The Author of Psalm 107, Sings About the Mighty Deeds of the Lord Who Sent Deliverance

Psalm 107:17-21

Rev. P. DenButter

Transcribed by Mr. Jack Tamminga

The author of Psalm 107, sings about the mighty deeds of the Lord who sent deliverance to his people, and who brought His people back from the Babylonian captivity. The psalmist uses a few examples. He, as it were, draws a few pictures for us, to try tell us what the Lord has done for His people. He compares what happens to Israel with the experience of a company of travellers in the desert, who have lost their way, but in a miraculous way, are delivered by the Lord. He compares Israel with a people who are in prison, and because of their own rebellion and transgression, are now in very lamentable circumstances, with none to help, and the only thing they can do, is to cry unto the Lord. The Lord, in His grace, opens the prison doors and He breaks the iron gates in sunder.

We will now listen to what the psalmist says when he uses a third illustration that shows us a company of sick folk. People, who are deadly ill, and who by the miraculous power of God recover.

Fools, because of their transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted. The psalmist speaks about an afflicted people and the next verse, verse 18 shows that they are drawn near unto the gates of death. They are close to death. They are deadly ill in their afflictions.

Now what is the cause of their sickness? What is the reason that they are before the gates of death? The explanation is in the first word of verse 17: fools. They are sick because they are fools, and because of their foolish behaviour and their foolish way of living.

Now we all know that there are some sorts of sickness which are the direct result of foolish actions. No, not all sicknesses are the direct result of certain sins. This is what the disciples meant with the blind born beggar, and it was also the opinion of the friends of Job, but this is not what the Bible teaches us. We should not think that if a person suffers because of a special sickness, that he must be guilty of a specific sin. That is not necessarily so. There is of course, a close connection between sin and punishment, and sickness is one of the temporal punishments. However, their are sicknesses which are the direct result of a certain way of living. Drunkenness often results in liver ailment. Gluttony often results in stomach diseases. Veneral diseases are often caused by an immoral life. But we may not say that every sickness is the result of a special sin.

Well, that is now what the psalmist has in mind. He is thinking of people who by their own insane way of living, ruin their calling, their health, their family, themselves and everything that belongs to them. He is thinking of people who by their own foolish and sinful way of living are now in a terrible condition, near to the gates of death. This is indeed a very fitting illustration of what has happened to the people of Israel. Why were the Israelites gone into captivity in Babylon? Why did they have to spend seventy years in a foreign country? Was it not because they in their folly disobeyed the Lord and went against His holy will? Was is not because they kicked against the pricks and would not hear the Lord’s voice when He sent His servants the prophets to them? Yes, their disobedience, their wickedness, their folly was the cause of their sufferings in Babylon. They knew what would happen if they would not turn to the Lord and if they would not break with their sins. It was told them before hand and it was told them repeatedly that the Lord’s punishment would fall upon them, but in spite of all those warnings, and exhortations, in spite of all the Lord’s words, they hardened their hearts and they continued their evils ways. What other word can you use to indicate the actions of those Israelites, but the word: folly. Yes, we must say that they were fools, and that their foolishness was the cause of their misery.

What does our text teach us. This. That sin is folly. The sinner is a fool. We might not like this qualification, but man, because of his sins, is a fool. By nature we are all fools. Why is that so? Well, do you know what sin is? It is opposition against an omnipotent God. Now that must be gross folly to make war with the most High. Do we really think that we can win that battle? How foolish to take up the weapons of rebellion against God. That’s what we do by sin.

What is sin? Sin is rebellion against a good and a most gracious God who has been good for us and who has been providing for us. Would we oppose such a God? What would you call that? Opposition against the source of all blessings? Opposition against God who in His grace cares for His creatures? What would you call that? Is there a better word than folly. Is it not folly to fight against God who is the source of all blessing?

What is sin? Sin is transgression against the law. But the law of God was meant to be very beneficial for us. Yes, of course the law of God forbids certain things. But what things are forbidden by the law of God? Only things by which we injure ourselves. The law does not forbid us anything which is good and for our profit, no, the law forbids only those things which are dangerous. Is it not folly then to violate such a law which is meant for our good? Is it not foolishness to transgress such a commandment.

