Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 106
Overview:
The happiness of
God's people.
(1-5) Israel's sins.
(6-12)
Their provocations.
(13-33) Their rebellions in
Canaan.
(34-46)
Prayer for more complete deliverance.
(47,48)
1-5 None of our sins or sufferings should prevent our ascribing
Glory and praise to the
Lord. The more unworthy we are, the more
is his kindness to be admired. And those who depend
On the
Redeemer's
Righteousness will endeavour to copy his
Example, and
By Word and deed to show forth his praise.
God's people have
reason to be cheerful people; and need not envy the children of
men their pleasure or pride.
6-12 Here begins a
Confession of
Sin; for we must acknowledge
that the
Lord has done right, and we have done wickedly. We are
encouraged to
Hope that though justly corrected, yet we shall
not be utterly forsaken.
God's afflicted people own themselves
guilty before him.
God is distrusted because his favours are not
remembered. If he did not save us for his own name's sake, and
to the praise of his power and
Grace, we should all perish.
13-33 Those that will not wait for
God's counsel, shall justly
be given up to their own hearts' lusts, to walk in their own
counsels. An undue desire, even for lawful things, becomes
sinful.
God showed his displeasure for this. He filled them with
uneasiness of mind, terror of
Conscience, and self-reproach.
Many that fare deliciously every
Day, and whose bodies are
healthful, have leanness in their souls:
No Love to
God,
No
thankfulness,
No appetite for the
Bread of
Life, and then the
soul must be lean. Those wretchedly forget themselves, that
Feast their bodies and starve their souls. Even the true
believer will see abundant cause to say, It is of the
Lord's
mercies that I am not consumed. Often have we set up idols in
our hearts, cleaved to some forbidden object;
So that if a
greater than
Moses had not stood to turn away the
Anger of the
Lord, we should have been destroyed. If
God dealt severely with
Moses for unadvised words, what do those deserve who speak many
proud and wicked words? It is just in
God to remove those
relations that are blessings to us, when we are peevish and
provoking to them, and grieve their spirits.
34-48 The conduct of the Israelites in
Canaan, and
God's
dealings with them, show that the way of
Sin is down-
Hill;
omissions make way for commissions: when they neglected to
destroy the
Heathen, they learned their
Works. One
Sin led to
many more, and brought the
Judgments of God On them. Their
Sin
was, in part, their own
Punishment. Sinners often see themselves
ruined
By those who led them into evil.
Satan, who is a tempter,
will be a tormentor. At length,
God showed pity to his people
for his
Covenant's sake. The unchangeableness of
God's merciful
nature and
Love to his people, makes him change the course of
Justice into
Mercy; and
No other change is meant
By God's
Repentance. Our case is awful when the outward
Church is
considered. When nations professing Christianity, are
So guilty
as we are,
No wonder if the
Lord brings them low for their sins.
Unless there is general and
Deep Repentance, there can be
No
prospect but of increasing calamities. The psalm concludes with
Prayer for completing the deliverance of
God's people, and
praise for the beginning and progress of it. May all the people
of the
Earth, ere long, add their
Amen.