Psalm 103 Part 6

Running down the other side of the chiastic structure we have vs15-18 which contrasts man’s ‘moment’ and God’s permanence. The ‘grass of the field’ verses ‘from everlasting to everlasting.’ We can be like the grass and flowers or we can be forever because we are in a covenant with the forever God! The flower that faded with Adam, blooms anew in Christ, never to fade again. This is true of God’s ‘lovingkindness.’ and of God Himself, the source of mercy. His chesed – covenant love, loyal kindness – endure from all ages to all ages. 

These promises of everlasting love and lovingkindness are given with conditions. The promises are made to ‘those who fear Him,’ to those who ‘keep His covenant, ‘and those who remember His commandments to do them.’ How devastating is some modern theology that thinks that the commandments have been removed from God’s covenant of love? They are still there to protect and preserve the relationship that God desires with His people! Even the fourth commandment, where we are directed to focus on the creation and the creator because we are the created. For a whole day, this becomes a means of renewal of that covenant that is to carry us through the week of our toil.

The praise and worship now shift to heaven(v19). David celebrated God’s secure reign from heaven. God is enthroned ‘in heaven,’ beyond the troubles and corruptions of earth. It is ‘established,’ and will never be moved. An eternal contrast is made between the Ruler and the ruled. There is no aspect of the universe that is not under His reign. David began the psalm by telling his own soul to bless the Lord, but he knew the praise and honour to God should go beyond what he could give. It should extend all the way to the angels, and all creation. David ended the psalm as he began, with a call to his whole life (soul) to bless God, giving Him the honour and praise due to Him. After the many reasons given in Ps103, David had more reasons to ‘bless the Lord’ at the end of the psalm.