What is sin? Sin is a walking in the path of evil and this way leads to eternal destruction. The sinner has been told this many times. Yet, he proceeds on that way, he continues in spite of the warning signs which are posted along side that road. The sinner knows that one day God will visit iniquity and that the sinner will by no means be clear, and yet he continues in those ways. What is that but folly.

The Bible tells us, but also our own logics say so. A sinner is a fool, he must be a fool. He is a great fool to remain in the danger of the wrath of God, and to abide at ease in eminent peril. He must be a great fool to scorn away the time of grace. He must be a great fool to love the world and to despise the Saviour. He must be a great fool to set the present fleeting life above an eternal future. It is folly what we do. Folly in the highest conceivable manner. Don’t you agree?

Let us use a few more arguments. Who is a fool? Well, you say a fool is a person who lacks the elementary and the necessary knowledge. Right. Now what does a sinner know? What does he know about God and about self and about Christ and about heaven and hell and about many other things. The natural man does not know these things. He does not understand neither comprehend the things of the Spirit of God, because they are foolishness to him.

Who is a fool? A fool is also, he who has knowledge, but who doesn’t use it. He is even a greater fool than the former one. And so there are men who have understood that the only way to be saved is to believe in Christ. But they do not believe. There are men who know that they must repent of their sins if they will ever find mercy and yet they do not repent. They do not use their knowledge. They know that life is uncertain and they risk their souls.

Who is a fool? A fool is that man who hurts himself without any profit and without any justifying cause. Does not the sinner hurt himself? Does he not bring eternal sufferings and pain upon himself? Is that justifiable? Is than not a sinner a fool? He must be.

Who is a fool? Man is. Man, who thinks that he can find pleasures in sin. Great fools we all are by nature. For we displease God, while God is the only One who blesses and saves. Great fools we all are, for we fling away heaven and eternal life for the sake of some momentary gain.

What is man? Be honest, what is man? What does man’s behaviour tell us? What does man’s life reveal to us? That he is a fool. That the world is filled with fools, and that the life of man is foolishness. Do you know a better name for man?

Well congregation, you have at the same time, a revelation of what sin causes man to be. You know what sin does? Sin makes us guilty, sin brings us in debt, that is all true, these are all aspects of what sin does, but sin also blinds a man. It bereaves him of the right use of his reason and it is so bad, that man is not even aware of his own condition. Man even feels offended. The Bible says that he is a fool. Man is inclined to reject such an accusation. Man is inclined to refuse to believe when it is told him plainly and honestly what his real condition is. He does not believe that he is a fool. And to his opinion, sin is not that bad.

Whether a man himself believes that he is a fool is not first and foremost. But the question is of course what does the Word of God say. And that Word is, as always, infalliably true. And this I know, that all who are worked upon by the Holy Spirit, will learn to admit that they are fools and there is, not only was, but still is so much foolishness in their lives. A true child of God, admits that his name, fool, is correct. They are made willing to write that name in capital letters. They will admit that Christ must be made unto them wisdom, for they themselves by nature are born fools and have lived fools and will die fools. Unless the infinite mercy of God will interpose. God’s children, with shame and sorrow, confess that they are fools and have committed so much folly. They admit that they have done foolishly when they went against an omnipotent and a gracious God. They admit that they have acted foolishly when they violated the law which was meant for their good. They admit that they have done foolishly when they continued in the way of sin, even though they knew that by doing so, they would bring eternal destruction upon themselves, oh, so much folly is to be bewailed and confessed and they honestly say unto the Lord, “Lord, I am such a foolish person, be pleased to have mercy upon me, teach me only wisdom and give me Christ for my wisdom, for without Him I am lost in my own folly.”

This is what the Lord by His Spirit teaches His people to confess.

The people in our text have become ill as a result of their folly. They are in affliction and in misery because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities. Do you see that the psalmist speaks about sins? Sins in plural. They began with one transgression and they went on to multiplied iniquities. Sin multiplies itself very rapidly. It grows from one to a countless multitude. And because of all this they are sick. Very sick. And in their sickness, they are a picture of every sinner who as a result of their sins now suffer because of a deadly illness. A soul sickness which eventually will be the cause of their death. Yes, in our text we find a description of that sickness of soul which has come upon all man, upon you and upon me.

