Read
(By David.)
The Lord's Wonderful Love
1With all my heart
I praise the Lord,
and with all that I am
I praise his holy name!
2With all my heart
I praise the Lord!
I will never forget
how kind he has been.
3The Lord forgives our sins,
heals us when we are sick,
4and protects us from death.
His kindness and love
are a crown on our heads.
5Each day that we live,
he provides for our needs
and gives us the strength
of a young eagle.
6For all who are mistreated,
the Lord brings justice.
7He taught his Law to Moses
and showed all Israel
what he could do.
8 The Lord is merciful!
He is kind and patient,
and his love never fails.
9The Lord won't always be angry
and point out our sins;
10he doesn't punish us
as our sins deserve.
11How great is God's love for all
who worship him?
Greater than the distance
between heaven and earth!
12How far has the Lord taken
our sins from us?
Farther than the distance
from east to west!
13Just as parents are kind
to their children,
the Lord is kind
to all who worship him,
14because he knows
we are made of dust.
15We humans are like grass
or wild flowers
that quickly bloom.
16But a scorching wind blows,
and they quickly wither
to be forever forgotten.
17The Lord is always kind
to those who worship him,
and he keeps his promises
to their descendants
18who faithfully obey him.
19God has set up his kingdom
in heaven, and he rules
the whole creation.
20All of you mighty angels,
who obey God's commands,
come and praise your Lord!
21All of you thousands
who serve and obey God,
come and praise your Lord!
22All of God's creation
and all that he rules,
come and praise your Lord!
With all my heart
I praise the Lord!
Reflect
These days God in the Old Testament is often contrasted with God in the New Testament. In the former, God is angry and capricious while in the New Testament he is loving and forgiving. Psalm 103 undermines this faulty stereotype.
The psalmist praises and thanks God for his kindness and love. God forgives our sins, heals us, protects us, and gives us the strength that we need to live flourishing lives (vv 3-5). For those who are exploited and oppressed, he brings justice (v 6). He treats us far better than we, sinners, deserve (v 10).
We should be careful to note, however, that God’s compassionate love is specifically directed to “those who worship him” (vv 11, 13). To his followers, he is like a parent. Parents love and care for their children even when their children are fussy and problematic. God knows just how fragile we are and treats us accordingly (vv 13-18). Those who worship God are sinners, but we should know that God will forgive us. If we turn from our sin and turn toward God, he will remove our sin from us. How far? As far as heaven from earth, as far as the east from the west, in other words, totally.
God’s compassionate love and forgiveness gives grounds for the psalmist’s concluding call to praise, not just from his human congregation, but also from the angels and the creation itself (vv 19-22). What a picture the psalmist draws as the entire cosmos gives God the glory due to him.
In Luke 5:21 the Pharisees appear to have Psalm 103:3 in mind when they challenge Jesus who had just announced that a paralyzed man’s sins were forgiven. They chastise him by saying only God can forgive sins. What they do not acknowledge is that Jesus himself is divine and thus has the authority to forgive sins.
Respond
O God, you are indeed like a parent to us, taking care of us and protecting us. You forgive us when we sin and remove our guilt. Along with the angels and all of creation, we worship you. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.
Tremper Longman III
Dr. Tremper Longman III (B.A. Ohio Wesleyan University; M.Div. Westminster Theological Seminary; M.Phil. and Ph.D. Yale University) is Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. He has written over 30 books which have been translated into seventeen different languages. In addition, as a Hebrew scholar, he is one of the main translators of the popular New Living Translation of the Bible. His most recent book is How to Read Daniel. Tremper and Alice currently reside in Alexandria, VA and have three sons (Tremper IV, Timothy, Andrew) and four granddaughters (Gabrielle, Mia, Ava, and Emerson). For exercise, he enjoys playing squash.