Division. The psalmist commences by dedicating his poem to the redeemed who have been gathered from captivity, verses 1 to 3. He then likens their history to that of travellers lost in the desert, verses 4 to 9; to that of prisoners in iron bondage, verses 10 to 16; to that of sick men, verses 17 to 22; and to that of mariners tossed in a tempest, verses 23 to 32.
In the closing verses the judgment of God on the rebellious, and the mercies of God to his afflicted people are made the burden of the song, verses 33 to 42; and then the psalm closes with a sort of summing up, in verse 43, which declares that those who study the works and ways of the Lord shall be sure to see and praise his goodness.
Verses 1-7. “O give thanks unto the Lord … Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath gathered out of the lands. They wandered in the wilderness … they cried unto the Lord … and he led them forth by the right way ….” In these words, it is not easy to ascertain the persons immediately referred to. But this is a circumstance not to be lamented; it is even an advantage, for it leads us to a more spiritual and evangelical interpretation of the subject. For the people of God are “redeemed,” – redeemed from the curse of the Law, the powers of darkness, and the bondage of corruption. They are “gathered” – gathered by his grace out of all the diversities of the human race; “out of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues.” Whatever this world is to others, they find it to be a “wilderness,” where they are often tried. But their trial urges them to prayer, and their prayer brings them relief. And being divinely conducted, they at length reach their destination; for this is the conclusion of the whole – and it applies to each and all of them – “He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.”
Verse 7. “… a city of habitation,” It is not a city of inspection. Many will “look in,” as it were, and there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth when they see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God, and themselves shut out. It is not a city of visitation. Christians shall not only enter, but abide there. They shall go out no more. The Christian is now a traveller, then he will be a resident; he is now on the road, then he will be at home; “There remaineth a rest for the People of God.
Verse 9. “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the longing soul with goodness.” Martin Luther advises us to treat the verses of scripture like so many “boughs” on a fruit tree. Shake them in turn, he tells us, so that some fruit may drop down to you. If your soul really hungers, he says, the spirit of the Lord will not send you empty away; you will at last find in one, he says, and perhaps only a short vers of the Bible, such abundance of delicious fruit that you will gladly seat yourself under its shade.
Verse 21. “Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” It is well said that “the reason why so little praise is given for such great mercies is because men do not see the lovingkindness of God in them; and they see not his lovingkindness in them, because they have not wisdom to observe.” It is not the possession of a library that makes a scholar, but wisdom to observe and gather the choice notions out of many books in it. And no one is short of mercies to bless God for. Divine providence is a large volume – a library in itself – written thick with mercies from one end of our life to the other. But few, alas! seem to have a heart to read in that volume; and fewer still seem to have wisdom to collect the choice passages out of it that would lead them to praise God aright.
Verse 41. “Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction …” How High? Above the reach of the curse that shall never touch him; above the power of Satan which shall never ruin him; above the reigning influence of sin which “shall not have dominion over him;” above the possibility of being banished from God’s presence, for “Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation.” This is the way God sets his people on high, instructing them in the mysteries of his word and giving them to partake of the joys containing therein.