The Mercy of The Lord is Everlasting
April 2, 2021
Commentary
This Psalm has often been referred to as David’s Hallelujah Chorus. It is a composition of praise by the psalmist to the God of Israel whom he loved so dearly. God wants every part of us (body, soul, and spirit) to enter a joyful relationship with Him. He seeks worshipers who will gladly give everything they are to Him. David calls upon all his faculties to bless the holy name of God. He lists his blessings from God (vv. 3-5), and then turns his attention completely to praising God for His divine character (vv. 6-10). He says that “the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not chide; neither will he keep his anger forever.” God bears no grudges and harbors no resentments. He does not punish us as we deserve.
David contrasts the fleeting character of man’s life with the everlasting character of God’s mercy (vv. 15-17). God does not change; His mercy is without beginning or end. While man’s life is transitory, it is established by the Lord’s covenant (v. 18). The eternality of the Lord should be a great comfort to frail human beings. Our hope is not in other fragile creatures, but in the eternal God (v. 19) who arranges every circumstance of our lives to work out for our good. We cannot know God’s mercy until we know it in His son, Jesus Christ. Praising God means remembering Him in all He has done for us (v. 2), fearing Him, obeying His commands (vv. l7, l8), and doing His will (v. 2l). David closes the same way he began, by exhorting himself to praise the Lord.
Application
In my Christian life I need to be praising the Lord by remembering all He has done for me, fearing (reverencing) Him, obeying His commands, and doing His will.
Psalms 103:1– 22 (NET)
1 Praise the Lord, O my soul. With all that is within me, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul. Do not forget all his kind deeds.
3 He is the one who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases,
4 who delivers your life from the Pit, who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your life with good things, so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 The Lord does what is fair, and executes justice for all the oppressed.
7 The Lord revealed his faithful acts to Moses, his deeds to the Israelites.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love.
9 He does not always accuse, and does not stay angry.
10 He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve.
11 For as the skies are high above the earth, so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers.
12 As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers.
14 For he knows what we are made of; he realizes we are made of clay.
15 A person’s life is like grass. Like a flower in the field it flourishes,
16 but when the hot wind blows, it disappears, and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew.
17 But the Lord continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers, and is faithful to their descendants,
18 to those who keep his covenant, who are careful to obey his commands.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven; his kingdom extends over everything.
20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his, you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees and obey his orders.
21 Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his, you servants of his who carry out his desires.
22 Praise the Lord, all that he has made, in all the regions of his kingdom. Praise the Lord, O my soul.