Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2:  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4: Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5: Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6: The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. 7: He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. 8: The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9: He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10: He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11: For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12: As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13: Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14: For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15: As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16: For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17: But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18: To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. 19: The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. 20: Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21: Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22: Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

Introduction

One of the consequences of the fall of Adam and Eve in sin is it affected their memory as well the whole humanity. We are like Humpty Dumpty who had a great fall. You know how the story goes:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

Threescore men and threescore more,

Cannot place Humpty Dumpty as he was before.

Though we have been saved by the grace of God we still have a problem that every one of us faces in life this morning. Our problem is the problem of forgetfulness. We are prone to forget. We can remember all kinds of things such as the nursery rhymes that we sang when we were kids. We remember the unkind words others have said to us and the hurtful things others have done to us, but we tend to forget what the Lord has said to us and has done in our lives. Sometimes we forget just how good God has been and continues to be to us His children! And David is no different from us. He too struggled with the problem of forgetfulness. And so, in the first two verses of Psalm 103, we read David reminding himself not to forget. He calls himself to bless the Lord our God.

Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Three times, David calls himself to bless the Lord. And may we follow the example of David. May we stir up our own heart and soul to bless the Lord for He is worthy to be blessed. This morning I invite you to consider our texts in three headings, namely, the Command to Praise, the Object of Praise, and the Reason to Praise.

I – The Command to Praise

Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Here is a command to bless the Lord. This Psalm begins and ends exactly the same way. 

Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul.

Psalm 103:22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

The Bible is filled with command to bless the Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

1 Chronicles 29:20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.

Psalm 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

Psalm 134:1 Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. 2: Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

Psalm 135:19 Bless the LORD, O house of Israel: bless the LORD, O house of Aaron: 20: Bless the LORD, O house of Levi: ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD.

In the Psalm we are considering this morning,

Psalm 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21: Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22: Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

Here, the angels, all the heavenly hosts, all God’s servants, everything God has created, and everything in all God’s kingdom are commanded to bless the Lord. Blessing the Lord is a command that God has given to us. It is our duty. It is a requirement.

But what does it mean to bless the Lord? There are two basic ways the word “bless” is used in the Scripture. Sometimes the object or the recipient of blessing is man. God blesses His people and when God blesses His people, He enriched them. He bestows gifts to them. Those whom God blesses are better off because of the blessing of God. Now, other times, the object or recipient of blessing is God. And that’s what we have here in Psalm 103. “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name”. I believe we have no problem understanding what it means for God to bless man, but to bless God is not so easy to understand. Because think about it, what can we give God that would enrich Him? What can we give God that will make Him better off? For the apostle Paul declares in Romans 11:34-36, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” No one has ever given anything or any gift to God that He must pay back, for He is the source, the means, and the end goal of all things. No one can give God much less outgive God. I like what A. W. Tozer said about this in his book the “Knowledge of the Holy”, “An elementary but correct way to think of God is as the One Who contains all, Who gives all that is given, but Who Himself can receive nothing that He has not first given”.

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25: Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

God does not need anything from men, nor does He need us! God gives to all life and breath and all things. He is the Giver of all good gifts. God is the Sustainer of all things. There is nothing we could give that would enrich God and that would make Him better off. And yet in the inspired Word of God we are commanded to bless Him.

If God is perfect, self-sufficient, and in need of nothing and no one, how can we bless Him? What can we give Him that would enrich Him? The Hebrew word translated ‘bless’ means literally ‘to kneel with the idea of adoration and praise’.  So, to bless God simply means to praise Him or to honor His name. When we bless the Lord, we really do not add anything to Him; we are not giving something to Him that will make Him better off than He is. But praise, adoration, and worship Him is our reasonable or appropriate response to His mercy, grace, and greatness.

II – The Object of Praise

Now let’s consider the object of praise. Who is the object of our praise? The object of our praise, the object of our blessing is obviously and clearly stated in our text, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name”. The object of our praise is the LORD, whose Name is holy! When we bless the LORD, we magnify and exalt His holy Name. God’s Name speaks of His character. It reveals His attributes. God has many names and it’s because our God is a transcendent God and no one single name could tell us everything there is to know about this wonderful and majestic God. God’s Name reveals Who He is and What He in relation to His people.

Please turn your Bibles to ...

Psalm 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

According to this verse, those who know God’s Name will have great confidence in the LORD. Notice how the LORD’s actions are attached to His Name and then, how His name reflects His attributes. Each of God’s Name reveals one of His great attributes and gracious dealings with those who know Him. Just think of His many names. Elohim the Strong One our Creator, El Elyon means God Most High. El Shaddai means God Almighty. How about Adonai which means the Supreme Lord or Lord of all. Elohim speaks of God’s might and power, but Adonai speaks of His right to rule over us. Then the name Jehovah, the all-sufficient One who continually reveals Himself. Jehovah-Jireh, God is our Provider. Jehovah-Rophe, God is our Healer. Jehovah-Nissi, God is our Banner, our Victory. Jehovah-Shalom means God is our Peace. Jehovah-Tsidkenu means God is our Righteousness. Jehovah-Rohi means God is our Shepherd. Jehovah-Shamma means God is our Ever-Present One.

I can go on and on and tell you the names of God. He has over 200 names. His Name is Holy. His Name is Wonderful. And each of His wonderful names reveals something about the greatness of His being and the perfections of His character. He is Jehovah—the I AM THAT I AM. He is Yahweh—the Great I AM. This is the God we bless. The God Who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. The God Who will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger forever. The God Who hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. The God whose mercy is great toward them that fear Him. The God Who as far as the east is from the west has removed our transgressions from us. The God Who has compassion upon them that fear Him. The God Who knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. The God whose mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him. This is the God we bless. This the God we worship and adore. This is the object of our praise and exultation.

Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Now in the following verses, David will give the reason to bless the Name of the LORD.

III – The Reason to Praise

Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Here is the reason to bless God’s holy Name. Not only because of Who He is but also because of what He does for His people. Bless Him for the benefits He continually bestows upon us. Bless Him for His blessings upon us His children.

God’s Name is not just to identify Him but to reveal Who He is. What His Name reveals of Himself, He really is, and He really does. Look at the following verses:

Psalm 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4: Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5: Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Here are five wonderful and compelling reasons to praise the Name of the LORD. Here are five wonderful benefits that God continually bestows on those who know Him. Here are five wonderful blessings God continually bestows on those who belong to Him. Bless God--who forgiveth ... who healeth ... who redeemeth ... who crowneth ... who satisfieth. All these verbs end with “eth” which signifies they are in present tense, which means these are all ongoing benefits that God gives to His children. He has, He does, and He will continue to do this for His children. Let’s contemplate on them one at a time.

1. He forgives all our iniquities

Psalm 103:3a Who forgiveth all thine iniquities ...

As David contemplates on the benefits that he received and continually receives from God, he starts with man’s greatest need. Our greatest need is not physical and material. Our greatest need is not health nor wealth. Our greatest need is forgiveness of sin. And that’s where David begins as he ponders on God’s blessings upon his life. Notice David used the word “iniquities” which means “bent or crookedness” indicating that God doesn’t just forgive our wrongdoing, but He also forgive our depravity and guilt. Don’t miss the word “all”. God forgives all our sins and iniquities. The sin of ommission as well as the sin of commission. He forgives them all. Isn’t that good reason to bless the Lord’s holy Name? If that is the only truth you and I know that alone ought to cause us praise our Lord’s holy name!

2. He heals all our diseases

Psalm 103:3b ... who healeth all thy diseases;

We know at present time our bodies are still subject to diseases and sicknesses. God’s children still get sick and eventually die. Remember Lazarus? We read in John 11:3, “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick”. Even those whom Jesus loves get sick and eventually die. So, what do we do with this verse “who healeth all thy diseases”? What is David talking about here? Our redemption includes the body and soul. There is coming a day where we will be given a glorified body, which means all our physical infirmities and weaknesses will be completely taken away. We will be given a body which will no longer experience disease. No more COVID-19! No more sickness, no more sorrow, no more pain, and no more death! But not yet! David is speaking of spiritual healing here. This was his present experience as he was contemplating on the benefits of God.

God is our Jehovah-Rophe. God is our Healer. He is our great Physician.

Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. He heals our sin-sick soul. He heals us and delivers us from lust, hatred, anger, bitterness, greed, jealousy, discouragement, depression, guilt, and doubt. Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. He restores and heals our soul. Isn’t that good reason to bless the Lord’s holy Name?

3. He redeems our life from destruction

Psalm 103:4a Who redeemeth thy life from destruction ...

Sin destroys and kills. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:23,” For the wages of sin is death”. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ez 18:20). Every one of us entered this world broken and a slave of sin and heading to everlasting destruction. But thank God He reached down and rescued you and me.

Once my soul was astray from the Heavenly Way

I was wretched and as vile as could be

But my Saviour in love gave me peace from above

When He reached down His hand for me.

We who were once slaves of sin and headed to everlasting destruction have been redeemed from sin, death, and hell with His precious blood. Isn’t that good reason to bless the Lord’s holy Name?

4. He crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies

Psalm 103:4b ... who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

David was aware of his sins and failures. Though he was known as the man after God’s own heart, he did some things that are sinful. And yet despite of David’s failures and shortcomings the Lord crowns him with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Isn’t that our own experience too? In spite of our own personal failures and shortcomings our God continues to crown His grace and mercy toward us. Someone has beautifully said, “Like a crown that encircles the head, God’s grace encircles all of life”. A crown is the symbol of glory. The glory of God’s people is the lovingkindness and tender mercies of God. We bear witness in our lives day by day that we are the beneficiaries of the goodness of God. Isn’t that good reason to bless the Lord’s holy Name?

5. He satisfies our mouth with good things

Psalm 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Lastly, the LORD satisfies our mouth with good things. No, God does not always give us what we want, but He always gives us what is good and best for us. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (Jam 1:17). He causes all things to work for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

The LORD says in Psalm 81:10, “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it”.

The good things He gives are meant to renew our strength. They are meant to strengthen us so that we might run the race, fight a good fight of faith, and finish well. He satisfies our mouth with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Isn’t that good reason to bless the Lord’s holy Name?

Closing Thoughts

As we think about Thanksgiving this week, let us like David stir our heart to bless the Lord. What would help us do that? To fuel praise and thanksgiving, we must contemplate on who God is and forget not all His benefits. Take time to meditate on these five benefits. Count your blessings and name them one by name and it will surprise you what the LORD has done! It is true that blessing the LORD is a command that He has given us. It is our duty. It is a requirement. But having said that, when we do bless the Lord, we ourselves are enriched.

But let me say this, all these wonderful blessings are only for the redeemed, only for those who know God as their Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ. So, that all-important question this morning is, “Are you a child of God? Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ to be your Saviour and Redeemer?” If you are not a child of God, the call to you is not a call to “Bless the LORD”. At least, not yet. The call to you is a call to salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:31). Respond to His invitation today. Call upon His Name. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom 10:13). Call upon His wonderful and powerful Name! And when you do, His promise is to forgive you and to save you. When that happens, you will for the first time in your life be able to bless the LORD for who He is and for all His benefits and blessings.

AMEN!