Bless The Lord…And Forget Not All Of His Benefits! (Ps 103) Pastor Timothy Hinkle October 6, 2013

Psalm Bless the L ORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the L ORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The L ORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The L ORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the L ORD pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. [a] 17 But the mercy of the L ORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.a

19 The L ORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the L ORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. 21 Bless the L ORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the L ORD, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the L ORD, O my soul!

Bless the L ORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!  We were created to BLESS THE LORD! And we MUST bless Him from within—with our entire being, and with the most important part of our being—that which is eternal—our SOUL!  ALL that we are, must bless the Lord, Body, Soul, Spirit

Bless the L ORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!  ALL that we are, must bless the Lord, Body, Soul, Spirit  Body: Our actions--What we do with our bodies. Look at Romans 6:13 “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

Bless the L ORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!  ALL that we are, must bless the Lord, Body, Soul, Spirit  Spirit=Intelect or Mind—Let’s look at Luke 10:27 ” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the L ORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ [a] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.”a

2 Bless the L ORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:  We should not forget what the Lord has done for us! Also, the Lord Himself wants us to remember that He has given us so many promises in His Word.  The Psalmist knows that remembering the benefits of serving the Lord also encourages us to continue in the spirit of a servant, and to remember to crucify the flesh daily.  The Psalmist is going to list the most important benefits to stir himself (and us) up in the Lord (as Paul instructed Timothy to do—stir up the gifts…)

3 Who forgives all your iniquities,  …He has forgiven, and does forgive, all thy iniquities.” This is mentioned first because by the pardon of sin that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favour of God, which bestows good things on us. Think what the provocation was; it was iniquity, and yet pardoned; how many the provocations were, and yet all pardoned. He has forgiven all our trespasses. It is a continued act; he is still forgiving, as we are still sinning and repenting. (from Matthew Henry’s Commentary)

3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,  We notice here that healing is coupled with forgiveness  We see this same example in James 5:14-15  “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,  I believe that this (the pairing of the two—forgiveness/healing) done to encourage us.  It reminds us that we are forgiven and since we are forgiven we are worthy of healing for “healing is the children’s bread” (Matthew 15 and Mark 7)

3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,  The corruption of nature is the sickness of the soul; it is its disorder, and threatens its death. This is cured in sanctification; when sin is mortified, the disease is healed; though complicated, it is all healed. Our crimes were capital, but God saves our lives by pardoning them; our diseases were mortal, but God saves our lives by healing them.

3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,  These two go together; for, as for God, his work is perfect and not done by halves; if God take away the guilt of sin by pardoning mercy, he will break the power of it by renewing grace. Where Christ is made righteousness to any soul he is made sanctification, (From Matthew Henry’s Commentary)

4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,  A man may be in peril of life, not only by his crimes, or his diseases, but by the power of his enemies; and therefore here also we experience the goodness of God. He (God) has redeemed us from the destroyer, from hell from the second death.  Job 33:24 “Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’;”

4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,  Not only has God delivered us from destruction, but He has extended to each one of us varous “crowns” among them, the crown of lovingkindness and the crown of tender mercies.  A crown is an outward symbol for all to see that one is ENTITLED to certain pleasantries. He is telling us that because of His grace upon us, we are ENTITLED to lovingkindness and tender mercies! Hallelujah! He is also telling all creation, “This one is MINE!”

The Reaper (by Pastor Troy Hinkle) He came riding a horse of darkness A cycle at his side it did lie A hood covered all of his features He came looking for someone to die A rider named, “FEAR” went before him Many were they that he found

The Reaper (by Pastor Troy Hinkle) So frightened to see him approaching They’d scream and fall on the ground He carried a grave that was open Upon looking in I could see HELL The flames, they brought terrible torment To sinners who in them had fell

The Reaper (by Pastor Troy Hinkle) But this time he’d come for a CHRISTIAN A CHRISTIAN who he couldn’t find In asking someone what had happened It was JESUS who said, “THIS ONE’S MINE” You know that I can’t let you scare him And I NEVER will leave him alone I’m going to keep walking beside him ‘Til he’s sitting with Me on the throne

The Reaper (by Pastor Troy Hinkle) For I’ve never broken a promise The Words that I speak they are true In a twinkling of an eye I am coming GO BACK, I HAVE NO NEED OF YOU!

Inspired by:  1 Corinthians 15:55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”  1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  Luke 16:23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  “He has given thee true pleasure: …it is only the favour and grace of God that can give satisfaction to a soul, can suit its capacities, supply its needs, and answer to its desires. Nothing but divine wisdom can undertake to fill its treasures (Prov. 8:21); other things will surfeit, but not satiate, Eccl. 6:7; Isa. 55:2  Proverbs 8:21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  Ecclesiastes 6:7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied.  Isaiah 55: Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance

5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  “He has given thee true pleasure: He satisfies thy mouth with good things” (Ps. 103:5); it is only the favour and grace of God that can give satisfaction to a soul, can suit its capacities, supply its needs, and answer to its desires. Nothing but divine wisdom can undertake to fill its treasures (Prov. 8:21); other things will surfeit, but not satiate, Eccl. 6:7; Isa. 55:2. (3.) “He has given thee a prospect and pledge of long life: Thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” The eagle is long-lived, and, as naturalists say, when she is nearly 100 years old, casts all her feathers (as indeed she changes them in a great measure every year at moulting time), and fresh ones come, so that she becomes young again. When God, by the graces and comforts of his Spirit, recovers his people from their decays, and fills them with new life and joy, which is to them an earnest of eternal life and joy, then they may be said to return to the days of their youth, Job 33:23.

LIFE APPLICATION 1 Bless the L ORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the L ORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: