Bible Society of South Africa
Ds Hein Barnard

Forgiveness – Day 9

This is a hymn of praise reflecting on the way God dealt with His people from creation to exile.

Bible text(s)

Psalms 103

The Love of God

1Praise the LORD, my soul!

All my being, praise his holy name!

2Praise the LORD, my soul,

and do not forget how kind he is.

3He forgives all my sins

and heals all my diseases.

4He keeps me from the grave

and blesses me with love and mercy.

5He fills my life with good things,

so that I stay young and strong like an eagle.

6The LORD judges in favour of the oppressed

and gives them their rights.

7He revealed his plans to Moses

and let the people of Israel see his mighty deeds.

8The LORD is merciful and loving,

slow to become angry and full of constant love.

9He does not keep on rebuking;

he is not angry for ever.

10He does not punish us as we deserve

or repay us according to our sins and wrongs.

11As high as the sky is above the earth,

so great is his love for those who honour him.

12As far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our sins from us.

13As a father is kind to his children,

so the LORD is kind to those who honour him.

14He knows what we are made of;

he remembers that we are dust.

15As for us, our life is like grass.

We grow and flourish like a wild flower;

16then the wind blows on it, and it is gone —

no one sees it again.

17But for those who honour the LORD, his love lasts for ever,

and his goodness endures for all generations

18of those who are true to his covenant

and who faithfully obey his commands.

19The LORD placed his throne in heaven;

he is king over all.

20Praise the LORD, you strong and mighty angels,

who obey his commands,

who listen to what he says.

21Praise the LORD, all you heavenly powers,

you servants of his, who do his will!

22Praise the LORD, all his creatures

in all the places he rules.

Praise the LORD, my soul!

Psalms 103GNBOpen in Bible reader

Forgiveness in the Psalms – 2

The Psalm starts with David exhorting his soul to praise God.  One of the reasons to praise God is forgiveness parallel to healing from diseases.  It is, in this instance, a metaphor for the restoration of the moral and spiritual life.  This leads to renewal and restoration.

Verse 12 is also a metaphor.  The distance between North and South can be measured from the different poles, but the distance between East and West – immeasurable.  Verse 13 reminds the reader of God’s compassion to those showing respect to Him.

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