Psalm 106.46: God's persistent, powerful steadfast love

The verse that grabbed me from this morning’s Bible reading was Psalm 106.46. This verse comes in the midst of an extended recounting of Israel’s lack of trust in God and sin against God.

The Psalmist says that Israel has been unfaithful to the covenant many, many times. But God is different. He looks upon the distress of his people, he hears their cry, he remembers his covenant, he relents according to the abundance of his steadfast love. And now here is the verse I’m thinking about today. Psalm 106.46: ‘He caused [Israel] to be pitied by all those who held them captive.’

Wow. God’s steadfast love just keeps on coming. He sends his people into exile as punishment for their sin against him. But they cry out in Assyria, or Babylon, or other countries to which they’ve been scattered. And in response, because he loves them so much with his faithful covenant love, he sovereignly moves in the hearts of their captors. He produces pity in the hearts of pagans. This verse is amazing, because it highlights the greatness of God’s love and the greatness of his power. Not only is he willing to lighten Israel’s punishment, but he is able to lighten their punishment, because he is sovereign over the hearts of the nations, even those who do not know or worship him. He is loving and he is powerful. His steadfast love is persistent and powerful.

If you want to see a concrete expression of the pity God works in the hearts of Israel’s captors, read the amazing decree of Cyrus, king of Persia, in 2 Chronicles 36.22-23.

This is the God we serve. There isn’t anything you’ve done that is too great for God to forgive.

Posted by Stephen Witmer on Oct 19, 02:01 PM