Here is a psalm of abiding beauty and timeless relevance, spanning the centuries and appropriate to any dispensation. It is a personal act of worship, and should be read thoughtfully in the secret place so as to inspire our praises.
The psalmist begins and ends by urging himself, “Bless the Lord O my soul”, vv. 1, 22. His mind ranges alternately over the revealed character of God, vv. 8, 11, 13, 17, 18, and over His dealings with His people, vv. 3-7, 9, 10, 12, 14. It all adds fuel to the sacrifice of praise. Moreover, as the Lord looms ever larger in the writer’s thoughts, so man is diminished and seen in his frailty and littleness, vv. 14-16.
Let us consider some of these treasures.
- He removes our transgressions, v. 12. There are two negative statements, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities”, v. 10, and the positive statement, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities”, v. 3. The psalmist does not say “as far as the north is from the south (which is measurable), but “as far as the east is from the west” (which is immeasurable).
- He redeems our lives, v. 4. Before we were redeemed our lives were empty and meaningless. But Peter teaches us that we have been redeemed from “our vain conversation”, i.e. our “vain manner of life”, 1 Pet. 1. 18 R.V.
- He renews our youth, v. 5. Isaiah wrote, “Even the youths shall faint … But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength … they shall run, and not be weary”, Isa. 40. 30, 31. Thus God rejuvenates His people, as in the cases of Moses and Caleb.
- He remembers our frailty, v. 14. This is linked with verse 13, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him”.
- He reckons us righteous, v. 17. Admittedly it is unlikely that the doctrine of imputed righteousness was in the psalmist’s mind when he wrote of “his righteousness” being “unto children’s children”, but his words irresistibly remind us of our unmerited standing before God.
- He rules the universe, v. 19. “His kingdom ruleth over all”, so how infinitely favoured are His subjects.
