Psa 103:6-22 “Bless The Lord” – Part 2

Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psa 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psa 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psa 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Psa 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

One of the main reasons we “Bless The Lord” or give thanks to the Lord is because of His mercy and love that endure for ever, and we’ve come to see that whenever God does talk about mercy upon his people, it is very much connected with redemption that comes about through the grace and faith which He extends to us in this age. Ephesians 2:4-5 precede the scripture that talks about our being raised in heavenly places in where we read of His “rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us”, mind of our Father. That concept of God’s mercy and love is brought out very brightly in this section of our Psalm study this evening.

Psa 136:2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psa 107:1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

In this part of our Psalm 103 study, we will look at how God’s goodness, God’s mercy, is shown unto His elect as we examine the reason why God is showing such great mercy to us, and come to see the same conclusion that is written throughout God’s word, that being he will have mercy upon all and start by showing that great favor toward his people first, as his kind of first fruits (Jas 1:18) who will in the ages to come “shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” to the rest of world.

Rom 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Rom 11:2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
Rom 11:3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
Rom 11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

The Lord is showing us clearly that we ought to “Bless The Lord” because we have been blessed to see clearly that His mercy, His love, is demonstrated by His grace and faith working in our lives (Rom 8:28 all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose [a purpose of grace and faith]) so that we may be received together as a healthy body that can come up on mount Zion in the first resurrection (in earnest today in this regard), and extend that grace and faith in the same way in which we have received it as described in the earlier verse mentioned “shew[ing] the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus”.

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

So what does it mean to show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus? The answer to that is found in this Psalm and throughout God’s word, and found also in the word “grace“, a word that is not understood by the religious world which is not being judged in this age, and so easily turns “the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” of (Jud 1:4).

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

To better explain how we ought to “Bless The Lord” for the grace and faith that work together in the lives of those with whom he is working with in this age, please read this article from Mike Vinson that demonstrates what the difference is between ‘what grace is’ verses ‘what grace does’; and demonstrates how critical it is that we understand that point as sons being received today of our Lord through that grace which chastens us (Heb 12:6).

Here are two excerpts from this article:

The Difference Between What Grace Is and What Grace Does

Excerpt 1:

Yes, the word ‘grace’ is the same in all of the scriptures you reference. ‘Grace’ is God’s loving favor toward’s those He loves. That is what grace does; it teaches and disciplines through chastening. “Grace…chastens us to forsake ungodliness and to live godly lives in this present age”:

Here are the scriptures which say this:…


Excerpt 2:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth [Greek: paideuo – chastens, teaches], and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 

Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 

Tit 2:12  Teaching [Greek: paideuo – chastens, teaches] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Does the word ‘grace’ mean chasten? No, it does not. The Greek word for ‘grace’ is ‘charis‘. Here is Strong’s definition of this Greek word:

charis – khar’-ece

From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): – acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy)….

I pray we can see in this Psalm tonight that God intends to bring much judgment upon His people, “like a mighty stream”, as it says in Amos 5:24, and that this much judgment and tribulation is tempered with His mercy and love and favor from start to finish (Eph 5:25). That favor^G5463 is not to be turned into a liberty to serve our flesh, turning God’s favor into an occasion to have a lascivious spirit that God will allow to come into our midst from time to time, to try and test the body of Christ. If He is working with us in this age, His favor will be shown through the chastening grace that will abound in our lives until we learn the lessons that we need to learn, which is to wash the inside of the cup, day by day and to avoid the little leaven that can leaven the whole lump. We examine ourselves first and foremost, and then we can stand guard together as watchmen against any and all leaven that is always at the door and needs to be ruled over.

Amo 5:24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

That judgment which causes us to cease from sinning is the judgment which we must not despise and must expect to receive as sons and daughters. We are blessed to learn of His mercy through that judgment that rules over those chastening moments in each of our lives, through which we must endure, by his power and might working within us, that is how we keep sin at the door so to speak, and we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices because God has devised a means for us, through the blood of Christ, to overcome the devil at the door of our hearts.

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
1Pe 4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

Pro 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Pro 3:12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Zec 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

2Co 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

2Sa 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

It is the LORD who executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed, and all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), so the oppressed represents all the sins of the world that are within me that oppress me. If Christ is not ruling over those nations within me, then the sin which is at the door can take root in the lives of His children except “The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment“.

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Man can be very precise in the execution of things in the law, and all of that precision is a shadow of the greater and more exact precision of God’s dealings with His children as we are dragged unto Christ, who is the end of the law. He brings us to see our need to repent and change our ways which are exposed and made bright by the law for the lawless, and when we are dragged to Christ by our Father, we begin to see the true bread of life in Christ who brings us to the point where we “Murmur not among yourselves” (Rom 5:20).

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Joh 6:41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
Joh 6:42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
Joh 6:43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Psa 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

God made known in type and shadow through Moses and the children of Israel how intent He was on exacting righteousness and judgment for the nation of Israel who were oppressed by the Egyptians. That deliverance typifies our own deliverance today as sons and daughters of God who are being saved by His mighty hand.

Psa 136:12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:

These many verses in the old covenant (listed below) speak of the mighty hand of God that typify our own coming out of Egypt by His spirit. Those many types and shadows were written down for our sakes to keep us somber and taking heed the rest of our lives, so that when we get to that point by the grace and faith of God that we are standing in the Lord, we don’t take that standing for granted and end up finishing what began in the spirit with the flesh (Eph 6:13, Gal 3:3). That is the state in which we are blessed to endure as God’s children in this age (Mat 24:13), the blue working against the scarlet flesh bruising us with purple heels that are being burnished to the glory and honour of our great God (Gal 5:17, Rev 1:15).

