“Bless the Lord, O My Soul”

(Psalm 103)

Mike Johnson

 There are 150 psalms in the Bible.  David wrote most of them, but there are other writers, such as Asaph, Korah, Moses, and Solomon.  There are many psalms classified as psalms of praise.  A well-known psalm of praise is Psalm 103.  Highly extolled, it is a psalm of celebration as the first two verses, and the last indicates.  Consider the thoughts of one writer.

“It is perhaps the most perfect song of pure praise to be found in the Bible.  It has become the common inheritance of all who through suffering and deliverance have learned the goodness of Jehovah. Through centuries it has been sung by glad hearts, and today is as fresh and full of beauty as ever.  It is praise intensive and extensive.”  (Exposition of the Whole Bible, by G. Campbell Morgan)

Scholars regard David as the author of Psalm 103.  The basis for this is his name being in the superscription, or title.  The superscription, however, is not a part of the inspired text, but it does go back to ancient times.  No valid reason appears to exist to question David’s authorship.

We will now consider this book in four parts.  They are:  An Outburst of Praise (1-2), Benefits from God (3-7), God’s Mercy & Grace (8-18), Praise for the Lord (19-22).

An Outburst of Praise (1-2) 

Verses 1-2 say, “(1) Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!  (2) Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.”

David is reminding himself to bless the Lord.  Typically, we ask for God’s blessings for ourselves or another person.  When God blesses people, it means they receive divine favor, happiness, peace, and contentment.  When we bless God, as one writer points out, “It means to praise, implying always a strong affection for him as well as a sense of gratitude” (Barnes Notes).  Blessing God involves acknowledging what God has done and how much we owe Him.  One translation (NIV) renders the word as “praise” instead of “bless.”  Further, to bless “His holy name” means to bless Him.

These two verses tell us how we are to praise the Lord, listing four ways.

1. Personally – He says “my” soul. He is not handing this act over to someone else; it is what he is doing.

2.  Spiritually – He speaks of his “soul.” In speaking of his soul, he means his mind or heart, i.e., that which is spiritual as his praise will come from within him.  The next phrase, “all that is within me,” seems to explain the meaning of the word “soul.”  All of the adoration, veneration, and praise, no matter how eloquently said, are of no value if it does not come from within (Mt. 15:8-9).

3.  Whole-heartedly – He says “all” that is within me. This word means nothing left out, i.e., “when I praise You, I will give it my all.”

4.  Purposefully – The Psalmist will “forget not all His benefits.” We try not to forget many things, e.g., a wedding anniversary.  Even more importantly, we should not forget the benefits we receive from God, as praising God should remind us to be thankful (2 Pet. 2:9).

Blessing, or praising, God, and being grateful to Him goes hand-in-hand. Grateful people are more motivated to praise the Lord, and as we do so, thinking about all He has done, reminds us of other great blessings.

In the Old Testament, thankfulness is emphasized –– especially in the book of Psalms.  For example, Psalm 75:1 reveals, “We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!  For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.”  Psalm 136:26 admonishes, “Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!  For His mercy endures forever.”

In the New Testament, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us that in everything we are to give thanks, and Hebrews 13:15 concludes, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

Instead of being thankful, some are complainers.  Consider the following illustration.

An older fellow who had a postcard in his hand approached a man writing at the post office desk.  The old man said, “Sir, could you please address this postcard for me?”  The man gladly did so, he agreed to write a short message on the postcard, and he even signed it for the man, too.  Finally, the man doing the writing said to the older man, “Now, is there anything else I can do for you?”  The old fellow thought about it for a minute, and he said, “Yes, at the end, could you just put, P.S., please excuse the sloppy handwriting.”

Thanksgiving and complaining are opposite attitudes.  Blessing God is not optional; praising Him should come easy for a grateful person.

Benefits from God (3-7)

A person working a job might complain about how little he makes.  Someone might remind him, “Don’t forget your benefits.”  An excellent employee benefits package can be valuable.  One writer called this next section, “The Divine Benefits Package.”  These verses list many benefits God offers.  It is not a complete list but a representative sample.  Note them now.

1. Forgiveness – Verse 3a says, “Who forgives all your iniquities . . . .” Most people asked to list blessings from God, would probably put forgiveness at the top.

