Introduction
In the fifth book of the Psalms, Psalms 107-150, we see read about praising God and His Word. Psalms 113-118 are often referred to as the Hallel psalms, these were sung on festive occasions, such as at Pentecost, the feast of Tabernacles, and the feast of Dedication.
This was probably the hymn which our Saviour and His disciples sang at the conclusion of the Passover supper, Matthew 26:30 / Mark 14:26.
In Book 1 the name ‘Yahweh’ is found 273 times. In Book 2 the name ‘Yahweh’ is found 74 times. In Book 3 the name ‘Yahweh’ is found 13 times and finally, in Books 4 and 5, the name ‘Yahweh’ is found 339 times. As you can see the name ‘Yahweh’ is more popular in Book 1.
In Book 1 the name ‘Elohim’ is found 15 times. In Book 2 the name ‘Elohim’ is found 207 times. In Book 3 the name, ‘Elohim’ is found 36 times and finally, in Books 4 and 5, the name ‘Elohim’ is found 7 times. As you can see, the name ‘Elohim’ is more popular in Book 2.
This psalm, is a psalm of adoration and worship and although the psalmist is unknown, they are confident when they pray to God in times of distress, God will answer their prayer and come to help them.
‘Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.’ Psalm 107:1-9
The psalmist begins by asking everyone to give thanks to God for His goodness and love, which endures forever. Giving thanks to God for His love is a theme which runs through this psalm, it’s used five times.
The psalmist calls upon those who have been redeemed to tell their own stories of redemption, Isaiah 43:3. The remnant of Israel were rescued out of the lands of their captivity. God did this through Cyrus, the king of the Medo-Persian Empire, Isaiah 44:28-45:7.
The psalmist reminds their readers of their redemption from the hand of their foes, and those He gathered from the lands from all directions.
The historical setting of this psalm appears to be speaking about the gathering of those who had been scattered in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. It was a joyous occasion and one of thanksgiving to God.
This happened in three stages, the first stage was by the decree of Cyrus for the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple to God in 538 B.C. Ezra 1-6.
The second stage was when the religious leader was Ezra the scribe in 457 B.C. Ezra 7-10. The third stage was when Nehemiah was allowed to return to the land in order to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and enable the people to re-inhabit the city, 445/444 B.C. Nehemiah 1:1-11.
Because the remnant were discriminated against while in captivity, the Jews were given the worst of the lands in the region of their captors.
Some lived in the wilderness and some through the desert wastelands. They were in great distress, they were hungry and thirsty and their lives were failing, but when they cried out to God for help, God delivered them from their distress, Job 23:9.
Despite not being able to find a way to a city where they could settle, God led them straight to a city where they could settle. It was those redeemed people who are encouraged to give thanks to God for His love and His wonderful deeds.
Earlier those redeemed were hungry and thirsty but now God satisfies their hunger and thirst would good things, Isaiah 29:8 / Luke 1:46-55.
‘Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labour; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.’ Psalm 107:10-15
Some of those whom God redeemed were greatly suffering in prison, they were bound in iron chains in complete darkness, Job 3:5 / Job 10:21 / Job 36:8 / Psalm 23:4 / Psalm 44:19 / Isaiah 9:2 / Luke 1:79 / Ephesians 4:1.
These were the Jews who found themselves in captivity because they had rebelled against the will of God while in the land of Palestine, Daniel 9:5-8.
When God subjected those who went against His will to bitter labour, Genesis 41:51 / Deuteronomy 26:7 / Job 3:10 / Job 16:2, they found that there was no one to help them, but when they cried out to God for help, God saved them from their distress.
In other words, despite breaking God’s laws, God in His mercy realised them from the darkness of prison and their chains. These ex-prisoners should also give thanks to God for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds. They should give thanks to God because they recognise and have partaken of His grace, 2 Corinthians 4:15.
‘For he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.’ Psalm 107:16-22
When God freed the captives from their bondage, He broke down the gates of bronze and bars of iron, Isaiah 45:2. Some of those whom God gathered were fools because they rebelled and as a result, they suffered affliction.
They had lost their appetite, that is, their spiritual appetite for God and they drew near the gates of death, that is, they almost died of spiritual starvation, Romans 6:23.
