Praise God from whom all blessings f low (Ps 103:1-7)
 We are about to enter a time of year where people
begin to stock of what they have and begin to show
thankfulness
 Psalm 103 should serve as a constant reminder as to
why we should be thankful to our Lord all year round
 Overview information
 “…There is too much in the Psalm, for a thousand pens
to write, it is one of those all-comprehending Scriptures
which is a Bible in itself, and it might alone almost
suffice for the hymn-book of the church.
(BibleStudyTools.com)
 “Dr Kyle Yates said of this Psalm, ‘No cloud appears on
the horizon, no jarring sounds, no word of complaint is
heard, no note of sadness in the music comes to weaken
the glad recital of praise.’ How can one outline a sunrise
or analyze a baby’s smile or diagram a mother’s love?
The task of outlining this psalm is comparable.”
(Crabtree: Zondervan’s Pastor’s Annual 2012 p 136)
 It is observable that no petition occurs throughout the
entire compass of these twenty-two verses. Not a single
word of supplication is in the whole Psalm addressed to
the Most High. Prayer, fervent, heartfelt prayer, had
doubtless been previously offered on the part of the
Psalmist, and answered by his God…” (John Stevenson, in
"Gratitude: an Exposition of the Hundred and Third Psalm," 1856.)

Let us prayerfully consider the thoughts of David as we
strive to gain a greater understanding of this psalm
Praise God from whom all blessings flow (Ps 103:1-7)
God forgives: Who forgives all your iniquities, (vs. 3)
 “To ere is human, to forgive is divine” (Alexander Pope)
 “That God is a merciful God - that he has declared his willingness
to pardon sin - that he has devised and revealed a way by which this
can be done, and that he has actually done it in our own case, is the
most important matter for which we should praise him...”
(Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)
 “it is the first he is thankful for: this is rightly ascribed to God; for
none can forgive sins but he; and what he forgives are not mere
infirmities, peccadillos, the lesser sins of life; but "iniquities",
grosser sins, unrighteousnesses, impieties, the most enormous
crimes, sins of a crimson and scarlet die; yea, "all" of them, though
they are many, more than the hairs of a man's head; he abundantly
pardons, multiplies pardons, as sins are multiplied, and leaves
none unforgiven…” (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)
 “It is applicable to all forms of sickness; or in this place it
may refer to some particular diseases with which David had
been afflicted. We have several allusions in the Psalms to
times when the authors of the psalms were afflicted with
sickness. So in the Psalms of David. ..(Barnes’ Notes)
 David affirms that God “heals all [our] diseases” (v. 3b). In
order to correctly understand the blessing here promised,
several things must be placed in perspective. First, the
passage is not intended to suggest that God’s child can
expect perpetual healing from every illness, so that he will
never die. Physical death is a punishment which results
from humanity’s involvement in sin (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12);
it is a divine appointment (Heb. 9:27)… (Gill’s Exposition)
“Who redeemeth thy life from destruction - That is, who saves it from
death when exposed to danger, or when attacked by disease. The word
"destruction" or "corruption" here is equivalent to the grave, since it is
there that the body returns to corruption.” (Barnes’ Notes)
 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction,.... Not from temporal
destruction, to which the natural life is subject, through diseases,
dangerous occurrences, and the malice of enemies; to be delivered from
which is a blessing, and for which God is to be praised; but from eternal
destruction, the destruction of the body and soul in hell;” (Gill’s
Exposition of the Entire Bible)
 “The verb “redeems” is related to the Hebrew noun goel, literally “a
kinsman with the right to buy back.” That concept would be fulfilled
ultimately in Christ, our “kinsman”… who paid the price of redemption by
the shedding of his blood. (Christian Courier online)

 “Who crowneth thee - The idea here is not merely that God is the
source of these blessings, but that there is something of beauty, of
dignity, of honor, as in the conferring of a crown or garland on
anyone. (Barnes’ Notes)
 “"crowning" with these denotes an application and enjoyment of
them, the great plenty and abundance of them, a being surrounded
and loaded with them; as also the honour that goes along with
them, which makes those that have them great and glorious, rich
and honourable; as well as preservation and protection by them;
these encompassing about as a crown the head, and as a shield the
body;” (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)
 “The ‘God-shaped vacuum’ in every person is never satisfied until it
is satisfied in God. Ask the soul who has hungered and thirsted
after righteousness, and he will tell you the God alone satisfies the
longing heart. Much of life’s restlessness is the result of spiritual
hunger and thirst. The table of the Lord is spread with, not only
good things, but with abundant good things.” (Crabtree P 137)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow (Ps 103:1-7)
God executes righteousness and judgment: The LORD executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed. (v. 6)
 “The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment - That is,
"justice." He sees that justice is done to the oppressed. He is on
their side. His law, his commands, his judicial decisions, his
providential interpositions, are in their favor. This does not mean
that it will he done at once; or that there will never be any delay;
or that they may not suffer even for a long time…(Barnes’ Notes)
 “The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are
oppressed. Not only for the Israelites oppressed by the
Egyptians, though the psalmist might have them in his view, by
what follows; for whom the Lord did justice, by delivering them
out of the hands of their oppressors, and by punishing Pharaoh
and his people, and bringing down judgments upon them, both
in Egypt and at the Red sea; but for all other oppressed ones in
common, the poor, the widow, and the fatherless…(Gill’s
Exposition)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow (Ps 103:1-7)
God reveals His way to people: He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel. (v. 7)
 “He made known his ways unto Moses - This is another
ground of praise - that God had "revealed his will;" that this
had been done in an indubitable manner to Moses; and
that these revelations had been recorded by him for the
instruction and guidance of his people. (Barnes’ Notes)
 “He made known his ways unto Moses,.... The ways in
which he himself walks, the steps and methods which he
has taken to show forth his glory; his way in creation, and
the order of it, as in Genesis 1:1, for though, by the light of
nature, it might be known that God created all things; yet,
without a revelation from him, it could never have been
known in what manner he made them…(Gill’s Exposition)
 After a careful review of the 103rd Psalm it is very clear
why we should be thankful to the Lord
 God forgives
 God heals
 God redeems
 God crowns
 God satisfies
 God executes righteousness and judgment
 God reveals His ways to His people