1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

(And here are the verses mentioned above that speak of the mighty hand of God that typify our own coming out of Egypt by his spirit:)
Exo_3:8 Exo_3:10 Exo_7:4 Exo_7:5 Exo_12:17 Exo_12:51 Exo_13:9 Exo_13:14 Exo_13:16 Exo_16:32 Exo_18:1 Exo_20:2 Exo_29:46 Exo_32:7 Exo_32:11 Lev_11:45 Lev_19:36 Lev_22:33 Lev_23:43 Lev_25:38 Lev_25:42
Lev_25:55 Lev_26:13 Lev_26:45 Num_14:13 Num_15:41 Num_20:16 Num_23:22 Num_24:8 Deu_4:20 Deu_4:37 Deu_5:6 Deu_5:15 Deu_6:12 Deu_6:21 Deu_7:8 Deu_7:19 Deu_8:14 Deu_9:26 Deu_13:5 Deu_13:10 Deu_16:1 Deu_20:1 Deu_26:8 Deu_29:25 Jos_24:5 Jos_24:17 Jdg_2:1 Jdg_2:12 Jdg_6:8 1Sa_8:8 1Sa_10:18
1Sa_12:6 1Sa_12:8 2Sa_7:6 1Ki_8:16 1Ki_8:21 1Ki_8:51 1Ki_8:53 1Ki_9:9 2Ki_17:7 2Ki_17:36 Psa_81:10 Psa_105:37 Psa_136:11 Jer_2:6 Jer_7:22 Jer_11:4 Jer_11:7 Jer_31:32 Jer_32:21 Jer_34:13 Dan_9:15
Amo_2:10 Amo_3:1 Amo_9:7 Mic_6:4 Gen_46:4 Exo_6:6 Exo_6:7 Exo_32:12 Hos_11:1 Mat_2:15 Deu_1:27
Jer_16:14 Jer_16:15 Jer_23:7-8

Psa 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

I am so grateful that we serve a LORD who is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy“, but we know that does not mean that He won’t execute righteousness and judgment speedily in the life of His people as stated in verse six of our study.

Ecc 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

God will be merciful and gracious in the midst of the fiery trials and judgment which He executes, is what we are being told, and that mercy will rule over the much needed judgment upon our first man Adam who is being delivered and saved through that process of judgment.

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Psa 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

Verse nine is saying the same thing as verse eight, “He will not always chide^H7378” reminds us that there is a culmination in all that God does with the sons of men, and He will exact what He wants from the clay which He is fashioning into the likeness of His son (Jer 18:4). He will not always chide with us^H7378 “properly to toss, that is, grapple; mostly figuratively to wrangle, that is, hold a controversy” and that brings us to this symbolic verse in the old covenant which is also saying the same thing. While it is today, we are to fight a good fight of faith (1Ti 6:12) and know that God loves us, but He does not love our old man, and He is constantly against that part of us that must be brought into subjection to our hope of glory within Jesus Christ (Col 1:27) if we are going to go unto perfection on the third day.

Gen 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Psa 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

H7378
רוּב ריבo
rı̂yb rûb
reeb, roob
A primitive root; properly to toss, that is, grapple; mostly figuratively to wrangle, that is, hold a controversy; (by implication) to defend: – adversary, chide, complain, contend, debate, X ever, X lay wait, plead, rebuke, strive, X thoroughly.

Psa 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” does not mean that God is not dealing with the marred vessel in His hand and making it anew as we’re told in Jeremiah that he is doing (Jer 18:4). What we are being told once again is that in the process of that judgment and dealing with our sins and iniquities, God is gracious and righteous and merciful to apply equal measures and weights to every circumstance in our lives, as He drags us unto the Lord leading us unto repentance.

Psa 116:5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Psa 116:6 The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Lev 19:36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Verse 11 reveals the heart of those who are being worked with as they are dragged to Christ. Our liberty is found through the cleansing experience that would never begin to happen if we were not given contrite and broken hearts which are not hardened against the Lord but “that fear him”. That fear is a holy fear which moves us in the right direction of liberty, not a negative cowardly fear which drives us back into the world as typified by Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:9-10. At this stage in Adam’s life, not having God’s holy spirit within him, he does not know how to deal with the nakedness of his flesh which was purposed for all in Adam to have to wrestle with, each man in his appointed time.

Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Ecc 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
Ecc 7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Ecc 7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

It is that high-above-the-earth relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ which is leading us to eternal life through His words of eternal life which are sanctifying us, and this is why we “Bless The Lord” because of this incredible honour to have our names written in heaven far above the earth where we are raised in heavenly places where God is working out all the details in our life which will lead us unto perfection on the third day. In that we should rejoice, and again I say rejoice.

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Next week, God willing, we will look at Part 3 of our study entitled “Bless The Lord” covering verses 12 to 18 where we will look again at the incredible mercy of God upon His people whom He is sanctifying in this age with His word, removing our transgressions from us, and showing great pity toward His people whom He has given hearts that are being prepared to drink the cup of His judgment in this age as His kind of first fruits (Mat 20:22).

Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Psa 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Psa 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Psa 103:15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
Psa 103:16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Psa 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
Psa 103:18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.