Psalm CVI

1 Praise ye the Lord. 0 give thanks imto the Lord.
For he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew furth all his

praise?

3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at

all times.

4 Remember me, 0 Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation!

5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness

of thy nation,
That I may glory with thine inheritance.

6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed initjuity, we have

done wickedly.

7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt;
They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies;
But provoked him at the sea, even. at the Red Sea.

8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake.
That he might make his mighty power to be known.

9 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up:

So he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them. And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

12 Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:

14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.

17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of

Abiram;

18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the

wicked.

19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth

grass.

21 They forgat God their Saviour, which had done great things in Egypt,

22 Yondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the lied Sea.

23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them,

Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach. To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

24 Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:

25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the

Lord.

26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them,
To overthrow them in the wilderness:

27 To overthrow their seed also among the nations,
And to scatter them in the lands.

28 They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the

dead.

29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague

brake in upon them.

30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was

stayed.

31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations

for evermore.

32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with

Moses for their sakes:

33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his

lips.

34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them:

35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,

38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their

daughters.
Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan:
And the land was polluted with blood.

39 Thus were they defiled with their own works,
And went a whoring with their own inventions.

40 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, Insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.

41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that liatod them

ruled over them.

12 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

43 Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their

counsel,
And were brought low for their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:

45 And he remembered for them his covenant,

And repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

46 He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives

47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen. To give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.

48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: And let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.

We are still traversing the same field We are still listening The th.^K to the gracious acts of the Lord toward one nation of his ransomed — namely, Israel. It is another portion of their history that is reviewed, but there is as much of grace, sovereign grace, in this portion as in the first. And hence it opens, like the former, with praise and adoring wonder —

“Hallelujah! praise ye the Lord!
For lie is good! for his mercy is for ever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Who can shew forth all his praise?”

The only mode in which the creature can even attempt aright xi.e pian. to shew forth his praise is, by continued and ever increasing service — “Blessed are they that keep judgment, and they that do righteousness at all times.” So great has the Lord’s favour to his Israel been, that the sweet singer, whoever he be — David, as in 1 Chron. xvi., or David’s Lord, in his day — while remembering that favour and singular love, exclaims (ver. 4, 5), —

“Remember me, Lord, tvith the favour o, (shewn to) thy peojjle!

Visit me with thy salvation! (such as was wrought for them.^

That I may see the good of thy chosen ones.

And may rejoice in the joy of thy nation,*

And glory with thine inheritance.’’ If the type afforded such matter for praise, what shall the an-

* Here the term >S^ is applied to Israel. It is only so used when Q^ has preceded it, says Hengstenberg. It may also, in such cases, imply that God’s people (Qy) are, in themselves, no better than Q^i!l- I^“t “^S^ though they be by nature, they are thine.

titype? If that kingdom of Israel furnished such proofs of Jehovah’s love, what shall The Kingdom that is yet to come?

To magnify the Lord’s grace, confession is made of Israel’s sin — forgetfulness, ingratitude, selfishness (vers. 6-15); and then of rebellion, idolatry, murmuring unbelief, lust, and lewdness; persevering unbelief, neglect of duty, conformity to the heathen world (vers. 16-39). Scene upon scene is brought before us in which Israel is seen defiled, polluted, stained to the core with sin. Yet the Lord saved them, when they returned from their ways (vers. 40-46), fulfilling the promise in Lev. xxvi. 12, and answering the prayer (1 Kings viii. 47), left for all ages.

Yes; these scenes of grace toward the basest, most ungrateful, most perverse, are for all ages, to lead them to the cry in verse 47, —

“Save us, 0 Lord, our God!
And gather us from the Gentiles.’^

Israel must raise that cry in these latter days. Israel will raise it soon. Ere long, they shall take up the harp of David, and Solomon, and Asaph, and Heman, and the sons of Korah, and use all these songs; and this among the rest — this among the first. On that day, instead of “Amen” to the solemn curse, as in Deut. xxvii. 15-26, the people shall, with one accord, say “Amen” to the song of thanksgiving raised to Jehovah, who has gathered them fi’om the Gentiles.

“Blessed he Jehovah, God of Israel,
From everlasting and unto everlasting!
And let all the people (Q^n) •’’«.’/, Amen!
Hallelujah!”
Thus setting forth

The Lord glorified in his long-suffering to Israel, and in their final gathering.