Psalms 107:20

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. HE SENT HIS WORD, AND HEALED THEM. "His word" is His swift and omnipotent instrument sent forth to do His bidding. So the centurion's faith viewed the word of Jesus (: cf. ; ). AND DELIVERED THEM FROM THEIR DESTRUCTIONS - literally, from their pits; , "the gates of death." Compare ; ; . The Psalmist probably had in vie...

20_He sendeth his word. _Again, in saying that they are delivered from destruction, the prophet shows that he is here alluding to those diseases which, in the opinion of men, are incurable, and from which few are delivered. Besides, he contrasts God’s assistance with all the remedies which are in the power of man to apply; as if he should say, that their disease having baffled the skill of earthly physicians, their recovery has been entirely owing to the exertion of God’s power. It is proper also to notice the manner in which their recovery is effected; God has but to will it, or to speak the word, and instantly all diseases, and even death itself, are expelled. I do not regard this as exclusively referring to the faithful, as many expositors do. I own, indeed, that it is of comparatively little consequence to us to be the subjects of bodily care, if our souls still remain unsanctified b...

17-22 If we knew no sin, we should know no sickness. Sinners are fools. They hurt their bodily health by intemperance, and endanger their lives by indulging their appetites. This their way is their folly. The weakness of the body is the effect of sickness. It is by the power and mercy of God that we are recovered from sickness, and it is our duty to be thankful. All Christ's miraculous cures were emblems of his healing diseases of the soul. It is also to be applied to the spiritual cures which the Spirit of grace works. He sends his word, and heals souls; convinces, converts them, makes them holy, and all by the word. Even in common cases of recovery from sickness, God in his providence speaks, and it is done; by his word and Spirit the soul is restored to health and holiness....

Verse Psalms 107:20. _HE SENT HIS WORD, AND HEALED THEM_] He spoke: "Be thou clean, be thou whole;" and immediately the disease departed; and thus they were _delivered from the destructions_ that awaited them....

HE SENT HIS WORD, AND HEALED THEM - He did it by a word; it was necessary for him merely to give a command, and the disease left them. So it was in the life of the Saviour, who often healed the sick by a “word” Matthew 8:8; Luke 7:7; and so now restoration from disease often seems to be accomplished as if some word had been spoken by one who had power, commanding the disease to depart. In all cases, also, whatever means may be used, healing power comes from God, and is under his control. Compare Psalms 30:2. AND DELIVERED THEM FROM THEIR DESTRUCTIONS - From what would have destroyed them, if it had not been checked and removed....

EXPOSITION A SONG of thanksgiving, first for deliverance from the Babylonish captivity (Psalms 107:1), and then for other deliverances (Psalms 107:4), passing into a general account of God's providential dealings with mankind, both in the way of chastisement and of loving-kindness, but especially the latter (Psalms 107:33-19). The composition closes with a single gnomic reflection on the wisdom of pondering such matters as those brought forward by the writer. Formally, the psalm falls into seven divisions: (1) a thanksgiving for the return from Babylon (Psalms 107

HE SENT HIS WORD, AND HEALED THEM,.... It was his will and pleasure they should be healed, and accordingly they were; he issued his orders for the removal of the affliction, and it was done; diseases are his servants, which come and go at his command; so Christ, in the days of his flesh, healed by speaking a word, Matthew 8:3. This is true of Christ the essential Word, who was sent in the fulness of time, and was made flesh and dwelt among men, and went about healing all manner of diseases among the people; and who is also the physician of souls who came with healing in his wings; that is, with pardon of sin, for which his blood was shed: he is the only physician, the skilful, universal, and infallible one, and does all freely, and in a most marvellous manner, by his stripes, blood and wounds, and by an application of these to diseased persons sensible of their case. It may also be appli...

Psalms 107:1. _O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever._ In the heading of this Psalm we are reminded that the psalmist here exhorts the redeemed, in praising God, to observe his manifold providence over travelers, prisoners, sick men, seamen, «and in divers varieties of life;» but, inasmuch as the exhortation is specially addressed to the redeemed of the Lord, I shall endeavor to cast the red ray of redemption over it, and to explain these various circumstances as relating to the spiritual experience of God's people, and to their deliverance out of divers perils to which their souls are exposed. «O give thanks unto the Lord.» This seems to imply that we are so slow to praise God that we have to be stirred up to this sacred duty. This exhortation looks as if we needed to be entreated to give thanks unto the Lord. Yet this ought not to be an unc

THE DEUTERONOMY SECTION: BOOK FIVE: PSALM 107-150 The final section of the book of Psalms, the fifth, is just like Deuteronomy. It shows God's ways with Israel, the end of these ways in deliverance not only for His people, but for their land, for the nations of the earth, for all creation. The book ends with the Hallelujah Chorus of redemption. Psalms 107 PSALMS 108 Psalms 107 Israel's Deliverances _ 1. The wanderers regathered (Psalms 107:1)_ 2. The prisoners released (Psalms 107:10) 3. The fools hea

BOOK V. PSS. CVII.- CL. CVII. A Psalm of Thanksgiving for Yahweh's Special Goodness. It is divided at Psalms 107:8 f., Psalms 107:15 f., Psalms 107:21 f., Psalms 107:31 f. by a refrain: viz. Oh that men would praise Yahweh for his goodness and for his wonderful works, etc. The Ps. therefore falls into the following divisions: Psalms 107:1. Deliverance of homeless wanderers. In our text, as it stands, there seems to be some confusion between deliverance from adversity in general and especially from loss of way in the desert and the retur