BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL (PSALM 103)
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A morning prayer:
“So far today, God, I've done alright. I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or indulgent.
I'm very thankful for that. But in a few minutes God, I'm going to get out of this bed, and from then on, I'm probably going to need a lot more help. Amen”
A new arrival in heaven was surprised to see a suggestion box along Main Street. The heavenly newbie turned to a more seasoned resident and asked, “If everything is perfect and everybody is happy in heaven, why is there a suggestion box?” “Because some people aren’t really happy unless they complain.”
God’s Blessings Must Be Firmly Recognized (1-5)
1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:1-5)
One day I asked God for instructions on how to live on this earth...
God brought His voice close to my ear and said…
Be like the sun; Arise early, and do not go to bed late.
Be like the moon; Shine in the darkness, but submit to the greater light.
Be like the birds. Eat, sing, drink, and fly.
Be like the flowers, loving the sun, but faithful to your roots.
Be like the faithful dog, but only to your Lord.
Be like the fruit. Beautiful on the outside, and healthy on the inside.
And above all things, be like the heavens: A home for God.
Psalm 103 and the next psalm Psalm104 are very similar, both beginning with the imperative “BLESS, my soul, the Lord” in Hebrew followed by a list of “who” participles (actually more “how” than “who”) to describe the Lord’s attributes and actions: “who…..” this and that. What is so special about these two psalms? First of all, the verb “bless” is never the first word in a chapter until Psalms 34 (34:1), but Psalms 103 and 104 are two of a kind psalms that upgraded Psalms 34 by not only equaling the verb “bless” as the first word but also in the imperative form, altogether six times imperatively in Psalms 103 (vv 1, 2, 20, 21, 22 twice), also the most verb “bless” in a psalm along with Psalm 115, except that Psalm 115 are not in imperative form. The verb can be used both ways, but the Lord’s blessing us to us is never in the imperative form, unlike our imperatival blessing to the Lord (Ps 66:8, 96:2, 100:4, 104:1, 134:2, 135:19). Shockingly one of the most blessed psalms in the Bible is never digressed and deferred to us, but directed at and designed for God.
What is to praise the Lord, or bless the Lord in KJV? Isn’t blessing the Lord too big and too boastful a task for us? After all we are only humans. This verb is traditionally translated as “bless’ 302 times and twice as “praise.” Literally it should be translated as “kneel (down)” (Ps 95:6) because the verb is taken from the noun “knee.” It corresponds to the Aramaic verb equivalent that twice describes Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar both blessing the Lord twice, but once Daniel translated as “kneeling” upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God (Dan 6:10). The noun for “knee” is always duo or plural, never singular. Kneeling or blessing or praise implies submission, surrender and servanthood.
Another way to understand the verb “bless” is see it as an expression of praise, an eulogy to God, and an exaltation of God. He is the Source, the supply and sender and sharer of all blessings.
When others sneeze we say “Bless you!” to say good things or to speak well of the person, to stand behind and show support for him or her. It is affirming God’s rightful power over your life, His rightful place in your life, and His priority, prerogative possession position permission. To bless is to implore, invite or invoke God’s grace, guidance and goodness upon a person. The impartation, impact and implementation are, of course, up to God. The purpose is not to satisfy God’s ego, but to spend time with Him, share Him with others, to serve Him in testimony. The people invited and involved are “my soul” (vv 1, 2), his angels (v 20), all his heavenly hosts, his servants (v 21) and all his works everywhere in his dominion (v 22).
Unlike the first verb “bless,” the clause “forget not” is in the jussive form (“let us…”) and not an imperative. It is first found in Deuteronomy 9:7 (jussive form as well) which says, “Remember this and NEVER FORGET how you aroused the anger of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord.” It is not a recap, a reminder and reassurance.
The noun “benefit” occurs 19 times in the Bible, but this is the only occasion where it is plural, meaning it is not single or solo , but surplus and sparing, of which there are five:
Forgives all your sins (Participle) Heals all your diseases
(Participle) Redeems your life from the pit
(Participle) Crowns you with love and compassion
(Participle) Satisfies your desires with good things
(Participle)
Sin Sickness Salvation Support Supply
Cleansing Compassion Conversion Care Contentment
Release Recovery Redemption Reign Rejoice
The verb “renew” (v 5) is “repair” (2 Chron 24:4
There is no better bird to illustrate renewal like the eagle, the king of the birds known for its size, strength and savagery. Eagles can see another eagle soaring nearly 50 miles away. The bald eagle can reach altitudes of over 10,000 feet and dive at a speed of 75+mph.
