctifying and comforting influences of God the Holy Spirit.
Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.
17 Fools, because of
their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their soul
abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried
out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His word
and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh, that men would
give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the
children of men!
22 Let them sacrifice
the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing.
In Sickness
(107:17-22)
If we knew no sin, we should know no sickness. Sinners are
fools. They hurt their bodily health by intemperance, and endanger their lives
by indulging their appetites. This their way is their folly. The weakness of
the body is the effect of sickness. It is by the power and mercy of God that we
are recovered from sickness, and it is our duty to be thankful. All Christ's
miraculous cures were emblems of his healing diseases of the soul. It is also
to be applied to the spiritual cures which the Spirit of grace works. He sends
his word, and heals souls; convinces, converts them, makes them holy, and all
by the word. Even in common cases of recovery from sickness, God in his
providence speaks, and it is done; by his word and Spirit the soul is restored
to health and holiness.
Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.
23 Those who go down
to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters,
24 They see the works
of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He commands
and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26 They mount up to
the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of
trouble.
27 They reel to and
fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end.
28 Then they cry out
to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses.
29 He calms the
storm, So that its waves are still.
30 Then they are glad
because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.
31 Oh, that men would
give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the
children of men!
32 Let them exalt Him
also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the
elders.
Danger at Sea
(107:23-32)
Let those who go to sea, consider and adore the Lord.
Mariners have their business upon the tempestuous ocean, and there witness
deliverances of which others cannot form an idea. How seasonable it is at such
a time to pray! This may remind us of the terrors and distress of conscience
many experience, and of those deep scenes of trouble which many pass through,
in their Christian course. Yet, in answer to their cries, the Lord turns their
storm into a calm, and causes their trials to end in gladness.
Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.
33 He turns rivers
into a wilderness, And the watersprings into dry ground;
34 A fruitful land
into barrenness, For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He turns a
wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings.
36 There He makes the
hungry dwell, That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
37 And sow fields and
plant vineyards, That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
38 He also blesses
them, and they multiply greatly; And He does not let their cattle decrease.
39 When they are
diminished and brought low Through oppression, affliction and sorrow,
40 He pours contempt
on princes, And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;
41 Yet He sets the
poor on high, far from affliction, And makes their families like a flock.
42 The righteous see
it and rejoice, And all iniquity stops its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise
will observe these things, And they will understand the lovingkindness of the
LORD.
God's Hand Is to Be
Seen by His Own People (107:33-43)
What surprising changes are often made in the affairs of
men! Let the present desolate state of Judea, and of other countries, explain
this. If we look abroad in the world, we see many greatly increase, whose
beginning was small. We see many who have thus suddenly risen, as suddenly
brought to nothing. Worldly wealth is uncertain; often those who are filled
with it, ere they are aware, lose it again. God has many ways of making men
poor. The righteous shall rejoice. It shall fully convince all those who deny
the Divine Providence. When sinners see how justly God takes away the gifts
they have abused, they will not have a word to say. It is of great use to us to
be fully assured of God's goodness, and duly affected with it. It is our wisdom
to mind our duty, and to refer our comfort to him. A truly wise person will
treasure in his heart this delightful psalm. From it, he will fully understand
the weakness and wretchedness of man, and the power and loving-kindness of God,
not for our merit, but for his mercy's sake.
Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.
