December 3, 2025
A Psalm of Remembrance #
Psalm 106:1-5
We have an extensive Psalm before us. There is simply no way to cover all of it. There is an extensive amount of history in this Psalm. We encourage you to read the Bible, so you can be familiar Israel, and history, and the major events of the Old Testament.
Illustration: Have you ever saw a situation where a woman stays with a man that is abusive, and wonder why does she stay with him??! Much like God stays with us, though we are certainly undeserving.
We must focus on the Failures of Israel, as these are the greatest part of this Psalm. So we will first focus and draw our attention to the bulk of the Psalm. However, don’t check out in the first part, as seeing the abysmal failures of man, will help us better grasp the greatness of God!
I. Failures of men (6) #
• Not in chronological order (poetic, not historic)
A. Red sea (6-12) #
i. Provoking at red sea (7) (Ex 14:11-12) #
• How many miracles had God done in the plagues of Egypt??? They still didn’t get it!
Exodus 14:11–12 —11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
ii. Passing Praise (12-13) #
- The Works issue… they soon forgat his works (13) • The miracle of the Red Sea (in addition to the plagues of Egypt) are some of the most prominent, powerful spectacles of God’s working in the OT. No OT miracles come close to the magnitude of those miracles.
- The Waiting issue (13) • People are generally impatient, and do not wait on the LORD
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
- The Wanting issue (14) • Wanting what we do not need, and a real people problem! Every one of us have this issue. • Notice, that God did grant their request, but they were spiritually malnourished! (15) ◦ You may get God’s physical blessing at the expense of Spiritual blessing!
B. Strange Fire (16-18) #
i. Envious of Moses leadership (v 16, cf: Numbers 16:1-3) #
ii. Earth swallowed them up! (17) #
iii. Enveloped in fire (18) #
C. Idol (19-22) #
i. “Their glory” (20) – God was the best thing that had ever happened to Israel… but they wanted to change it! #
ii. They had no respect for God! (21) #
• God’s blessings were despised (24) • God’s Word was not believed (24)
D. Baalpeor (28-31) (Num 25:1-3) Mingled with the World #
• They joined with the wicked nation of Moab, partook of it’s sinful ways, started worshipping with them! • Holy living… is still God’s plan and will for your life! (2 Cor 6:14-17)
E. Waters of strife (32-33) #
• Complained continually, despite God’s many blessings!
F. Failed to destroy the wickedness before them (34-39) #
• God told Israel, to wipe out the enemy, get them out of the land that belonged to them! • There is worldliness, and wickedness, that we need to purge from our life!
G. Punishment from God (40-42) #
II. The faithfulness of God “mercy endureth for ever” (1) #
• In verse 43-45, we see God’s mercy over and over!
A. Proof of Mercy (8a) #
• In the context of the Red Sea and deliverance from Egypt… “he saved them”
i. They were not ‘deserving’ of God’s mercy #
• Your good works will not earn you mercy with God… he loves you because he chooses to love you! • We should love him, because
ii. God loves us, and is merciful to us despite our failures! #
• We are not better than Israel… matter of fact, our life mirrors that of Israel. • Yet God, is MERCIFUL to us! • We should thank God and praise him for Mercy!
B. Purpose (8b) #
i. God’s name #
• God’s purpose was to promote His name, in the great way he saved Israel! • Before he ever parted the Red Sea, his purpose was made known!
Exodus 9:15–17 —15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. 16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. 17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?
• You represent the Name of Christ, represent well!