He Sent His Word And Healed Them
Psalms 107:15-20 – “Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhors all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saves them out of their distresses. He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
PSALM 107 IS THE first psalm of the fifth book of the Psalms, which corresponds to the fifth book of the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy). The divine title for that book is “These Are the Words.” Israel was about to take possession of Canaan and was promised prosperity if they would be obedient to the Word of God, but slavery, affliction, and banishment were promised for disobedience (Deut., Chpt. 28). The message of book five of the Psalms is similar, but the circumstances are different.
George Williams states, “Prosperity is shown to be dependent upon acceptance of the Word of God as the rule of life. But the message is not now directed to a new and untried people, but instead, to a tested, rebellious, and fallen people.”
In other words, the book of Deuteronomy was directed toward a people who were about to possess the Promised Land; however, this last and fifth book of the Psalms is directed toward fallen Israel, which will ultimately be brought back to God and to total possession of the Promised Land.
There are great truths found in the verses of this text, truths of which all believers should constantly be aware.
PRAISE
Verse 15 states, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”
The theme of the book of Psalms is “truth, worship, and praise.” The emphasis the Lord places on praising Him is reinforced by the fact that this verse is repeated four times in this one chapter (Vss. 8, 15, 21, 31). The Holy Spirit did this for a reason. Praise should be the hallmark of every believer. We all have so much for which to praise the Lord. The heart of praise should be and must be centered around our redemption. The greatest thing the Lord has done for all of us was to die on Calvary’s Cross to atone for man’s sin and rebellion. The very fact that we are saved should ever be a constant awareness for the believer.
The goodness of the Lord has been proven by Calvary. Calvary was and is the greatest example of God’s love and kindness, therefore, our daily living for the Lord should be guided by our constant praise.
The verse uses the term “wonderful works.” Notice the plurality of the word works. The goodness and greatness of the Lord is proven by all that the Lord does for us. His goodness not only has brought us salvation for the soul, but also healing, prosperity, and emotional well-being as well. When the Lord died on Calvary, He died not only to save us, but also, that we might be recipients of His blessings. Praise unto the Lord should flow out of us like the waters of Niagara Falls — constant, never ending, and bountiful.
BROKEN
Verse 16 states, “For He has broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.” Gates of brass and bars of iron speak of the terrible bondages of sin. Man in his own strength is completely helpless in the breaking of these bondages through man’s schemes and fads. The only way the gates of brass and bars of iron can be broken is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
This is what Calvary was all about. It took the Cross to set the captive free because it was at Calvary that Jesus atoned for all sin — past, present, and future — at least for those who will believe and accept.
FOOLS
Verses 17 and 18 say, “Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhors all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.”
The Holy Spirit in no uncertain terms calls all so-called Christians “fools” who try to bring about deliverance and victory by bypassing Calvary. The Cross is where our victory is found, and to try and bring about victory any other way identifies us as fools in the eyes of God.
The word meat in Verse 18 refers to the Word of God (I Cor. 3:2, 10:3; Heb. 5:12, 14). Israel did not want the meat of the Word, and their rebellion against God’s Word brought to them spiritual death, and it is the same today. The modern church abhors all manner of meat, opting instead for the poisonous pottage of man’s creation (II Ki. 4:38-41). Man’s schemes always bring death and destruction. The Lord’s way, the way of Calvary, always brings life.
CRY UNTO THE LORD
Verse 19 says, “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saves them out of their distresses.”
This verse is also repeated four times in this chapter (Vss. 6, 13, 19, 28). In this verse, we find the very heart and nature of the Lord. No matter how much we fail and act foolishly, when we call unto the Lord, with a heart of mercy and grace, the Lord answers and “saves them out of their distresses.” The Holy Spirit implores us to “praise the Lord for His goodness.”
HE SENT HIS WORD
Verse 20 is one of the most beautiful passages in the Word of God. In this one verse, we find the entire plan of salvation. Man was born into sin and doomed to an eternal hell with no way to save himself, but God “sent His Word” (Christ is the living Word [Jn. 1:1-5]) to die on Calvary’s Cross to redeem man from the curse of sin. He didn’t have to do this, but His love for fallen man brought Him to Golgatha to be the only sacrifice God the Father would accept.
While the word healed can refer to physical healing, its true meaning refers to sin. Sin is the disease of man’s heart and soul, a disease so great that no medicine made by man can effect a cure. But through the sacrificial offering of Christ on Calvary’s Cross, His blood brought about the only cure for this disease. The song says, “His blood still sets men free.”
The word heal, as used here, means in the Hebrew “to make fresh.” In II Cor. 5:17, Paul said, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” When one is saved, he is made fresh, a “new creature.” He heals us from sin and delivers us from the destructive powers of sin.
What an almighty God we serve!
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