On an internet titled “Top 10 Formidable Birds of Prey,” seven are eagles: Martial eagle, Steller’s sea eagle, Golden eagle, Philippine eagle, Harpy Eagle, Eurasian eagle owl, African crowned eagle. The top bird, the African crowned eagle is known as “the leopard of the air” and has been known to hunt animals up to 35 kilograms (77 lbs)! http://listverse.com/2010/04/21/top-10-formidable-birds-of-prey/
God’s Blessings Must Be Faithfully Reciprocated (6-16)
6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for 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 has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. (Psalm 103:6-15)
A man died... When he realized it, he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in his hand.
Dialog between God and Dead Man:
God: Alright son, it’s time to go
Man: So soon? I had a lot of plans...
God: I am sorry but, it’s time to go
Man: What do you have in that suitcase?
God: Your belongings
Man: My belongings? You mean my things... Clothes... money...
God: Those things were never yours, they belong to the Earth
Man: Is it my memories?
God: No. They belong to Time
Man: Is it my talent?
God: No. They belong to Circumstance
Man: Is it my friends and family?
God: No son. They belong to the Path you travelled
Man: Is it my wife and children?
God: No. they belong to your Heart
Man: Then it must be my body
God: No No... It belongs to Dust
Man: Then surely it must be my Soul!
God: You are sadly mistaken son. Your Soul belongs to me.
Man with tears in his eyes and full of fear took the suitcase from the God's hand and opened it...
EMPTY!!
With heartbroken and tears down his cheek he asks God...
Man: I never owned anything?
God: That’s Right. You never owned anything.
Man: Then? What was mine?
God: your MOMENTS. Every moment you lived was yours. Life is just a Moment. Live it
The attributes of God (v 8), of which there are four, are not new: compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. The same line is first found in Exodus 34:6. The next section, however, is new. It comes with four “not” in Hebrew – “NOT always accuse, NOR will he harbor his anger forever; he does NOT treat us as our sins deserve OR repay us according to our iniquities” (vv 9-10). The greatness of His attributes is not contained in Himself, but communicated to others.
Always accuse Harbor his anger forever Treat us as our sins deserve Repay us according to our iniquities
Rebuke Retain Revenge Repay
Accuse Alarm Abandon Afflict
Temperament Time Treatment Tenderness
Scold Store Strike Sentence
The verb “accuse” (v 9) is more serious than the Hebrew translation of strive (Gen 26:20), chide (Ex 17:2), plead (Judg 6:31), complain (Judg 21:22), adversaries (1 Sam 2:10), rebuke (Neh 5:7), debate (Prov 25:9). Harbor (v 9) s translated as bear any grudge (Lev 19:18), keep (Ps 103:9) and reserve (Jer 3:5). The first part (v 8) is about the Lord’s attributes and the second his relationship (vv 9-10) with His creation. The personal pronoun “us” (“chide us”) is missing in Hebrew. The verb “reward” means “to treat a person (well or ill), i.e. benefit or requite; by implication (of toil), to ripen, i.e. (specifically) to wean” and is often translated with the word “bountifully.”
Great is his love
(v 11) Remove our transgressions (v 12) Compassion on those who fear him (v 13) Knows…remembers (v 14)
Dominance Distance Devotion Diagnosis
Might Margin Mercy Memory
Charity Cleansing Compassion Comprehension
Tough Love Triumphant Love Tender Love Thoughtful Love
Prevailing Love Pardoning Love Paternal Love Perceptive Love
Four contrasts are next highlighted: heaven and earth, east and west, father and children, Lord and man, dust and grass. The first contrast spells the might, strength or power of His love. Heaven and earth is a contrast of high and low, top and bottom, up and down. The first contrast leads to and ends with the verb “great,” which is derived from the word “warrior.” The verb “great” is translated as prevailed (Gen 7:18), stronger (2 Sam 1:23), mighty (Job 21:7), exceeded (Job 36:9) and confirmed (Dan 9:27). It is more powerful than passionate. The second verb “remove” is mostly translated as “far.” Apart from the translation “remove,” (5x), the other translation are far (36x), ...off (9x), ...away (7x) and good way (1x). The first is about how forceful?, the second is about how far ?and the third is how faithful??, contrasting might, margin and mercy. Dust means material, mortal, and momentary. Man is made of dust, water and air - the breath of God. We are finite, fallible, foolish, feeble and frail. In time we decline, decease and decompose. Flowers are planted, pulled and perished. Flowers flourish and fade (Isa 40:7), ripe and rot, produce and perish. They bloom or bust depending on water, wind and weather.
