Psalm 106 "Remember me, O Lord"

Psalm for Today = 106:1, 4-6

¹Praise the Lord!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

    for his steadfast love endures forever!...

⁴ Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people;
    help me when you save them,
⁵ that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,
    that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
    that I may glory with your inheritance.

    help me when you save them,

⁵ that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,

    that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,

    that I may glory with your inheritance.

⁶ Both we and our fathers have sinned;

    we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness...

Photo: Greg K. Dueker

Comments:

As we walk through this series of “Remember” psalms, Psalm 106’s distinctive is that it remembers how many times Israel as a people had screwed up, rebelled, compromised, served idols, sacrificed their sons like the surrounding nations did, abhorred his heritage, until you get to verse 44’s “nevertheless…” when we see that God has been behind all those who intervened on Israel’s behalf. We see God answering the psalmist's cry, “Remember me, O Lord” (v.4).

Please note that the prayer for remembrance in verse 4, is connected to the personal and corporate confession of verse 5.

As the Lord quickened this phrase to me this morning, it seemed familiar like I had heard it somewhere else (outside of Psalms). Then it came to me...it sounded like the plea of the repentant thief on the cross in Luke 23:42! Take a look at his statement in context:

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:38-43)

Is it possible that the dying thief on the cross had Psalm 106 in mind? I think it is not only possible but likely.

Being honest with God requires us not only to remember who God is, and what He has done, but to remember who we are and what we have done or not done…and confess our need for forgiveness. If in faith we humble ourselves in confession [agreeing God is right and we are not] and repentance [turning away from our sin], He will lift us up!

 

Remember that our desire for deliverance is not so that we can live our own life and do our own thing without recompense, but so that we might praise the Lord and glory in his praise (v.47). By the grace of God, our song, no matter how sordid the past, can end as this psalm,

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord! (v.48)