5 benefits from fearing and obeying God (Psalm 103:1-5)
For those who fear God and remember His commandments, we are told they will receive great benefits from him. Psalm 103 lists out some of those benefits.
King David wrote these words in Psalm 103 verses 1 to 5.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
From these verses King David listed out the benefits of fearing and obeying the great God and creator of the Universe:
- Forgiveness of sin
- The healing of disease
- Redemption from destruction
- Crowning with love and tender mercies
- Giving the satisfaction of “good things” – especially the renewal of youth
In addition to these main benefits there are some others mentioned later in Psalm 103 which you view at the end of this article in Appendix #1.
Forgetfulness
King David writes in verse two to not forget all his benefits. Human Beings are forgetful creatures. We struggle sometimes to remember what we were doing only a few weeks prior! The same goes for the blessings from God. When God showers down blessings, people accept them as if they had a right to them, and then go on living as if nothing important had happened. God can be forgotten in the very use and enjoyment of His gifts. Are we inclined to forget the benefits because we are so accustomed to receiving “every good gift and every perfect gift” which “is from above …” (James 1:17)? Being absorbed with the bounty makes us forgetful of the giver. We can be so involved in the pasture that the shepherd is forgotten.
However, if the believer started every day by meditating on the benefits that God gives us he (she) would be more spiritually content and happier disciples. The apostle Paul knew this when he wrote:
But godliness with contentment is great gain, 1 Tim. 6:6
He was telling us that spiritual blessings make us rich in the quality of our lives.
Let’s consider each of the benefits of fearing God and obeying His commandments.
Forgiveness of sin
Psalm 103:3 “who forgives all your iniquity…”
God’s mercy
The key to forgiveness of sin is that God is merciful. What is the basis of His mercy? If God is going to wait until His servants live perfect lives before He grants them pardon and salvation, He will wait for ever and no one will ever be saved. It is evident that this cannot be the principle upon which His mercy operates. It must be something else. As always, the answer to what is the basis of His mercy can be found in the scriptures.
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty,…. Exodus 34:6-7
This is a clear and unambiguous statement of God’s merciful, compassionate and forgiving nature. It was meant to be reassuring to the Israelites at the time it was spoken by Moses but is also intended to reassure us living in the 21st century. The words tell us that God has lovingkindness, compassion and tenderness, and therefore is one who is easily moved to help another. The compassionate character of God is among his most important attributes which believers can rely on, though they should not presume upon it. Love is a quality of His very nature. It can be seen in His work.
There are many examples of His mercy in action throughout the scriptures. In the days of the Judges it is recorded:
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Judges 3:7
God’s “anger was kindled” and He delivered them into the hands of a foreign oppressor for eight years. But “when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them …” Similar cases of disobedience and then repentance followed by deliverance, occur in the subsequent years of the Judges’ rule. What is evident from this is that once they repent God does not wait years to forgive them.
As soon as Israel repented, the action of God’s mercy was immediate; He did not wait until it was justified by works, which would have taken some considerable time. There is another point of great importance here however: the repentance must have been heart-felt and sincere. It is unlikely that God would have acted so favourably towards Israel if they had been deceiving hypocrites. He knew what was in their minds and hearts. There was genuine repentance.
Genuine repentance
What exactly is genuine repentance? There is the case of King David, after his sin with Bath-Sheba and in the death of her husband, Uriah (see 2 Samuel Ch.11-12). When the sin is brought out into the open by Nathan, David’s immediate response was, “I have sinned against the Lord”—notice “against the Lord”, not just against Bath-Sheba and Uriah. This indicated the genuineness of David’s repentance. And Nathan’s response is:
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 2 Samuel 12:13
God was prepared to put David’s sin behind Him, to remember it no more. Once more the mercy of God came into immediate operation. The sin was forgiven and the repentant servant was restored to right relationship with his God.
There is a general principle behind the way God handles his servant’s failures. This principle is explained very simply in David’s own words as he reflected upon his experience:
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Psalm 32:1-2
So it is possible, then, for a mortal man to be in that blessed state with God where his sins are forgiven. David then explains how it cannot, and how it can, be done:
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Psalm 32:3-4
In other words David is saying, when I kept silent about my sin, when I refused to confess it, I suffered. But when David makes the decision to do the right thing and acknowledge his sin:
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:5
The basis of forgiveness
So there we have it: God will forgive our sins when they are freely and unreservedly confessed to Him, in a genuine spirit of humility and repentance, and with a real desire to forsake them. He does not insist on our waiting some time to prove that our desire is genuine; He knows our hearts and restores us to fellowship with Himself.
