| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| A Psalm of David. |
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| 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. |
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| 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: |
O my soul – The appeal is not merely to the lips, but to the entire being. R2551:2
Forget not – One of the least expensive, but most highly appreciated, offerings we can present to God is thanksgiving for mercies past and present. R2551:2
He that is conscious of being forgiven much loveth much; hence the danger of forgetting it and of falling into the idea that every one must suffer the full penalty for his own sins. R137:4*
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| 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; |
Who forgiveth – It is the new mind that recognizes his healing, his forgiveness, his reconciliation to God. R4981:4
They who hide their sins from themselves and think to hide them from the Lord greatly err, and will make no progress. R5234:4
Not generalizing, but particularizing. Properly, the first item of praise is redeeming love through Christ's sacrifice. R1402:3
The Church's sins are only "covered" now, but wait to be "blotted out ." R2028:3
The work of Christ for the Church, of blotting out sins and healing all diseases, will not be complete until the Millennial morning. R2028:3
Who heareth – God is prepared to heal us spiritually when we come into the proper attitude of heart and go to the heavenly throne of grace. F145
By heeding your fervent prayers for restoration of favor after you have amended the wrong as far as possible. F144, F649
With spiritual healings. R5234:4
Those who receive physical healing by "gifts" or "prayers" have never yet been completely healed. At most they receive a temporary blessing. R2028:3
Those resurrected will be without any of their present mental, moral, or physical diseases or weaknesses. R1402:6
All thy diseases – Applicable physically to the Israelites under the Law covenant and spiritually to the Church, the New Creation. R4979:6, R4981:4
New Creatures have such experiences. F649
Soul disease, due to the Lord's hiding his face because of our neglect of consecration vows. F144, F145
Certainly not physical diseases; the Lord's bloody sweat, the bursting of his heart, and Paul's thorn in the flesh prove the contrary. F649; R5234:4
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| 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; |
Who redeemeth – Gaal, sets free by payment. E438
The original sentence to destruction is now offset by the ransom. HG333:5
Thy life – Soul, being, not the body. OV166:2, R5017:2
It is the soul that is doomed to destruction not the body. The body changes every seven years anyway. HG204:5
From destruction – "Thou turnest man to destruction." (Psa. 90:3) E353
It would have been destruction--death as that of the brute beast--except for the fact that Christ paid our penalty. HG195:2; R803:3
Not from torment. HG197:1
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| 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. |
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| 6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. |
That are oppressed – The weak and oppressed of the world. R1402:6
He makes their cause his cause. R1402:6
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| 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. |
His ways unto Moses – His care for the interest of the weak in the laws which he promulgated through Moses. R1402:6
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| 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. |
LORD is merciful – Especially towards spiritual Israel. R5818:1
Toward the world, in its release from the bondage of sin and death to full liberty of sons of God. R5818:4
Plenteous In mercy – Making provision for the passing over, covering, and ultimate blotting out of our weaknesses. R3425:5
Except for his mercy and love, God would have been fully justified in canceling our covenant long ago. R4056:1
If we would appreciate his mercy through Christ, we should similarly exercise mercy toward others. R4056:4
His grace, while limited first to one earthly nation, then later to an elect company from all nations, is finally to be extended to every human being the world around. R5818:4
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| 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. |
Not always chide – Contend with the wayward. R1402:6
Reprove. R1272:3
Neither will he keep – Hold back, retain; a time of retribution shall come. R3947:2, R1402:6
"The Lord is not slack, as men count slackness." (2 Pet 3:9) R1272:3, R1781:1
His anger – Righteous indignation against wilful sin and sinners. R1772:2
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| 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. |
After our sins – According to the just desert of our sins. R1402:6
To our iniquities – As they deserved under his righteous law. R1402:6
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| 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. |
Great is his mercy – We cannot come too often, then, to the throne of heavenly grace. R1865:3
Them that fear him – And love him. R1403:1
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| 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. |
Our transgressions – The transgressions of those who love and fear God. R1403:1, R5427:2
Full and complete forgiveness to those who are truly repentant and desire to draw near to God through Christ. Q832:4
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| 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. |
Like as a father – "I will receive you and be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. 6:17, 18) R5739:5
Illustrated by anecdote. . . "If God cares for you as I do..." R. 3808:1
His children – The first step is to come into harmony with God and become his child. SM682:T
Those who come in childlike faith and obedience to God he calls his "little ones." R657:1*
LORD pitieth – Gives sympathy to. R1585:4
He invites us to confide in him as children and speak to him freely of all that concerns us. R3161:4
Them that fear him – Reverence him. R2083:5
Perfect love casts out slavish, but not reverential, fear. R2289:4-6, R2986:6
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| 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. |
Knoweth our frame – He knows that we are fallen--imperfect mentally, morally, physically. R5101:3, R5585:6
He has compassion on us. The fact that we are weak and lame does not separate us from his love and power, for he has covered us with the imputed righteousness of Christ. R4818:1, R5803:2; Q655:T
In our trials, the Lord permits us to be taken out of the fire for a little while so that they will not be too severe. R5778:6
It is not his purpose that we shall always be in conflict with ourselves--perfect will against imperfect body; but he has provided for perfect resurrection bodies in accord with our new minds. R4897:6
Graciously giving us time to run the race and develop character. F372
Therefore arranging that we have little seasons of refreshment between times of trial. R5779:1
That we are dust – That we cannot do what we would like to do. R5437:4
God invites our confidence in the smallest affairs of life. R3161:4
And so has compassion on the sons of his love, and is very pitiful and of tender mercy. R4818:1
Our testing is not to see whether we are perfect according to the flesh. R5115:1
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| 15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. |
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| 16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. |
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| 17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
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Them that fear him – Lack of reverence for God was the cause of the fall of Eve, Adam, Satan; the cause of calamities upon Lot, Ishmael and Esau. It was reverence for the Lord that brought blessings to Noah, Abraham and Isaac. R2872:3
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| 18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. |
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| 19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. |
His throne – Power, dominion, control. R1815:2
His kingdom ruleth – The Kingdom for which we pray. R1403:4
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| 20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. |
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| 21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. |
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| 22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul. |
In all places – After the end of the Millennium. R1403:4
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