539_The grace of God that abounds

Psalm 106 Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord,
or declare all his praise?
3 Blessed are they who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times!

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.

6 Both we and our fathers have sinned;
we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wondrous works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,
and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe
and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.

44-48 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied
by all those who held them captive.

47 Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.

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

John Newton was a former slave trader who became a preacher and wrote the famous hymn Amazing Grace. As his memory began to fail him in his old age, he often forgot even parts of his own sermons. Yet he said, “Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.” Those words capture the heart of the Christian faith. Sin is real—but God’s grace abounds all the more.

Psalm 106 forces us to remember both sides of that truth. While laying bare the repeated unfaithfulness of God’s people – their rebellion,, their idolatry, their forgetfulness, or their disobedience – it also displays the bright thread of God’s covenant love and faithfulness.

The psalm begins and ends with praise. In between comes a glimpse of breathtaking grace.

While Psalm 105 celebrates God’s faithfulness—His mighty acts, His guidance, His promises kept across generations, Psalm 106 continues the story by mirroring the people’s ingratitude in return. Where Psalm 105 exalts God’s gifts and blessings, Psalm 106 exalts God’s mercy to a stubborn and ungrateful people.

In this psalm, the praise is not primarily for the abundance of blessings, but for the abundance of mercy. Mercy undeserved, unearned, mercy repeated despite numerous failures. And the psalmist makes it personal. He prays, “Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them.”

In the long confession that follows, the psalmist and his people are one. As Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel did, he identifies with his people’s failures, saying, “We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.” For humility lies at the heart of all human intercession. Those who mourn for their sin and the sin of their people shall be comforted, for they see sin as God sees it – as grievous and weighty rather than trivial and excusable.

The psalm traces Israel’s failures across different seasons. They panicked at the Red Sea even after seeing God’s mighty hand at work in bringing them out of Egypt. They rebelled and grumbled in the wilderness even while receiving manna, water, protection, and guidance. Verse 13 says, “They soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.” Forgetfulness was the seed of their rebellion. Instead of remembering God’s faithfulness, they put God to the test. He gave them what they asked for, but it came with judgment.

They built idols for themselves at the foot of Sinai, while waiting for the law to be given.
They envied Moses and Aaron, whom God had chosen to lead them out of Egypt and into the promised land – and fire broke out against the rebels. The downward spiral continued when they joined themselves with the Moabites at Baal Peor. Immorality ended in idolatry, yet again, followed by deaths in the camp.

In the promised land itself, they continued to disobey. They mingled with the corrupt nations there instead of driving them out. They learned their wicked practices and customs, even sacrificing their sons and daughters to idols. And this provoked the Lord to anger, so that they fell into the hand of their enemies.

Again and again, sin abounded. Again and again, rebellion, unbelief, jealousy, idolatry, and disobedience defined the people of God. And yet God’s grace abounded even more. Verse 44 says, “Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” That word “nevertheless” may be one of the most beautiful words in Scripture. In spite of their history, in spite of their failures, God remembered His covenant. He did not abandon them, because His steadfast love is greater than their unfaithfulness.

This is the wellspring of verse 47, “Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.” The memory of sin drives him not to despair but to prayer. The memory of mercy drives him to renewed hope. And so the psalm closes with a blessing: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, Amen! Praise the Lord!”

This psalm is not just ancient history. It is a mirror for us. How often do we forget God’s works in our lives? How often do we rebel like the Israelites? What are the idols in our hearts? Whatever we put before our God, in our affections, our reliance, our obedience – is our idol. How often do we copy the sinful culture around us rather than living in obedience to God’s law of love? If we are honest, we too must confess, “We have sinned, as our fathers did.”

But the good news is that the “nevertheless” of Psalm 106 applies to us. Romans 5:20 echoes this: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” Grace does not minimize sin—it overwhelms it. Grace does not ignore rebellion—it redeems it. Grace does not excuse idolatry—it forgives and restores.

John Newton never forgot the depths from which he had been saved. He never stopped marveling at the grace that reached him. Like him, if we live in grateful and amazed remembrance of grace, our lives will reflect his mercy.

And then we will live differently. Like the psalmist, our backward look at history will prompt us to move away from it. Gratitude is the best antidote to rebellion. When our hearts overflow with praise, we leave no room for envy, grumbling, or idols.

Let us confess our sins humbly, both our own and those of our fathers and our people. Let us remember the works of God, write them down, tell them to our children and thank God for them in our constant prayers. Let us not allow forgetfulness to steal our faith. Let us anchor our hope, not in our performance but in God’s steadfast love. His grace abounds, and it will always be greater than our failures. Let our grateful trust move us to faithful devotion and heartfelt obedience. For we are great sinners, but he is a great Savior. God bless.