This brings us back to the central passage we care considering in this article – Psalm 103. In that Psalm David writes:
Bless the Lord, O my soul … who forgives all your iniquity … The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.… He does not deal with us according to our sins, Psalm 103:1, 3, 8, 10).
The healing of disease
Psalm 103:3 “…who heals all your diseases”
This is the second benefit given by God.
Sin and sickness
When Israel was first called out of Egypt they were introduced to the title of God “I am the Lord, your healer”. This is what is recorded in Exodus Ch.15 verse 26:
saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”
In these words it can be seen that sin and sickness were inseparably linked. If the Israelites were obedient God would protect them from the disease which afflicted the Egyptians. If not, they would suffer.
The most dreaded disease of Egypt was leprosy: and every case of this disease recorded in the Scriptures was to either punish or teach a lesson. When Miriam rebelled against her brother, she was afflicted with leprosy (Numbers 12:10), when Uzziah unlawfully forced his way into the temple, he was smitten with leprosy (2 Chr. 26:21). Therefore, if an Israelite became a leper, he needed to consider the cause, and seek a cure from God. When a suspected case of leprosy was discovered, the person was to call for the priest, rather than the physician, to determine as to whether, in fact, it was a case of leprosy, and what should be done in the circumstances.
God’s title: the Healer.
As it says in verse 26, “I am the Lord, your healer”. This shows another aspect of the benefits that God offers to us. The Hebrews words behind this are “Yahweh Ropheka” or “Yahweh the Physician” or “God the Physician”. The Hebrew verb “rapha” means “to heal thoroughly, to repair, to stitch together, to mend by stitching”. It is similar in meaning to the word “religion” which also means “a binding together”. Therefore this title of God announced to the Israelites identified him as the “Restorer of the soul”. Consider the words of Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
As we saw in the main verses we are considering from Psalm 103, forgiveness of sins is associated with the healing of disease.
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases Psalm 103:3
The linkage between sin and disease can be tied back to the time of Adam and Eve. Mortality with all its associated problems came about because of Adam’s sin in Eden. Therefore, there is a deeper spiritual meaning behind this healing of God. Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 10 associates forgiving the peoples sins with healing them.
Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
The process of such healing is through God’s word.
He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Psalm 107:20.
The healing is also done through the Lord Jesus Christ:
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
The title of God “The Healer”, therefore tells us that He is not only capable of inflicting sickness, but can cure men of the dread disease of mortality, and grant them the heavenly health of eternal life. King David knew this when he wrote the words in Psalm 103 and verse 3.
Redemption from destruction
Psalm 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit,…
The verse tells us of another benefit given by God.
The verse gives the good news of deliverance from the pit that sin digs for us. It is not only referring to our ultimate end in the grave, but the misery and depths of despair that often accompany our failings. As we saw in the second benefit from God, release from the pit is granted to us when we confess our sin and it is forgiven. However, it will only be through Christ at his return where we will triumph over the grave and receive immortality (i.e. never die).
Frequently in Psalms and the prophets the pit is paralleled with, or used as, a figure for the grave and destruction. But the idea reaches the height of beauty in the words of Zechariah:
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Zechariah 9:11
Zechariah is talking of those who were placed in the grave (the pit) but have been resurrected (“out of the pit”) from the power of the grave to receive eternal life. This will happen in the future. This is what King David is thinking about in his words in Psalm 103 and verse 4. He is fully aware that God will deliver believers from the state of corruption which is found in the grave.
The leaders of the first century were supposed to be shepherds of the flock of God’s pasture. However, they did little to lift men and women out of the pit where inherited nature and human waywardness had combined to throw them; that was left for One who took the dead by the hand and raised them to life; who moved the burden from those who suffered; who, by bearing men’s stripes, opened the way of salvation; who with the word of divine forgiveness brought the bruised and stricken out of the pit of sin. This One was the Lord Jesus Christ.
Crowning with love and tender mercies
Psalm 103:4 …who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
A crown is the symbol of kingship. It is a gift to those who love and obey God.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
If we overcome temptations in life and remain obedient to God then we have remained steadfast under trial.
Wisdom is spoken of as though it was a human being in Proverbs chapter 4 (referred to as “her”and “she”). We are encouraged to bring Godly wisdom and understanding into our lives. It is one of the first things we should do, as with it, we have the knowledge to understand the full depth of God’s love.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” Proverbs 4:7-9
In these verses it is pointed out some of the benefits in pursuing wisdom. There will be a Coronation where wisdom will offer the crown. The person who pursued wisdom will receive the great honour of being crowned. The knowledge of God and wisdom are the true grounds for this honour. The garland is in recognition of victory. It is a victory over sin which is the hardest race in the world. The crown is a possession of wealth and honour. It represents tried faith, righteousness, eternal life and a glory that will last forever. It is a truly a great honour for those who receive it in the future at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As stated in Psalm 103 and verse 4, God makes it possible for us to achieve this crown through his steadfast love and mercy. God has unlimited and unchanging love for his people. He also remains faithful over a long time period. An example of his love can be seen throughout history where He has continued to work with Israel. He has always tried to guide them in the correct ways. His love can be seen in his faithfulness. About 4,000 years ago God made some promises to Abraham. Yet even today we can still become heirs of these promises. This is an example of true faithfulness.
In relation to the mercy of God: God’s mercy can be seen in his willingness to forgive our sins. We read about that in benefit #1 above “Forgiveness of sin”.
Giving the satisfaction of “good things” – especially the renewal of youth
Psalm103:5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
A strength in the future
Another benefit from God is that those who come to Him will have their strength regularly renewed. Consider these words in Isaiah chapter 5 and verses 28 to 31:
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Verse 28 says that the Creator of the ends of the earth “does not faint or grow weary”. This quality of God is available for man as it says in the next few verses (verses 29-31).
This is something going beyond natural physical strength which is seen in at its utmost in young men. Verses 30 and 31 give a contrast between the energy of young men and the unfailing strength of immortality. First there is the statement: “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but” and this statement is followed by the contrast, “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength” and having done so they will know the fullness of God’s power and energy: “they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Those who come to God will indeed in the future have been made like God for “He does not faint or grow weary.” The repetition of these words is a challenge and a promise: a challenge contrasting divine strength and human weakness, and a promise that for some that weakness will pass for ever by the bestowal of divine life with its unfailing powers.
This is the same point being made by David in the main verse we are considering. In Psalm 103 verse 5 it tells us your youth will be renewed like eagles. We saw in the third benefit – those who fear God will be delivered from the grave, that is, receive immortality. This will bring benefits of not growing weary.
A strength available now
But there is an strength available even now. Paul acknowledged that when his sin was forgiven, for it was a renewed source of strength:
But he [Jesus] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The apostle acknowledged that he was a sinner but this did not leave him as a self-pitying man in despair. The reason was that he had confidence in the Lord Jesus victory and this gave Paul the daily renewal of strength to soar (like an eagle) above the depressions and pits along the road of being a disciple. He received strength, like David did, through the power of God for salvation:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
The eagle
David makes reference to the eagle in verse 5 of Psalm 103. When we think about the eagle and its characteristics, it directs us to God, who in a higher sense has these same characteristics where His people are concerned. Job spoke of the swiftness of the eagle; Isaiah speaks of God “riding on a swift cloud”. He is everywhere and yet near. The eagle builds and watches from a great height. God is the “High and lofty One”, watching from heaven, always there and ready to act quickly. We think, too, of the eagle’s powerful sight, and of the omniscience of God: “your eye sees me.” And then there are the eagle’s powers of flight, and the very careful teaching of the young birds. God is all-seeing, powerful, quick; every move is noted by Him.
Using the same figure of the eagle: under God’s training we have been able to take off and fly. As the young eaglet becomes identified with its parent, so do we, as we try to become more like our Heavenly Father in our daily lives. We become more closely identified with the Father. We become fellow-workers with Him, with the great promise of renewal of strength both in the future and now. When we consider God and take on his character we find that the inner man (or woman) is renewed daily.
Conclusion
These first five verses of Psalm 103 tell of the benefits (blessings) that come from God. The blessings of God of not only forgiving sin and healing disease, but for redeeming man’s life from the pit of oblivion, and for so crowning it with loving kindness that youth is renewed like the eagle. The passage forcibly recalls the line of thought in Isaiah 40:31:
they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Appendix 1
Other benefits from God mentioned in Psalm 103:
- Executing justice for the oppressed (verse 6)
- God makes Himself known to Israel (verses 7)
- God shows great merciful restraint when dealing with human failings (verses 8-9)
- Showing fatherly pity to those who are weak but nevertheless fear Him and remember His commandments (verse 13)
- The Heavenly Father deals with us without forgetting that we are as frail as grass in the wind and flowers in the field (verses 14 to 16)
