Week 17 Psalm 107
The psalm begins with some general advice: give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.
Then the writer tells four anecdotes – descriptions/stories – about the experiences of four groups of people:
#1 Destitute vagabonds searching for a city
#2 Prisoners who were locked-up for rebellion against the Lord
#3 Rebellious & evil fools with one foot in-the-grave
#4 Terrified sailors caught in a ferocious storm.
Groups #2 & #3 look like people who disdained the Lord.
But Groups #1 & #4 just look like regular people who happened to be in a real bind.
Whoever & whatever they all are they’re all desperate and in each case they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. That’s the main point of these four Redemption Stories (which is what I think they are) and that point is repeated four times.
At first I thought the four groups might be referring to Israel’s history.
Then I wondered if the four groups were meant to represent different classes of people.
But I think they’re just four examples that the writer chose. People in a jam who’ve run out of options. He might have chosen ten or a hundred others. The point is that they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.
Different circumstances. Different stories. Same fortunate outcome.
Note: quotes from Psalm 107:1-2 28 (NIV). The Four Groups: Vagabonds 107:4-9. Prisoners 107:10-16. Fools 107:17-22. Sailors 107:23-32.