It is interesting to note that David says, “all” iniquities.  In another passage, Psalm 25:18, the Psalmist asks, “Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins.”  In the New Testament, 1 John 1:9 reassures us by saying, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Titus 2:14, speaking of Christ, reveals, “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”  It does not matter how bad we think a particular sin is or how many transgressions we have committed; forgiveness is obtainable.  God forgave Paul’s sins even though he had been a persecutor of Christians, and he even referred to himself as the “chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15).  Even the people who killed the son of God could receive forgiveness (Acts 2:22-23, 37-40).

We are comforted by knowing that God will forgive all of our sins.  Knowing that we are laying up treasures in heaven and have an eternal rest waiting because of being forgiven, is a great benefit.

2.  Heals – “Who heals all your diseases” (3b). God does not heal all physical diseases; we cannot expect the healing of every illness for the rest of our lives.  Eventually, we will die –– death is an appointment (Heb. 9:27).

Some think David is speaking about his experiences, but the Bible does not mention David having a disease.  David does possibly allude to having physical issues in some of his Psalms (Ps. 6:2; 22:14-17; 30:2-3; 86:13).

We read about Christ, and others, performing miracles to heal people, but He did not heal everyone, and miraculous healing was for a limited time (1 Cor. 13:8-10, Acts 8:17-18).

Another way God heals (both the righteous and unrighteous) is through the immune system, which He gave us.  Our lymph system and white blood cells serve a vital function.  Because of this, a cold, for instance, will not last a lifetime.  Consider the following quote.

“Your immune system steps in, like a bouncer who means business.  It releases white blood cells and other chemicals that destroy these threats.  Or it causes a reaction, like a sneeze, to boot out a virus in your nose.  It’s an elite squad of agents that zap invaders –– like bacteria, viruses, and fungi –– ASAP.  They zoom through your body and defend you.”  (Web MD)

God can heal us physically, even today (2 Cor. 12:7, Phil. 2:25-27).  He can intervene, through His providence, which is why we ask God to heal others and ourselves.

Consider the entire verse: “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases” David may be speaking metaphorically of being “healed” of sin.  The Bible does compare sin to disease (Is. 53:5), and he may be using parallelism, often used in poetic language.  In this case, “forgives” and “heals” means the same, and “iniquities” and “diseases” are the same.  Thus, God heals (forgives) our diseases (iniquities).   Regardless of the intent, both approaches are biblically correct.

3.  Redeems – “Who redeems your life from destruction. . . .” (4a). Some translations translate destruction as “pit.”

Many times the Old Testament refers to God as the Redeemer of Israel.  For example, in Psalm 19:14, David appeals to God, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”  In Deuteronomy 9:26, Moses appealed to the Lord, “. . . O Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.”

What does redemption mean?  One use is in the sense of “buying back” something such as land (Lev. 25:26; Ruth 4:4 ff).  It also may refer to buying back what needs rescuing (Num. 3:51, Neh. 5:8).  When applied to God, it means to deliver from sin, death, or danger.  For example, God redeemed the children of Israel from the Egyptian bondage (2 Sam. 7:23).

David probably meant this more in a physical sense than a spiritual intent. David could probably recall many occasions in his life when God delivered him from danger and death.   He may not have understood the details concerning the ultimate cost of redemption for humanity, the death of our Savior.

In the New Testament, we learn the details about Christ as our Redeemer.  He is our Deliverer; He paid the price, His blood, for our sins.  Ephesians 1:7 assures us, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”  1 Peter 1:18-19 explains, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

4.  Crowns – “. . . Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies” (4b). Thus, God gives us a crown –– not literally but figuratively.  (The original word carries with it the concept of “surround.”)  He speaks of God bestowing honor, dignity, and favor.  He crowns us with “lovingkindness” and “tender mercies.”  One writer put it like this, “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” (from Barnes’ Notes).

 Although not reflected in every translation, the Hebrew used here carries with it the idea of a continuing or steadfast action.  Some translate (ESV, NRSV) as “who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”  Also, note Lamentations 3:21-23, where the writer declares, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,  his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  (Note also Ps. 23:6.)

Thus, God’s kindness is loving, and His mercy is tender.  We need God’s forgiveness today; we have offended God with our sins and deserve punishment.  Since God is merciful, however, we can be forgiven. In Psalm 86:15, the Psalmist proclaims, “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”

Today, God crowns His people with lovingkindness and tender mercy.

5.  Satisfies – “Who satisfies your mouth with good things (5). The word, rendered “mouth” (NKJV) seems to be a difficult word to translate.  Various renderings of the term are: “your desires” (NIV), “you” (ESV), and “your years” (NASB).