Once again, when they cried out to God for help in their time of trouble, despite their rebellious ways, God in His grace, saved them from their distress.
Notice it was the power of God’s Word which healed them and rescued them from the grave, Matthew 8:8 / Luke 7:7. God’s Word has the power to heal the spiritually sick, Psalm 105:19 / Isaiah 9:8 / Isaiah 55:11 / John 1:1-14 / 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 / Hebrews 4:12.
Those who God healed by His word, are to offer thanksgiving offering to the Lord and tell everyone what God has done through sons, Leviticus 7:11-15 / Leviticus 22:29-30 / Isaiah 38:20 / 2 Corinthians 4:15.
‘Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.’ Psalm 107:23-32
Some of those whom God gathered came by sea, they were merchants on the mighty waters. The sea was viewed to be at a lower elevation because men had to go down from the land or mountains to board the ships on the sea.
Whilst on the sea, all those merchants saw the wonderful works of God but they also saw the high waves lifted high when God spoke. The high waves were like a roller coaster, they went up as high as the heavens and plunged back down again to the depths.
They are in a desperate situation and their courage melted away, Exodus 15:15 / Joshua 2:9 / Joshua 2:24 / Nahum 1:5. The raging of the sea was so bad, that they reeled and staggered around like drunk men, they are desperate and at their wits’ end.
They too cried out to God for help in their trouble and God in His grace brought them out of their distress, God did this by commanding the seas to calm down, God calmed the storm, Matthew 8:26.
Once again, the psalmist calls upon those seas merchants whom God saved, to give thanks to God for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds.
The psalmist calls upon those sea merchants not only to give thanks to God for His unfailing love and wonderful deeds but also to exalt God among the people and praise Him among the elders.
‘He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths. Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD.’ Psalm 107:33-43
It was because of the sin of Israel that God brought drought over the land, hence rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salt waste, Genesis 13:10 / Isaiah 44:26-27.
When the captives returned from captivity in repentance, God made the land fruitful, hence deserts into pools of water, parched ground into flowing springs, Job 39:6 / Isaiah 35:6-7 / Jeremiah 17:6.
For those who were almost ready to die of hunger, God met their needs and gave them a place to permanently live in. They sowed fields and planted vineyards which produced fruit, God didn’t allow their herds to diminish, and so, God blessed the people richly and they grew in numbers, Genesis 13:16 / Genesis 22:17 / Genesis 26:4 / Genesis 32:12.
Just as quickly as God can increase the number of His people, He can also decrease the number of His people. Despite all these blessings from God, despite their numbers being increased, God’s people began to decrease in numbers as they experienced humility, oppression, calamity and sorrow.
God can also pour contempt on those who are noble, or princes, as some translations render that word, Job 12:21, and make them wander in a wasteland, especially those who humiliate, oppress, cause calamity and sorrow upon others. God can also lift up those who are in need, those who are being afflicted and increase their families like a flock.
Those who are righteous will see what God is capable of doing, that is, they see how God brings down those who oppress and how He lifts up the needy and they will rejoice. While the righteous rejoice, the mouths of the wicked are closed shut, Job 5:16 / 1 Peter 2:15.
The psalmist ends by encouraging the wise to heed these things and ponder on God’s loving deeds. In other words, wisdom lets us see God’s great love for His people and how God hears the prayers of His people and answers them, James 5:14-15.
Wisdom helps us understand why we should give thanks to God for His redeeming His people and His unfailing love.
Conclusion
The psalmist reminded us when we cry out to God for help, He hears us and will deliver us.
One of the most frustrating parts about being a Christian and praying is when our prayers seem to go unanswered, this can be so discouraging and often can leave us wondering if God is actually listening to our prayers in the first place.
We read repeatedly throughout the Scriptures that God promises to hear our prayers, but we often forget to notice or accept the Scriptures which speak about the terms and conditions of our prayers.
There are a few reasons why our prayers may not be answered.
1. This may sound obvious but maybe you haven’t asked, James 4:2.
I know this is obvious but there are times when God actually wants us to speak to Him and specifically ask Him. Yes, God knows what we’re going to say before we actually say it, but we must ask Him, we must verbalise our request to Him. This could be a reason why God doesn’t answer our prayers, simply because we don’t ask.
