Psalms 107, part 1: Trouble. Cry. Deliverance. Praise. Repeat.
August 30, 2017
We’ve all been there, done that, right?
So have the Israelites.
In Psalms 107 to be exact.
This is because human nature hasn’t changed and God’s word has everything that pertains to life and Godliness.
The symmetry, details, precision and amazing insights of the bible are as profound as they get.
Not to mention free eternal life, a free spiritual body, hope, love, grace, etc…
That’s why the bible is still the best-selling book of all time, despite the fact that millions upon millions of people still don’t understand it.
Yet it’s the will of God that we clearly understand it.
Nehemiah 8:8
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
There IS a way to find out how to understand the bible.
That’s where this teaching comes in.
How to understand the book of psalms, especially psalms 107.
What is a psalm?
British Dictionary definitions for Psalm
noun
1. (often capital) any of the 150 sacred songs, lyric poems, and prayers that together constitute a book (Psalms) of the Old Testament
2. a musical setting of one of these poems
3. any sacred song or hymn
Prayers and poems and songs, Oh My!
Oh my, how the wonderful psalms can heal our heart!
All the psalms are deeply interwoven with and correspond to the Pentateuch, the name of the first 5 books of the bible [Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy], adding a breath-taking layer of profound truth to ponder.
Yet [by chapter count] Psalm 107, being just 1 of 150 Psalms, is only 2/3 of one percent of the book of Psalms, which alone is 12% of the bible!
This is why he magnified it above his name.
Psalms 138:2
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
This is also why this verse is where it is: because it’s in the 5th book of psalms which is all about God and his word!
Screenshot: Companion reference bible; the structure of psalms
Zooming in on the structure of the fifth book or section of Psalms reveals its theme and foundational psalms – 107.
Screenshot of the companion reference bible on the structure of Psalms 107 – 150.
Matthew 4:4
But he [Jesus] answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Jesus Christ knew of the healing from God’s word. That is why he taught it all over the place and why we should too.
Just one screenshot reveals the structure, subject, and summary of Psalms 107 and enables us to get a true view in an instant.
Where else can we find such gems of truth?
Screenshot of Companion reference bible; structure of Psalms 107
One of the many advantages of figures of speech is that they eliminate:
- Personal opinions
- Educational or man-made theologies
- Denominational bias
- Can avoid conflicts over the true meaning of Scripture [as long as there is meekness and humbleness to God’s word]
allowing us to get to the true word of God like no other.
What details lie ahead for us?
The revealing structure and meaning of Psalms 107.
Seduction in the desert, anyone?
Psalms 107:4
They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Definition of “wandered”:
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
cause to go astray, deceive, dissemble, cause to, make to err, seduce
A primitive root; to vacillate, i.e. Reel or stray (literally or figuratively); also causative of both — (cause to) go astray, deceive, dissemble, (cause to, make to) err, pant, seduce, (make to) stagger, (cause to) wander, be out of the way.
The 3 words “in a solitary” in the kjv is the Hebrew word Yeshimon and means waste; wilderness; a desolation; a desert.
Spiritually, the devil has made the world a wilderness through deception, confusion, and darkness.
Isaiah 14:17
That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
Jeremiah has the answer as to why the Israelites were where they were spiritually.
Jeremiah 17
5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
So the Israelites were spiritually seduced in the desert, but by whom and why?
The following screenshot of the Companion Reference bible on Deuteronomy 13 has all the answers.
The spiritual seduction of the Israelites by sons of the devil.
It’s significant to note that the 3 types of seductions listed in Deuteronomy 13 are also 3 of the 8 perils mentioned in part 5 of my article on the 7 types of attacks against us in Romans 8:35!
II Corinthians 11:26
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
Here is who seduced the Israelites.
Deuteronomy 13:13 [kjv]
Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
Belial comes from a Hebrew word beliyyaal [Strong’s #1100]: and means “worthlessness” and is in reference to people who have sold their soul to the devil. They are literally sons of the devil, impregnated with his corrupt spiritual seed.
That’s why they are worthless in God’s eyes.
That’s why the NASB translates the verse like it does.
Deuteronomy 13:13 [New American Standard Bible]
Some worthless men have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known).
Now let’s go deeper into this seduction and get another key to the puzzle.
A key that unlocks the door of understanding God’s word.
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Definition of “beguiled”:
Greek word: exapatao [Strong’s #1818]: to seduce wholly, deceive
So here’s the chain of seduction in chronological order:
- In Genesis 3, the devil seduced Eve [who took Adam with her] and became Satan, the God of this world.
- As God of this world, Satan seduced men to become his sons, [sons of belial]
- These sons of Belial were leaders [often religious] and seduced the Israelites into a spiritual wasteland.
Why were they seduced in the first place?
Because the spiritual seduction contradicted the very first commandment of God to the Israelites.
Exodus 20:3
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Contradicting the will of God [the bible] is one of the devil’s methods to cause doubt [which breaks down believing], confusion and every evil work.
In my article on how Bruce Jenner went from the 1976 Olympic decathlon winner to become a transvestite, the first thing the devil did was to seduce the believers away from worshiping God, which is by speaking in tongues.
There’s nothing new under the sun.
Secondly, the devil wants worship.
Luke 4
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Psalms 107:5
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Not only is this talking about physical hunger and thirst, but spiritual.
The word of God wasn’t in their hearts. That is why they trusted in man instead of God.
In part 5 of the 7 attacks against us series, we learned that the Apostle Paul was victorious in all 8 different kinds of perils, which included perils in the wilderness [geographically and spiritually].
Look what God did for Israel!
- God fed Israel in the wilderness
- God blessed Israel in the wilderness
- God led Israel through the wilderness
Since he did this for his adopted sons under the bondage of the old testament law, what can he do for us, his first-born sons in the age of grace?
Map of the wilderness of Paran.
They cried unto the Lord
Psalms 107
6 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
8 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Fortunately, the Israelites still had half a brain left and looked to their heavenly father for help in their time of distress.
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
The Israelites still had a hunger and thirst for God and his righteousness, so they sought after God.
Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
If we seek God’s righteousness instead of our own counterfeit righteousness, look at the blessings!
This takes meekness and humbleness.
Arrogance or pride will only lead you in the wrong direction with negative consequences that are guaranteed to follow.
Proverbs 28:26
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
In Psalms 107:6, the word “cried” is significant.
In the Septuagint [the Greek translation of the Old Testament], it’s the Greek word krazon [Strong’s #2896].
Look where it’s used in the new testament!
Romans 8:15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Screenshot of Companion Reference bible; Notes on Romans 8:15; sonship, not adoption
It is evident that the context is talking about sonship by birth, not by adoption.
Romans 8
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Look at the definition of “abba” in the screenshot below.
Screenshot: definition of abba, used only 3 times in the new testament.
In the context, crying “Abba Father” is worshiping God by manifesting the gift of holy spirit, which can only be done by speaking in tongues.
After the Israelites wandered around in the wilderness, hungry and thirsty, the first thing they did was cry to God for help.
In our times of trouble, we should do the same.
“Abba” is only used 3 times in the entire bible.
Galatians 4:6
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Jesus Christ is our intercessor between God and us which has the power to turn our negative situations around.
Romans 8
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities [infirmity]: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
In verse 26, “the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” is our gift of holy spirit [the Christ in us] communicating directly with God because we decided to speak in tongues so that our circumstances can come out for the better.
What a lever of power we have!
In part 2 next month, we will look at our deliverance, praising God and other deep insights of Psalms 107.
