According to the superscription — which is not a part of the inspired text, but is, nonetheless very ancient — it is a psalm of David. Scriptures: Psalm 103. Pardoned sin is, in our experience, one of the choicest boons of grace, one of the earliest gifts of mercy, - in fact, the needful preparation for enjoying all that follows it. God's mercy is better than life, for it will outlive it. (Read Psalm 103:6-14) Truly God is good to all: he is in a special manner good to Israel. Psalm 103 Commentary. Commentary for Psalms 103 . Psalm 103. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Sicknesses of body and soul came into the world by sin, and as sin is eradicated, diseases bodily, mental, and spiritual will vanish, till "the inhabitant shall no more say, I am sick." Remember how the Persian king, when he could not sleep, read the chronicles of the empire, and discovered that one who had saved his life had never been rewarded. Chapter 103 This psalm calls more for devotion than exposition; it is a most excellent psalm of praise, and of general use. This Psalm teaches us how to praise God. And let the feeling of each redeemed heart be, Bless the Lord, O my soul. Had he been very sleepy before? Psalm 103, a masterful and well-loved composition, is classified as an Individual Hymn of Thanksgiving, a psalm in which a single voice praises God for God’s goodness to or on behalf of that individual, usually for deliverance from some trying situation. By his ways we may understand his precepts, the ways he requires us to walk in; and his promises and purposes. What would become of us, if God should deal so with us? There is a world of holy angels who are ever praising him. How he stirs up himself to the duty of praise, Psalm 103:1, 2. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary PSALM 103 Ps 103:1-22. By the name we understand the revealed character of God, and assuredly those songs which are suggested, not by our fallible reasoning and imperfect observation, but by unerring inspiration, should more than any others arouse all our consecrated powers. A Psalm of joyous praise, in which the writer rises from a thankful acknowledgment of personal blessings to a lively celebration of God's gracious attributes, as not only intrinsically worthy of praise, but as specially suited to man's frailty. It exalts the soul to breath-taking heights. Think of the provocation; it was sin, and yet pardoned: how many the provocations, yet all pardoned! The Psalm opens and closes with the imperative “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” (103.1) “Praise the LORD! First the Psalmist sings of personal mercies which he had himself received Ps 103:1-5; then he magnifies the attributes of Jehovah as displayed in his dealings with his people, Ps 103:6-19; and he closes by … These first verses are a tuning of the harp, a screwing up of the loosened strings that not a note may fail in the sacred harmony. Let us awake then, and with intense enthusiasm bless Jehovah. It tells us 7 times to praise the *LORD, (tell him that he is very great). The metaphor is bold, yet inadequate; for God's mercy is infinite. Psalms 103:11. The name of ingrate is one of the most shameful that a man can wear; surely we cannot be content to run the risk of such a brand. The Scripture says a great deal of the mercy of God, and we all have experienced it. "Bless the Lord, O my soul." The Book of Psalms Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET PSALM 103 Psa 103:1-22.A Psalm of joyous praise, in which the writer rises from a thankful acknowledgment of personal blessings to a lively celebration of God's gracious attributes, as not only intrinsically worthy of praise, but as specially suited to … A covenant is when two groups of people agree. "Bless the Lord, O my soul." Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. He has revealed himself and his grace to them. Let all my thoughts and affections be engaged, and united, and stirred up to the highest pitch in and for this work. The father pities his children that are weak in knowledge, and teaches them; pities them when they are froward, and bears with them; pities them when they are sick, and comforts them; pities them when they are fallen, and helps them to rise; pities them when they have offended, and, upon their submission, forgives them; pities them when wronged, and rights them: thus the Lord pities those that fear him. Everest” of praise psalms. Let others use only their tongues, but as for me I will cry, "Bless the Lord, O my soul." God's all cannot be praised with less than our all. Christ alone forgives all our sins; it is he alone who heals all our infirmities. Psalms 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He is all things to us, as our needs call for him, and our infirmities do but reveal him in new characters. 1. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Many are our faculties, emotions, and capacities, but God has given them all to us, and they ought all to join in chorus to his praise. Psalms 103 may be the “Mt. Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Not so much as one of the divine dealings should be forgotten, they are all really beneficial to us, all worthy of himself, and all subjects for praise. The pardon granted is a present one - forgiveth; it is continual, for he still forgiveth; it is divine, for God gives it; it is far reaching, for it removes all our sins; it takes in omissions as well as commissions, for both of these are in-equities; and it is most effectual, for it is as real as the healing, and the rest of the mercies with which it is placed. Such it will be for ever in heaven; nor can we be perfectly happy till we can take unwearied pleasure in perfect obedience to the will of our God. (1-5) And to the church and to all men. September 14, 2014 Psalms 103:12. Let others murmur, but do thou bless. Certainly, he uses no vain repetitions, for the Holy Spirit guides his pen; and thus he shews us that we have need, again and again, to bestir ourselves when we are about to worship God, for it would be shameful to offer him anything less than the utmost our souls can render. (6-14) For the constancy of his mercy. The ten is divided by the five, and the twelve falls into three divisions, each of four verses. 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Let others forbear if they can: "Bless the Lord, O my soul." What a beautiful, merciful God we have Who declares through David, that God “does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). The Story of Psalm 103. Here David begins his list of blessings received, which he rehearses as themes and arguments for praise. Read with me from the first verse. We begin by tracing the movement of the psalm as a whole. Soul music is the very soul of music. I. He who made all, rules all, and both by a word of power. Our foolish choices have brought results that are inescapable in life. God considers this, and pities him; let him consider it himself. "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities." By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. … Psalm 103 King James Version (KJV). Bless, &c.—when God is the object, praise. "And all that is within me, bless his holy name." Babes may praise the divine goodness, but fathers in grace magnify his holiness. Or was he now doubly sensible of the importance, the imperative necessity of adoration? Psalm 103—a Psalm of David. Readers through the centuries have interpreted “A Psalm by David” to mean “A Psalm written by David,” but a number of scholars question that interpretation today. And the person who finds his sin cured, has a well-grounded assurance that it is forgiven. Psalm 104 – LORD of All Creation “This Psalm has no title either in the Hebrew or Chaldee; but it is attributed to David by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Syriac.” (Adam Clarke) “The Psalm gives an interpretation to the many voices of nature, and sings sweetly both of creation and providence. This psalm represents a soliloquy in which David survey’s God’s goodness and encourages the angels and the works of God’s creation to join him in divine praise. The Psalmist strikes the best key-note when he begins with stirring up his inmost self to magnify the Lord. See why he pities. Psalm 103 sets a marvelous precedent for all Christian songwriters about how to teach people through songs about God’s character and actions. David stirreth up himself to bless God, Psalm 103:1,2; who forgiveth his sins, Psalm 103:3, redeemeth and satisfieth his soul, Psalm 103:4,5; for other manifold mercies to himself and the church, Psalm 103:6-14. He selects a few of the choicest pearls from the casket of divine love, threads them on the string of memory, and hangs them about the neck of gratitude. No one of his faculties or powers should be exempt from the duty and the privilege of praise. Bible students believe that David wrote this psalm when he was an old man. and all that is within me, bless his holy name; meaning not only all within his body, his heart, reins, lungs, &c. but all within his soul, all the powers and faculties of it; his understanding, will, affections, and judgment; and all the grace that was wrought in him, faith, hope, love, joy, and the like; these he would have all concerned and employed in praising the name of the Lord; which is exalted above all blessing and praise; is great and glorious in all the earth, by reason of his works wrought, and blessings of goodness bestowed; and which appears to be holy in them all, as it does in the works of creation, providence, and redemption; at the remembrance of which holiness thanks should be given; for he that is glorious in holiness is fearful in praises, Psalm 97:12. With everything that is within me, bless his holy name that it is he alone who all! 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