What does this mean?  The basic idea is that God will satisfy us, for as long as we live, with good things.  The “good things” here does not refer to physical blessings, although God will supply these (Mt. 6:33).  In the context, he speaks of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, and all else that He has done for us.

Generally, when people are satisfied with something, they do not want a replacement.  A person happy with his house does not wish for another.  The same is true with our cars, clothes, and computers.  David is saying that the Lord satisfies him, so he will live for and glorify Him.  Are we satisfied with the Lord?  If so, we should serve Him and no other.  No alternatives exist.

Verse 5b says, “So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”  Eagles can live for 40 years or more and continue to have vigor.  They are a picture of strength, even in their old age (Is 40:31).  The idea is that followers of God, even in their old age, will have strength.

6.  Executes – “The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed” (6). The Psalmist probably intends the children of Israel as the primary application (Note verse 7).  Oppressed as slaves, God heard their “groanings” and acted. Exodus 2:23b-25 points out, “. . . the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.  So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.”  God’s deliverance, however, was not always immediate.  They often had to suffer consequences for their sins, and a factor in God’s deliverance was repentance.

Also, God expects us, to the best of our ability, to do what this verse says, i.e., to execute righteousness and justice for all.  Isaiah, quoting the Word of the Lord, admonished the people of his day to, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor;  defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Is. 1:17).  Zechariah 7:9-10 tells us we are to execute justice, show mercy and compassion to the oppressed.  Various New Testament passages make clear the importance of doing good and helping others (Mt. 25:31-46; Rom. 2:7, 10; Gal. 6:10).

We must remember that God is there whatever the oppression might be.  Barnes points out such circumstances.  He says, “By harsh laws; by unjust governments; by slavery; by unrighteous decisions in courts; by the pride and power of wicked people” (Barnes’ Notes).

7.  Reveals – “He made known His ways to Moses . . .” (7). Moses appealed to God for revelations.  In Exodus 33:13, he called to God, “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” The Lord spoke to Moses on numerous occasions.  The phrase, “the Lord spoke to Moses” is found over forty times in the book of Exodus.  He guided Moses and the children of Israel throughout their time in the wilderness.  They also learned about God through His acts (7b).

We should have a strong desire, like Moses, to know God’s will.  We learn about God, to some degree, through “natural” revelation (Ps. 19:1).  For example, we learn about His power.  Yet, it goes beyond that as He also has revealed Himself to us by “special revelation,” through the Scriptures (Eph. 3:3-5).  Here, we learn about how God created the earth, sin, His love, mercy, and what He expects of us today.  We should be thankful for God’s revelations. 

God’s Mercy and Grace (8-18)

Verse 8 tells us, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.”  This verse tells us four facts about God.  God is:

1. Merciful – Being merciful is a part of God’s fundamental character. Consider the following definition of the Hebrew word:  “an adjective meaning compassionate, merciful.  It indicates a merciful and forgiving character and attitude.  It is an important word defining the character of God, and every time, it refers to God.  It is part of the moral definition of God. . .”  (The Complete Word Study Dictionary).  The word in the original also carries with it the idea of the kind of love people have for their families, such as what a mother would have for her nursing child.

Because God is merciful, He forgives our sins (Ps. 51:1-4), and the source of His mercy is love.  Ephesians 2:4-5 informs us, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”  Vines points out that the Greek word (translated “mercy) used here means, “the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it” (Vines Expository Dictionary of Old Testament Words).

God will never stop being merciful.  Psalm 136 sings the praises of God’s mercy, using the phrase, “His mercy endures forever” in all 26 of its verses.  The Psalmist does this each time he speaks of the many great acts of God.  God will never cease being merciful!

2.  Gracious – From verse 8, we also learn that God is not only merciful but is gracious. The definition of this word is similar to the word “merciful.” The Hebrew word, translated “gracious,” means to be gracious and merciful.  Consider the following definition.