God’s Blessings Must Be Fully Represented (17-22)
17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. 19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul. (Psalm 103:17-22)
An insurance agent stopped by a nearby church in hopes of selling some insurance. She greets the head usher at the door and asks to talk to whoever is in charge.
The usher says, “Not me; I only hand out the bulletins. Let me take you to the pastor.”
The insurance agent then asks the pastor if he is in charge. The pastor says, “Not me; I only preach and teach. Let me take you to the council president.”
The insurance agent then asks the council president if she is in charge.” Not me; I only conduct meetings and hear complaints. Let me take you to the head of the trustees committee.”
The insurance agent then asks the head of the trustees committee if he is in charge. The head of the trustees committee replies, “Not me; I just help take care of the building.”
By this time the insurance agent is quite frustrated and wonders aloud, “well, who IS in charge around here anyway?”
The lady who serves the coffee pipes up and says, “That’s me; NOTHING happens around here until I make the coffee!”
The noun “throne” (v 19) is mostly associated with judgment in Psalms (Ps 9:4, 7, 97:2, 122:5). The noun “love/mercy” (v 17) occurs four times, but thrice it refers to the nature of His mercy: abounding or plenteous (KJV) in love (v 8), great (v 11) and from everlasting to everlasting (v 17).
Three words stand out in the last section: his, all, and bless, and here are some principles from the passage:
1. They are all “His.”
103:18 his covenant, his commandments
103:19 his throne, his kingdom
103:20 his angels, his commandments,
103:21 his hosts; his ministers, his pleasure.
103:22 all his works in all places of his dominion
His implies we are not maker and master, lord or leader of our lives. It means we have a reverence for Him, a relationship with Him and a responsibility to Him. He is the Creator and commander, Maker and master, Author and architect of our lives.
2. The new additions are all plural, including “my soul” or “all my inmost being” (v 1).
103:20 his angels
103:21 his hosts; his ministers
103:22 all his works
3. “All occurs nine times, the most in a psalm other than Psalm 119 (vv 2, 3, 6, 19, 21, 22 twice)
Plural and “all” means no one is exempted, excluded or excused. Plural does not mean minimum, meager, measured, but many, multitude, masses and measureless. There is no wider choir, cast or crew in the world. The angels (v 20) are spiritual beings, the hosts (v 21) are celestial bodies, ministers (v 21) are earthly beings, his works (v 22) are all kinds of everything, all in all, all inclusive. All means all is included, intended, involved, indebted and imposed. All means the least, the lowly, lack, living, limited.
Bless (vv 20-22) is still an imperative, early in and end of the chapter and life, from first to final verse, from the beginning to the bottom . It is mandated, merited and motivated praise, not modest, muted, or mundane praise. Four target groups are supposed to bless His name: the angels, all his heavenly hosts, all his works and my soul.
4. The angels and hosts are both similar: they “obey/do” his commandments (v 20) and pleasure (v 21). His works are “his doers” in Hebrew. The heart of worship is not observing or ordering praise, but obeying God.
5. There is no end to praise. We are the participants, performers, partners, psalmists and poets in the stands, and never the background presiders, presenters, planners, patrons and philanthropist in the shadows. All praise is insufficient, inadequate and incomplete to reflect what God has done for us, even though it is not irrelevant, insubstantial, insignificant or inferior.
Conclusion: It’s been said, “The monks "pray for a world they don't see." Do you wait for your solution to your problems, success in your field, and surplus in your savings before you praise God? Do you praise the Lord loudly, liberally and lovingly everyday till eternity?
Reflected Returned Reverberated Renewed Fitly Required Remembered Rejoice and Sing, Rise and Shine,
