The Pilgrim Psalm

Thanksgiving Eve Service

Psalm 107

Psalm 107 is, above all, a hymn commemorating the power of God. Despite the transgressions of the Israelites, the Lord forgives them. The psalm elaborates on this theme, going on to say that the Lord “turns a desert into pools of water… and there he lets the hungry dwell” (vv. 35-36). This description of miracles as performed by the Lord reinforces the imagery of “wonderful works” mentioned earlier in the psalm (v. 8).

Psalm 107 can be divided into THREE ASPECTS of God’s Lovingkindness:

1. THE PRAISE OF GOD’S LOVINGKINDNESS (vv. 1-3)

2. THE PICTURES OF GOD’S LOVINGKINDNESS (vv. 4-32)
•Problem
•Prayer
•Provision
•Praise

3. THE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVINGKINDNESS (vv. 33-43)

Although the ‘works of the Lord’ are mentioned in many psalms, Psalm 107 is unique because it depicts the works of the Lord as explication for the people. The psalm is a hymn of thanksgiving to the Lord “for the purpose of making His works known to humankind, so that they too can join in praise to Him. Furthermore, David acknowledges through this hymn that it is the Lord Who sovereignly enables the Israelites to give thanks to Him.

Thanks be to God for blessing us with such an indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)!