REMEMBER HIS WORKS
A Sermon from Psalm 106
Main Text: Psalm 106:1
“Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 106 is a remarkable picture of the faithfulness of God and the failure of man. It takes us through Israel’s history and reminds us how often God’s people forgot Him, rebelled against Him, and wandered from His Word.
Yet there is another message running through the Psalm: God remained merciful.
Again and again Israel failed, and again and again God showed mercy when they cried unto Him.
The message of Psalm 106 can be summed up like this:
God is good. Man forgets. Sin brings consequences. God hears the cry of repentance. His mercy endureth for ever.
1. NEVER FORGET THAT GOD IS GOOD
The Psalm begins:
“Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
— Psalm 106:1
Before the Psalmist tells us about Israel’s rebellion, he tells us about God’s goodness.
God had not failed Israel.
God had delivered them from Egypt. He had opened the Red Sea. He had provided for them in the wilderness. He had protected them from their enemies.
The problem was not God’s faithfulness.
The problem was Israel’s forgetfulness.
We must be careful that the same thing does not happen to us.
When prayers are answered, remember God.
When the battle has passed, remember God.
When your cupboard is full, remember God.
When your health is good, remember God.
When your family is prospering, remember God.
When the church is being blessed, remember God.
Don’t only call upon God in the storm and forget Him when the sun begins to shine.
2. THEY FORGOT HIS WORKS
Psalm 106:13 says:
“They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel.”
What a sad statement:
“They soon forgat.”
They had seen the Red Sea divided.
They had walked through on dry ground.
They had witnessed Pharaoh’s army defeated.
Yet they soon forgot.
We might wonder how people who had witnessed such miracles could forget God so quickly.
But are we really so different?
How many times has God answered our prayers?
How many doors has He opened?
How many dangers has He kept us from?
How many times has He supplied our needs?
Yet when another problem comes, we sometimes behave as though God has never helped us before.
David remembered the lion and the bear when he faced Goliath.
When today’s giant stands before you, remember yesterday’s victories.
The God who brought you through yesterday is still God today.
3. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DESIRE
Psalm 106:15 contains one of the most solemn statements in Scripture:
“And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”
Israel wanted what they wanted rather than what God wanted for them.
Eventually God gave them their request—but spiritually they became poor.
There is something worse than having an empty bank account.
There is something worse than having an empty cupboard.
It is having an empty soul.
You can have money and have leanness in your soul.
You can have possessions and have leanness in your soul.
You can have entertainment and have leanness in your soul.
A church can have beautiful buildings, excellent programmes and large crowds and still have leanness in its soul.
We need more than activity.
We need the presence of God.
Our prayer should not merely be, “Lord, give me what I want.”
It should be:
“Lord, give me what Thou knowest I need, and keep my soul close to Thee.”
4. THEY EXCHANGED GOD’S GLORY FOR AN IDOL
Psalm 106:19–21 says:
“They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. They forgat God their saviour…”
Imagine it.
The God who divided the Red Sea was exchanged for a golden calf!
But before we condemn Israel, we should examine our own hearts.
An idol does not have to be made of gold.
Anything that takes God’s rightful place can become an idol.
Money can become an idol.
Career can become an idol.
Sport can become an idol.
Entertainment can become an idol.
Even religious position can become an idol.
The great tragedy is found in these words:
“They forgat God their saviour.”
Church, never forget your Saviour!
Never become so busy doing the work of God that you forget the God of the work.
5. MOSES STOOD IN THE BREACH
Then we come to Psalm 106:23:
“Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach…”
What a picture!
The nation had rebelled, but one man stood before God and interceded for the people.
Moses stood in the gap.
Where are the men and women today who will stand in the gap?
Where are the mothers praying for their children?
Where are the fathers praying for their homes?
Where are the pastors weeping for their congregations?
Where are the believers crying unto God for their communities?
Where are those praying for revival?
Our churches do not merely need more programmes.
We need more prayer.
We need people who will stand in the breach and cry:
“O Lord, revive Thy work!”
Moses also reminds us of the greater Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ stood between sinful humanity and the judgment of God.
At Calvary He bore our sins.
The Bible says:
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Timothy 2:5
Thank God for our great Mediator!
6. COMPROMISE HAS CONSEQUENCES
Psalm 106:35 says:
“But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.”
Notice the progression.
First they mingled.
Then they learned.
Then, according to verse 36:
“And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.”
That is how compromise often works.
Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to abandon God completely.
Usually it begins with small compromises.
A little less prayer.
A little less Bible reading.
A little less concern about holiness.
A little more acceptance of what the world says is normal.
And eventually something that once troubled the conscience no longer troubles it.
The Church is called to go into the world with the Gospel, but it is not called to allow the world into the Church.
Jesus said:
“Ye are the light of the world.”
— Matthew 5:14
Light does not become darkness in order to reach darkness.
It shines.
7. MANY TIMES DID HE DELIVER THEM
Then comes one of the most encouraging statements in the whole Psalm.
Psalm 106:43 says:
“Many times did he deliver them…”
Not once.
Not twice.
Many times.
Israel repeatedly failed God, but God repeatedly showed mercy.
Someone may say:
“I have failed too many times.”
“I have wandered too far.”
“I have wasted too many years.”
Listen to Psalm 106:
“Many times did he deliver them.”
The devil wants you to believe there is no road home.
But the Gospel says there is a road home, and that road leads through Jesus Christ and Calvary.
The blood of Jesus Christ is still able to cleanse from sin.
The prodigal can still come home.
The backslider can still return.
The sinner can still be saved.
And the cold Christian can still be revived.
8. LORD, SAVE US AND REVIVE US
Psalm 106:47 says:
“Save us, O LORD our God…”
After remembering Israel’s history, the Psalmist does not finish by pointing his finger at previous generations.
He prays for his own generation.
That is what we need today.
It is easy to talk about what is wrong with society.
It is easy to talk about what is wrong with churches.
It is easy to talk about what previous generations did.
But revival begins when we say:
“Lord, begin with me.”
Search my heart.
Cleanse my life.
Restore my first love.
Give me a hunger for Thy Word.
Give me a burden for souls.
Give me a spirit of prayer.
Help me to stand in the breach.
CONCLUSION — REMEMBER HIS WORKS
Psalm 106 begins with praise and finishes with praise:
“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.”
— Psalm 106:48
Israel failed.
But God remained faithful.
Israel forgot.
But God remembered His covenant.
Israel wandered.
But God heard their cry.
Israel sinned.
But God showed mercy.
And that same merciful God calls us today.
If you have wandered—come home.
If your heart has grown cold—seek revival.
If you have forgotten His goodness—remember His works.
If you are carrying a burden for someone else—stand in the breach and pray.
And if you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, come to Him while He is calling.
For the message of Psalm 106 still rings true:
God is good.His mercy endureth for ever.Remember His works.Trust His mercy.Obey His Word.Praise His holy name.
Closing Prayer
O Lord our God, forgive us for the times we have forgotten Thy goodness. Forgive us for our rebellion, compromise and unbelief. Help us to remember Thy wonderful works and to stand faithfully upon Thy Word. Put within Thy people a new hunger for holiness and prayer. Raise up men and women who will stand in the breach for their families, their churches and their nation. Send revival, O Lord, and let it begin in our own hearts. May Jesus Christ be lifted up, sinners saved, backsliders restored and Thy Church awakened. In the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
GOD IS A GOOD GOD
GOD KNOWS, GOD LOVES, GOD CARES
Written for Georges Web Ministries.com
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Georges Bible Ministries
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13th August 2016