Sermon Summary
Psalm 106 is a powerful reminder of humanity's tendency to forget and fail, contrasted with God's unwavering faithfulness and steadfast love. The psalm calls us to praise the Lord not only for His creation and acts of salvation, as seen in previous psalms, but also in the midst of our failures and sins. By recounting Israel's history of rebellion, the psalmist highlights the seriousness of sin and the consequences of idolatry. Yet, in the darkest moments of Israel's history, God's grace shines through, demonstrating His covenantal faithfulness and His intervention to save. Ultimately, Psalm 106 leads us to praise God, recognizing that even when we forget and fail, He remembers His promises and delivers us. Through Jesus Christ, who fulfilled God's promises, we are called to praise the Lord for His saving grace and steadfast love, resonating with the psalmist's call to remember and give thanks.
Sermon Outline
Praise the Lord who Remembers (v. 1-5)
Lord when We Remember (v. 6-43)
Praise the Lord for He has remembered! (v. 4-5; 44-48)
Sermon Text: Psalm 106:1-48 Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord,
or declare all his praise?
3 Blessed are they who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times!
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you save them,
5 that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that I may glory with your inheritance.
6 Both we and our fathers have sinned;
we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wondrous works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake,
that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,
and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe
and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,
and put God to the test in the desert;
15 he gave them what they asked,
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 When men in the camp were jealous of Moses
and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord,
17 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and covered the company of Abiram.
18 Fire also broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb
and worshiped a metal image.
20 They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
25 They murmured in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the Lord.
26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
scattering them among the lands.
28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29 they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
31 And that was counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33 for they made his spirit bitter,
and he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples,
as the Lord commanded them,
35 but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
36 They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
38 they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they became unclean by their acts,
and played the whore in their deeds.
40 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
41 he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied
by all those who held them captive.
47 Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, Amen!
Praise the Lord!
Discussion Questions:
Have you ever experienced a memory that caused you deep regret or shame? How does reflecting on such memories help you understand the importance of God's steadfast love?
In what ways does Psalm 106 emphasize God's faithfulness to His covenant with Israel? How does this contrast with Israel’s repeated failures?
Why does the Psalmist include a detailed confession of Israel’s past sins in a song of praise? How can remembering past failures be a form of worship today?
How does Psalm 106 illustrate the destructive nature of idolatry? Can you identify any “modern idols” in your own life that could lead to similar patterns of rebellion?
Psalm 106 resonates with Romans 1 in its portrayal of idolatry and sin. How does Paul’s teaching in Romans deepen our understanding of the Psalmist’s message?
How does the concept of God allowing people to persist in their sin as a form of judgment challenge or change your view of sin and its consequences?
How does Jesus’ role as the ultimate mediator between God and humanity fulfill the hope expressed in Psalm 106? What implications does this have for your daily walk with God?
How can the spiritual “cringe” you feel about your past sins lead to genuine repentance and a deeper trust in Jesus?
What are practical ways you can praise God for His faithfulness, even when you remember your own failures?
How can the church as a community help each other remember God’s faithfulness while addressing collective and individual failures?
A Song About Humanity’s Failures