They are afflicted, the text says. And in their affliction, their soul abhors all manner of meat. You know that from your own experience, that if you have been seriously sick, then you can also abhor food. That what you used to love, now becomes offensive and even the smell of food, makes you even more sick. And your stomach turns at the sight of food.

So it is in a spiritual sense with the man who has been brought in affliction, he sees his folly and his many transgressions and iniquities and who has the yoke of his iniquities upon his neck, he can neither eat nor drink. His soul abhors all manner of meat and drink. What sort of meat is abhorred by an uncovered sinner? Well, of course, in the first place, one who is concerned about the well-being of his soul, is not interested in swallowing the food which is prepared in the kitchen of the world. It cannot be. Maybe he used to like to swallow such food, but after he has been made aware of his real state and condition, he has no desire for these things anymore. He experiences that these things cannot cure his sin-sick soul. The world and what the world offers can never reconcile us and can never restore us into the communion with God. And therefore that food of the world is despicable in the eyes of an uncovered sinner, he can only regret and he will regret that in his former life he has given so much of his time to these things. How unhappy such a man is. You know what he does. He often seeks a solitary place to be alone with God. But when he is alone, there is one person who plagues him. And if he could only get away from that person, then he would be content. But you see that person happens to be himself. And now it appears as if there is no happiness and no peace for that soul. That’s why he abhors all manner of meat.

But is there no attractiveness in spiritual food and drink? Does not such a soul enjoy the place of worship and the ordinances of God? Oh yes, you can be sure, that he goes to the place of worship and that he takes up his Bible and that he seeks God’s face in prayer, but what is often the experience of this sin-plagued person? That he cannot find any comfort whatsoever. The manner of meat which is served in God’s house to God’s saints is not suitable for him, he thinks, and he cries “I am not worthy of it”. Do you know in what way such an uncovered sinner listens to the preaching? Whenever he hears the solemn warning to the ungodly he thinks, “that is meant for me, for I am such an ungodly sinner.” But when it comes to the comforting element in the preaching, comfort ye, comfort ye people, he concludes, “but that’s not for me, for I do not belong to God’s people and I am afraid that I am a hypocrite.” And even when an invitation is spoken to come unto Christ and to put trust in Christ alone, the reaction is often, “that invitation is not meant for me, it cannot be for me because I am but a castaway.” Therefore the soul abhors all manner of meat, even the meat prepared in God’s kitchen, even the meat taken out of the Word of God. Such people cannot be satisfied with the luxuries of the world, neither can they relish the marrow and the fatness of Christ Himself. Because they do not dare to believe that that meat was meant for them. No wonder, that they draw near unto the gates of death. For people that do not eat, will die. And that is what will happen to these people too, they will die also spiritually. There is food, but they do not eat it. The food of the world they cannot eat any longer, and the food of God’s Word, they dare not take, because they fear that it is not meant for them. Must they die now? Will that be the end of everything? They draw near unto the gates of death. They expect any moment to be thrown through the portal into everlasting destruction and endless wrath. They have no more expectation, they are surrounded by many destructions as verse 20 indicates, many destructions or literally it says, many snares, pits, they feel in terrible danger, there are snares everywhere. Who can save and deliver them? Is there yet any hope?

It is true congregation, that not all of God’s children experience these things to the same degree and to the same extent and in the same measure. There will always be a variety and a diversity and they are not all led in the same way. Yet all of God’s children know to a certain degree what these people in our text experience. One who is convinced by the Holy Spirit learns to admit that he is rightly called a fool. He begins to see his folly, his many follies. But then he also learns to despair of his own possibilities. What do you think, a person that has been made aware of his own misery, can he enjoy the food prepared in the kitchen of the world? Would he be able to be in all sorts of worldly entertainments? No, he abhors that meat. He knows that this will never solve his problem. And his problem is so great. “How can I ever be reconciled to God?” But then he hears the Word. Does he enjoy that food? He would like to enjoy the food of the Word, his soul longs for it, his heart cries out for it, but he fears that it is never meant for him, and he is so afraid to take it presumptuously. And now his soul is in danger of starvation. So the Lord by His Spirit teaches a sinner to write off all that is his. And then he has nothing left. Nothing left. Then in the sickness of the soul, he learns to cry. To cry out for help. To cry unto the Lord.