OUR FORGETFULNESS AND GOD’S FAITHFULNESS (Psalm 106)

Like so many of the other psalms, Psalm 106 begins and ends with a hallelujah. The first and last phrases are identical: “Praise ye the Lord.”

That is fitting because we have come to the end of what is referred to as the Numbers Psalms. Each of the five sections of this book ends with a great benediction. This one ends in verse 48 like this:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.”

Psalm 106 is also a psalm of history. The previous psalm, you may recall, was intensely historical and all about God. This time history is centered more on man’s failure. It shows the other side of the coin if you will. History does not just show how great God is; it also reveals how bad man is.

In revealing the faithfulness of God, in so many ways it reminds us of our unfaithfulness. But these are lessons we must not miss or forget.

Throughout the Numbers Psalms, we have been learning something about obeying God in every step of life. Psalm 106 teaches us, from the negative side, the consequences of not obeying God.

Verse 3: “Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.” The blessing comes to those who obey.

Verses 6-7: “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.”

Recently we talked about the importance of remembering God. Here, in verse 7 we see the first great sin, which was that they “understood not … [because] they remembered not.” You lose spiritual discernment when you lose spiritual memory. When you stop remembering how wonderful God has been, it is going to lead to so many other sins because you are viewing things from a skewed perspective.

Verse 13: “They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel.” Forgetfulness leads to such discontentment. How quickly we forget.

Verse 21: “They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt.” Here we go again. How could they forget what God did in Egypt? It seems easy for us to say that, yet we forget all of the great things He has done in our lives.

But then we see this in verse 45: “And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.”

I stand in awe that, as many times as I have forgotten the Lord, He has never forgotten me. As many days as I have failed the Lord and been unfaithful to Him, He has never done that to me. What a mighty God we serve.

No wonder Psalm 106 has been, through the centuries, an anchor for people during difficult seasons. I have been told that John Philpot, the martyr, quoted Psalms 106, 107, and 108 while the fire was being kindled around his body. He recited them from memory while being burned at the stake.

Without getting too far ahead, I will say that Psalm 107 begins with praise to the Lord just as Psalm 106 did. It is my story; it is the story of us all. God has remembered us. He has been good to us.

As we come to the close of our study of the Numbers Psalms, let us all remember that God has been very faithful to us and He wants us to be faithful to Him. Let us remember that the blessing is always connected to obedience.

As I read through Psalm 106 again and saw the majority of people forgetting God, there were a few people who stood out. God always has a remnant, doesn’t He?

Verse 23: “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.”

Verses 29-30: “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.”

This was so convicting to me. Amid so much rebellion, there was a remnant. Among so many people forgetting, there were a few who remembered. Moses remembered and he prayed. Phinehas remembered and he interceded.

We need some remnant Christians right now who will simply remember God and His goodness, and who will recognize the great need in their land.

Your nation may not be Israel, yet it has the same problem, which is forgetfulness. We have the same great need, which is revival. And we have the same great God, merciful and gracious. Praise His holy name.

We need some intercessors, some go-betweens who will stand in the gap like Moses or Phinehas. In some ways, Psalm 106 is a national confession.

When you are confessing sin, you always start with your own. Acknowledge to God how you have been so forgetful and failed Him in so many ways. Then begin to be an intercessor, one of those remnant Christians who asks for mercy and forgiveness for our land. If we had some remnant people like that, I believe we would begin to see the mercy of God on our nation.

Psalm 106 — this great hallelujah psalm and historical psalm, the closing passage to the Numbers Psalms — brings us back to our great need of God in every nation and every generation.

“Father, I confess to you today that I need you. We need you. Lord, forgive our sins. We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity and done wickedly. Lord, thank you for remembering us. Thank you for the multitude of your mercies. Have mercy on our land, on your people, on lost souls. Faithful God, thank you for never forgetting us. We give you praise and glory. Help us be faithful to you today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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- Scott Pauley and the Enjoying the Journey Team