_The Psalmist exhorteth to praise God.—He prayeth for pardon of sin,
as God did with the fathers.—The story of the people’s rebellion, and
God’s mercy.—He concludeth with prayer and praise._
Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for _he is_ good: for
his mercy _endureth_ for ever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? _who_ can shew forth all
his praise?
Blessed _are_ they that keep judgment, _and_ he that doeth
righteousness at all times.
Remember me, O LORD, with the favour _that thou bearest unto_ thy
people: O visit me with thy salvation;
That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the
gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have
done wickedly.
Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not
the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked _him_ at the sea, _even_ at
the Red Sea.
Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his
mighty power to be known.
He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them
through the depths, as through the wilderness.
And he saved them from the hand of him that hated _them_, and redeemed
them from the hand of the enemy.
And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the
desert.
And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
They envied Moses also in the camp, _and_ Aaron the saint of the LORD.
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of
Abiram.
And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the
wicked.
They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth
grass.
They forgat God their Saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;
Wondrous works in the land of Ham, _and_ terrible things by the Red
Sea.
Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen
stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should
destroy _them_.
Yea, they despised the pleasant land; they believed not his word;
But murmured in their tents, _and_ hearkened not unto the voice of the
LORD:
Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the
wilderness:
To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in
the lands.
They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of
the dead.
Thus they provoked _him_ to anger with their inventions; and the
plague brake in upon them.
Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and _so_ the plague was
stayed.
And that was counted unto him for righteousness, unto all generations
for evermore.
They angered _him_ also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill
with Moses for their sakes:
Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with
his lips.
They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded
them:
But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
And they served their idols; which were a snare unto them.
Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
And shed innocent blood, _even_ the blood of their sons, and of their
daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land
was polluted with blood.
Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with
their own inventions.
Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people,
insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated
them ruled over them.
Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into
subjection under their hand.
Many times did he deliver them: but they provoked _him_ with their
counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
Nevertheless, he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:
And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the
multitude of his mercies.
He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them
captives.
Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give
thanks unto thy holy name, _and_ to triumph in thy praise.
Blessed _be_ the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting:
and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.
This is a Psalm of acknowledgment, of confession, and of thanksgiving.
The Psalmist confesses all those sins of murmuring and unbelief, and
those other numerous transgressions against the first commandment, by
which the people of Israel provoked God, and rendered themselves
utterly unworthy of all his mercies.
At the conclusion of the Psalm, therefore, the Psalmist proclaims the
exceeding greatness of the divine mercy of God; whereby he continued
mindful of his counsel and his covenant, and did not pour forth all
his wrath, but was merciful to them for his own name’s sake. As Moses
saith also, (Deut. ix.) “Know ye, that not for your righteousness doth
the Lord God give unto you this good land: for ye are a stiff-necked
people.” Therefore as the Israelites, the whole of that people of God,
could glory in nothing, but that they were saved by the mercy and
grace of God; so also we cannot glory in any work or merit of our own,
but in the mercy of God only!