The Righteous Remember – Psalm 106:28-48

When society has given the remnant every reason to despair, having defiled themselves in the rituals of covenant suicide, the psalmist reminds us that the Lord, the God of Israel, is from everlasting to everlasting. He can raise the dead in sin even from the “graves of craving” (the cemetery in the wilderness named for the cause of death). In the second half of the song, our author recalls three additional incidents in the history of Israel that are central to the understanding and value of the steadfast love of the ultimate covenant keeper, Yahweh, Himself. This record emphasizes that the love of God is not promiscuous. He does not forgive sin without atonement. He does not love at the cost of justice. He does not wink at sin. A number of incidents of apostasy in Israel yielded the judgements levied in the Land of Ham (Egypt). Plagues broke out time and again in the camp illustrating the consequences of forgetting the works of the Lord and worshipping idols. Plagues accompanied the golden calf worship, quail gluttony, rebellion of Korah, Baal of Peor worship, and bad reports from Canaan, just to name five. As book 4 of the Psalter closes, this historical psalm concludes like most of the final hymns calling the people to worship the one true God and bidding them to affirm the absolute certainty of His Word and character by echoing 'amens' directed toward the Lord who is mighty in deed and steadfast in love... May we do the same. (Continuing our heading from last week)