This word is used solely as a descriptive term of God. The Lord used this word when He revealed Himself to Moses (Ex 34:6), as One who is, above all else, merciful and abounding in compassion (Ps 86:15; 103:8). Elsewhere, it expresses the Lord’s response to the cry of the oppressed (Ex 22:27); His treatment of those that reverence Him (Ps 111:4; 112:4); His attitude toward those who repent (Joel 2:13); His mercy in the face of rebellion (Neh. 9:17,31; Jonah 4:2); and His leniency toward His people in the midst of judgment” (2 Chron. 30:9).  (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament)

In Psalm 86:15, the Psalmist praises God, saying, “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”

3.  Slow to Anger – This is the third trait of God cited in verse 8. God is patient and does not act hastily.  Today, the fact that the second coming has not yet occurred is due to God being longsuffering and wanting everyone to be saved (2 Pet. 3:8-10).

4.  Abounding in Mercy – Most translations render the Hebrew word used here, as “love” or “lovingkindness.” Earlier, we saw that God is merciful.  Now we see that his mercy/love abounds.  What is said here in verse 8, is similar to what God said of Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7 when He stated, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin . . . .” 

Verses 9-10 continues, “(9) He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever.  (10) He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.”  These verses follow in light of God’s mercy, grace, and being slow to anger, etc.

The text says, God “will not always strive with us.”  The word translated   “strive” is translated “accuse” by some translations, e.g., the NIV and the NRSV.  It involves the idea of striving or contending, such as someone might do in a lawsuit (The Complete Word Study Dictionary).  The “striving” here involves punishment for our sins.

Any punishment from God that the people received in God’s dealings with them was less than they deserved (10).  Ezra 9:13 informs us, “And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this.”  God’s abatement of their punishment was due to His mercy and was because they repented.  Ezekiel 18:26-28 states, “Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive.  Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

Today, due to our iniquities, we deserve punishment.  However, since God is merciful, based on our repentance (Acts 2:38, 8:22, 17:30-31), we can experience forgiveness.  When God forgives us, He remembers our sin no more (Is. 43:25, Heb. 8:12).

Verses 11-14 tell us about the greatness of God’s mercy.  They say, “ (11) For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; (12) As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.  (13) As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.  (14) For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”  Consider three comparisons made to emphasize God’s mercy, forgiveness, and pity.

God’s mercy is “as the heavens are high above the earth” (11). The distance to the sun and planets, for example, is almost unfathomable to imagine.  The sun, for instance, is 93 million miles away, and mathematicians tell us that it would take 177 years to get to the sun in a car traveling 60 miles per hour.  Yet, as far away as they are, God has that much mercy (often translated “love”) for those who fear Him.  His mercy is of overwhelming magnitude.

Next, God has removed our transgressions, “as far as the east is from the west” (12).  A person going north who reaches the North Pole, continuing to travel, will start going south.  You can only travel so far north, and then you will change directions.  The person who starts moving east around the globe will always be traveling east, never changing directions.  This simile denotes infinite space.

At this time, people probably thought the earth was flat.  People during biblical times would have perhaps imagined the space from the eastern to the western edges of the earth, which they would have perceived as a great distance.  However, this outlook would not have expressed the full force of this verse.

After doing what the Bible says Christians must do for forgiveness, some may not have full confidence in God’s mercy –– doubts may persist.  We must trust God’s Word, however.  God says, in Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”  In Isaiah 38:17, Hezekiah declared that God had cast all of his sins behind His back. Speaking of what would happen in the New Covenant, God said, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb. 8:12).

To what degree has God removed our transgressions?  He has done so as far as the east is from the west, a distance beyond imagination.  No matter how far people go, they cannot outdistance the extent of God’s forgiveness.  God forgives in this way because of his mercy/love for us.

Finally, the question is asked, “How does God pity us?”  The text (13) says he does so as a father pities his children. (Many translations say, “has compassion.”) The concept of God being our Father occurs throughout the Scriptures.  Parents typically love their children, and this emotion seems to be natural.

Consider an analogy Jesus used in Matthew 7:9-11, where He compares God to an earthly father:  “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

A similar comparison, showing God’s compassion, is used in the story of the Prodigal Son.  When the son returned, his father saw him and “had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him (Lk. 15:20-21).

God is our Father; He loves us as parents love their children.  Consider the following statement:

God is a Father to those that fear him and owns them for his children, and he is tender of them as a father. The father pities his children that are weak in knowledge and instructs them, pities them when they are froward and bears with them, pities them when they are sick and comforts them (Isa 66:13), pities them when they have fallen and helps them up again, pities them when they have offended, and, upon their submission, forgives them, pities them when they are wronged and gives them redress; thus the Lord pities those that fear him.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible.)

