Living Stream Ministry

III. PRAISING JEHOVAH WHO HAS RECOVERED
THE TITLE AND THE RIGHT OVER THE WHOLE EARTH
THROUGH THE REIGN OF CHRIST

Psalm 102 is a psalm on Christ, the church, and the restoration. In Psalms 103 through 106 we have the praising of Jehovah who has recovered the title and the right over the whole earth through the reign of Christ.

A. A Narration of God’s History

If we put these four psalms together, we will see that they are a narration of God’s history.

1. In His Lovingkindness and Compassions
in His Forgiving of Sins,
Healing, Redeeming, and Caring of His People

Psalm 103 speaks of God’s history in His lovingkindness and compassions in His forgiving of sins, healing, redeeming, and caring of His people. This is the first part of God’s history.

"Bless Jehovah, O my soul;/And all that is within me, bless His holy name./Bless Jehovah, O my soul;/And do not forget all His benefits" (vv. 1-2). These benefits include forgiveness, healing, redemption, and the crown of lovingkindness and compassions (vv. 3-4).

In verse 5 the psalmist continues, "He satisfies the prime of your life with good,/So that your youth is renewed like the eagle." The meaning of the Hebrew for "the prime of your life" is uncertain; others translate it as, "your years." The Septuagint uses the word "desire." The prime of our life is the strongest part of our life, which is our youth. Because God satisfies the strongest part of our life with good, our youth is renewed. I can testify that, as an elderly person, day by day I have the feeling that I am being renewed. This renewing enables me to stand up and speak for the Lord.

In verse 7 the psalmist says, "He made His ways known to Moses;/His acts, to the children of Israel." This is marvelous. To the experienced ones God makes His ways known, and to the younger ones, to the children, He makes His acts known. Today some among us know God’s ways, whereas others know only God’s acts. Both His ways and His acts are benefits to us.

Verses 12 through 14 declare, "As far as the east is from the west,/So far has He removed our transgressions from us./As compassionate as a father is toward his children,/So compassionate is Jehovah toward those who fear Him./For He knows our frame;/He remembers that we are dust." The east and the west have no end. How good it is that as far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions from us! Furthermore, as verse 14 indicates, He knows our frame, our body, much better than any medical doctor can know it.

(Life-Study of Psalms, Chapter 37, by Witness Lee)