‘Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures for ever’
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 106:1
Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
Exegesis:
*EXEGESIS:
This historical psalm recites a series of events from Israel’s history to illustrate God’s steadfast love in the face of Israel’s rebellion and unfaithfulness.
The events are selected from Israel’s time following Moses in the wilderness (Exodus and Numbers) and from the time when Israel repeatedly indulged in rebellion against the Lord after the death of Joshua (Judges).
All of the episodes are instances of the whole people being unfaithful, and of God’s continuing commitment to maintain this people and to foster among them the conditions in which piety can flourish.
*Exegesis: Interpretation of the text
The focus is therefore on corporate unfaithfulness and forgiveness. The psalm begins by calling on the people to give thanks and praise to God (Ps. 106:1–3); and it ends in a prayer that the God who has shown such forbearance will once again deliver his people, apparently this time from exile
Application:
*HERMENEUTICS:
To become more ‘Christ like, the application of Scripture is very important: James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only.
In this psalm we are reminded that we often, like the Hebrew Jews, wander away from the Lords greatest command,
Deuteronomy 6:5: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
And we often forget the Lords love and saving grace that redeemed us, a grace that says, we were not worthy of even knowing Him let alone, live with Him.
Yet, His very great love still called us out of the world via a very great sacrifice, the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, which initiated the work of transformation to be completed on judgement day.
Similarly, we are also called to worship God, not only with our vocal chords on a Sunday morning, but every day and every hour, at work or play, by the way we conduct ourselves, via the ethics we discover in God’s word, which we then apply as we interact with our Christian brothers and sisters, and those outside of God’s kingdom family.
The key to understanding and identifying with the failures of the people the psalm was written to, is to remember that God’s laws and ethics are still as true and demanding today as they were in the days of Moses.
Our God will always love, heal and restore, it is His very nature, and He will always expect His Saints to worship Him, it is within our very nature. Also, the Lord has given very clear instructions as to how we can develop this characteristic, and live our lives in an attitude of constant worship towards Him … through His written word.
However, it is worth noting that our worship is not to be produced from a place of compulsion, but from a pious heart that is fully aware of all that the Lord has done.
As the Lords Word cuts to the soul, rivers of living water (Holy Spirit) pour out…
John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'”
John 7:38 reveals that the heart is the source of true worship. This is a heart that has been regenerated by the Lord, this process cannot be achieved by the hand of man.
Then, from a renewed heart rivers of living water (the Holy Spirit) flow producing fruit; worship, awe, thanksgiving and love, towards God and for others…
As previously mentioned, the written Word, is the mode by which the Lord implements His regenerative work.
Hebrews 4:12 is a great example.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
*Hermeneutics: is the applying of scripture into our lives read more here.
Furthermore, in the text below, Jesus response to the Pharisees, reveals how God ‘expects’ to receive worship from those who love Him, likewise the disciples rationale for their joyous praise, was due to their gratitude for all that the Lord had done.
Luke 19:37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,
Luke 19:38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Luke 19:39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
Luk 19:40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
This is a great demonstration of how it is those who spend time with Jesus (in The Word), who are able to offer worship in Spirit and Truth.
Similarly, in John’s Gospel, Peter demonstrates the same heart felt love and praise towards God, only because of his time spent withJesus (in The Word) developing a relationship.
John 21:17 He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Therefore is is crucial that we, the Lords disciples spend time in the word of God (abide). The written word is the main way in which we hear the voice of God and where we learn His ethics, the Lords moral code for living life in all its fullness.
There is no other way to develop a fruitful life full of worship… worship that flows from the heart.
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
Close:
Summary:
Therefore, for us to be fruitful, producing worship to the Lord, every moment of every day in all that we do, wether at work or at play, then our hearts must be renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Likewise, as children of God then we must cultivate a life that is constantly in the Word of God, producing rivers of living water.
Close:
May the Lord of glory, continue to increase lasting spiritual fruits within all of our hearts, hourly, daily, now, and forever more.
Amen
Christian Men United 
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