Psalm 107

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:1-9 (NKJV)

Today’s psalm begins with an exhortation for the redeemed of Israel, those who had returned from Babylonian and Assyrian exile, to give thanks for the Lord.  Why the redeemed but not ALL of Israel?  Because the redeemed had experienced God’s Word fulfilled (Jeremiah 29:11), so they should have been exceedingly thankful.

“And Jesus answered and said to him (a Pharisee whom Jesus was visiting), ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’  So he said, ‘Teacher, say it.’ ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’ And He said to him, ‘You have rightly judged.’  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’” Luke 7:40-47 (NKJV)

Why had the redeemed received God’s promise fulfilled while other Israelites had not?  Because they cried out to the Lord, the Good Shepherd, in their trouble. (v. 6)

“But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.  I and My Father are one.”  John 10:26-30 (NKJV)

The redeemed were those who cried out to the Lord because they hungered and thirsted for Him. (v. 5; 9)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”  Matthew 5:6 (KNJV)