PsalmsStudy Guide

Chapter 107

Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.

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Scripture

KJV

1O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

3And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

4They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

5Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

6Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

7And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

8Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

9For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

10Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

11Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:

12Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.

13Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

14He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.

15Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

16For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

17Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

18Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

19Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.

20He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

21Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

22And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

23They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

24These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.

25For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

26They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end.

28Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

29He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

30Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

31Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

32Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

33He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;

34A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

35He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.

36And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;

37And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

38He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

39Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.

40He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

41Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.

42The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

43Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Key VersePsalm 107:1

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Overview

Psalm 107 opens Book V of the Psalter with a call to give thanks to the LORD whose mercy endures forever. It describes four groups of people in desperate situations: those wandering lost in the wilderness, those sitting in darkness and prison, those suffering from foolish rebellion, and those tossed on stormy seas. In each case, 'they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.' The psalm celebrates God as the one who satisfies the longing soul, breaks chains, heals, and calms storms. It concludes by praising God who turns wilderness into pools of water and blesses the hungry with fruitfulness.

Key Themes

1

God Delivers Those Who Cry Out

Four times the pattern repeats — distress, crying out, deliverance — showing that God consistently rescues those who call upon Him in their trouble.

2

Human Foolishness and Divine Rescue

Some suffering comes from foolish choices and rebellion, yet God still delivers when people cry out — His mercy extends even to the self-afflicted.

3

The Steadfast Love of the LORD

The refrain 'Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness' reveals that the proper response to deliverance is wonder and thanksgiving.

Study Questions

1.

What do the four scenarios (wilderness, prison, sickness, storm) have in common, and what do they represent?

2.

Why does the psalm emphasize that 'they cried unto the LORD' as the turning point in each case?

3.

How does the refrain 'Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness' (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31) challenge us?

4.

What does it mean that God 'satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness' (v. 9)?

5.

How does this psalm encourage those who are currently in a desperate situation?

Connection to Christ

Jesus fulfilled every deliverance described in this psalm. He is the way for the lost, the light for those in darkness, the healer of the sick, and the calmer of storms. He literally stilled the sea and freed captives. His mercy endures forever, and He satisfies the longing soul — 'I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger' (John 6:35).

Personal Reflection

Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Psalms 107. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?

Psalms

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