2. Intentional sinning, Psalm 66:18 / James 4:3.
Let’s be honest we all sin and we all struggle with it, but there’s a massive difference between struggling with sin and intentionally getting involved with it.
If you’re a lover of money for example, and you’re praying for God to help you with your finances but in your heart, you want to use those finances for your own selfish reasons, this may be a reason why your prayers aren’t being answered.
If we pray for anything which will encourage us to sin more, and love sin more, then we can be sure those prayers won’t be answered.
3. All mouth and no ears, Matthew 13:14-15.
Some people really have a problem listening, all they seem to do is talk, at times they actually talk at you rather than with you. As Christians, God’s Word should be on our minds all the time, and when we read His word, we need to listen to what He has to say to us.
Sometimes we get so focused on how we think God should answer our prayer, that we miss how He is actually answering our prayer. Think about it, it’s pretty difficult to know what God is saying if we neglect to read His Word.
He speaks to us through Bible studies, sermons, and the songs we sing, but if you aren’t around when these things happen, how can you know what God is saying?
These are the ways God regularly speaks to us and maybe God has already answered your prayer, but you haven’t listened for the answer.
4. Lack of faith, John 14:6 / John 14:12-14.
Although these words of Jesus are directly speaking to the apostles, we can learn some basic principles from His words. Since Jesus is the Way, we learn that it’s only through Jesus Christ we have access to the Father.
Notice we have access to the Father, we’re not praying to some unknown God whose out of reach, He’s our Father and Jesus asks us to pray in His name. Maybe some prayers aren’t being answered because they aren’t prayed in Jesus’ Name.
5. My will, not Thy will, Matthew 6:10 / 1 John 5:14-15.
Let’s be honest, sometimes we pray for the wrong things. Even though it may be unintentional, we often ask for things that will increase our comfort and could harm our relationship with the Lord.
That new job might pay more money and help us to better provide for our family, but it may require us to work extra hours which could cut into our family time. The increased earnings and security could also cause us to rely less on God, thinking that we’re in total control of our lives.
How do we know what God’s will is? We read His Word and we speak to mature Christians. We know that God wants us to grow as Christians so praying for your own spiritual growth is in accordance with His will. We know that He hates sin, and so praying for Him to give you the strength to stop sinning is in accordance with His will.
Praying in accordance with God’s will is about requesting things in prayer which are in tune with what God wants for us, things that God knows will help us, encourage us and strengthen us. Maybe the reason our prayers don’t get answered is because we’re praying for our greeds instead of our needs, maybe the things we’re asking for may harm us in some way or tempt us to leave God, maybe we’re praying that our will, will be done and not His.
What about if you plan to get a new job and three jobs are offered to you, which one do you take? If you choose one job over the other two, how do you know if this is God’s will?
The truth is you don’t know, half the time we choose the direction we want to go in anyway because that’s the direction we really want to go in and then we try and justify the decision by saying ‘this was God’s will’ but if things go wrong we say, ‘maybe this wasn’t God’s will’.
We need to understand that God will always let us make the decision but will bless our decision if we’re still putting Him first in our lives.
6. Be patient, Psalm 13:1-2 / Revelation 6:10-11.
Ah, patience, there’s a word we don’t like sometimes, especially in today’s society where everything is at the push of a button, fast food and we want everything now.
There are times when we pray, and they seem to go unanswered, but we need to trust that God may well be working on it, but the time isn’t right, ‘right now’. Just because there’s no immediate answer to our prayers, doesn’t mean that God isn’t listening and working on it and preparing you in some way or others around you.
God has a plan for each of us, but it will happen on his timetable, not ours. As Christians, we need to admit that we don’t see the big picture as God does, and He always knows what’s best for us and for those around us. He also has a plan for our lives and that often involves doing things that we’d rather not do, Luke 22:42.
When we pray it’s important to remember that God loves us, and He knows what we need more than we do, He knows our heart’s desires, and He knows our best interests, but we should also remember that He isn’t some kind of fast food restaurant, where we put our orders in and He keeps dishing our prayers requests out.
We should never stop asking, but at the same time, we should always be open to His answer. Look at Jesus’ prayer on the night before He died, He prayed for His needs but was open to the answer. Although it’s difficult to accept, we need to trust that God always has a reason for saying ‘no’ to our requests.