GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD

Psalm 107 is the last of three psalms focussing on God’s dealings with Israel. Psalm 105 commemorates redemption from Egypt, 106 catalogues the nation’s rebellions, and 107 celebrates her ultimate regathering to the land. It establishes a recurring pattern of distress, deliverance and declaration as God repeatedly rescues His people, deserving their endless gratitude. And yet the four-fold refrain, “O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness”, vv. 8, 15, 21, 31, suggests that, like the nine cleansed lepers of Luke 17. 12-19, men are tragically slow to give thanks to God.

Verses 17-22 provide an example of the basic pattern. Like Israel, because of personal folly and sin we find ourselves in distress, v. 19. The value of such misery is that it turns us to the Lord, that we might experience His deliverance, v. 20; Psa. 120. 1. “He sent his word”: we are bound to think of the Lord Jesus, the living Word, sent down from heaven for our blessing, John 1. 14. And notice the fulness of that blessing: “he saveth … healed … delivered”, vv. 19, 20. No half measures, here, but a total salvation!

It is therefore only reasonable that we should respond with a hearty declaration of God’s goodness, v. 21, through the offering of “sacrifices of thanksgiving”, v. 22. This was a species of peace offering which marked a special display of divine mercy, Lev. 7. 12-15. The remarkable feature of all peace offerings was that God, and the priest, and the offerer partook of the sacrificial victim. Here was fellowship indeed, as men shared in the same object which brought pleasure to God. Of course, like all the offerings, it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our peace, Eph. 2. 14, the One whose atoning death delights the hearts of God and His people. “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ”, 1 John 1. 3. But here is the point: O.T. thanksgiving involved joyously feasting upon a slain animal, Deut. 27. 7. Our thanksgiving today can never be divorced from the work of the cross, for that is the basis of all our blessings, Rom. 8. 32. When you give thanks, think of Calvary.

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift”, 2 Cor. 9. 15.