Yet, it is essential to understand that God reserves this pity (compassion) for those who fear Him (13b).

Why does God have pity/compassion on us?  Verse 14 points out, “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”   One translation (NRSV) says, “For He knows how we were made,” and another, the NIV, says, “For He knows how we were formed.”

As our Creator (Gen. 2:7), God knows “we are dust” (14b). 1 Corinthians 15, which compares our earthly bodies to our spiritual bodies, which we will one day have, points out that God made Adam of dust, and we are like him (45-48).  Various passages speak of us returning to the dust (Gen. 3:19; Eccl. 3:20, 12:7).  On one occasion, Abraham approached God, recognizing  his  irrelevance, and said in Genesis 18:27, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord.”

As our Creator, God knows our frailties and weaknesses.  As noted, His compassion toward us is like what a father has for His children.  People often have pity and compassion for another person, or even an animal, when they are in a weakened or helpless state.  God knows we are of dust and are feeble –– He pities His children; He understands us.  Psalm 78:38-39 expresses a similar idea as it says, speaking of God, “But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath; for He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again.”

In verses 15-17, the writer compares the frailty of humanity to God’s mercy.  “ (15) As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. (16) For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.  (17) But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children. (18) To such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.” Life on earth, in our mortal bodies, is compared elsewhere to unsubstantial flowers and grass.  In Psalm 90:3-5a, the writer compares life on earth to a “sleep” or a “watch in the night.”  Then he writes, “. . . In the morning they are like grass which grows up: In the morning it flourishes and grows up; in the evening it is cut down and withers.”  In 1 Peter 1:22-25, the Bible compares “flesh” to grass and flowers, and then puts these in contrast with the Word of God which endures forever.  Human beings are here for a short time, and then they depart as grass and flowers (16b).

In contrast to these, God’s mercy is from “everlasting to everlasting” (17a).  Instead of “mercy,” this is often translated as “love” or “lovingkindness.” The expression “everlasting to everlasting” is commonly used in the Scripture to describe God as being eternal (Ps. 90:2).  Here, it is saying that God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting.  This statement means that from a particular point in time, looking backward, God’s mercy is “from everlasting,” that is, it has no beginning.  Then, from a specific point in time looking forward, God’s mercy is “to everlasting,” that is, it has no end.  (Note also 1 Chron. 16:36, Ps. 41:13.)  Since God is eternal, all that pertains to Him is as well. Just as He is eternal, His mercy is everlasting, having no beginning or end.

Verse 17b tells us there is a qualification for receiving His mercy.  It is for “those who fear Him,” which is also expressed in verses 11 and 13.  Fearing God involves keeping, (obeying) His commandments (18).

Praise the Lord (19-22)

In verse 19, the Psalmist continues, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”  Spurgeon referred to this last section as, “. . . a grand burst of song produced by a view of the boundless power, and glorious sovereignty of Jehovah” (The Treasury of David).  David calls for the worship and praise of a merciful and loving God.  This verse tells us the nature of God’s throne.

First, he says God established His throne in heaven.  The word translated “established” means to be “firm” and “fixed.  It can be further defined as “A verb meaning to set up, to make firm, to establish, to prepare. The primary action of this verb is to cause to stand in an upright position, and thus the word also means fixed or steadfast. It signifies the action of setting in place or erecting an object (Isa 40:20; Mic 4:1). . . .”  (The Complete Word Study Dictionary)

Leaders of nations come and go; empires even fall; “thrones” are often precarious.  In contrast, the throne of God is fixed.  He is eternal, and so is His dominion.  Further, His rule is universal –– it is over all (19b).    Psalm 47:2 reveals, “For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.”

In verse 1 of Psalm 103, David said he would bless the Lord.  It is not enough for humans to praise God, but he also calls on angels to do the same.  In verse 20, he urges, “Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.”  In the course of this praise, he also states two facts about angels.  Consider them now.

1. Angels “excel in strength” (20b). Various passages speak of the strength of angels. In 2 Peter 2:10-11, they are said to be more powerful than men.  2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 speaks of “mighty” angels who will accompany Christ when He returns.  Their strength is seen throughout the Scriptures as they carry out God’s Will.  An angel shut the mouth of lions in the story of Daniel (Dan. 6:22); killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers who surrounded Jerusalem (2 Kgs. 19:35); delivered Peter from prison (Acts 12:7-11); rolled away the stone from Jesus’ tomb, estimated to have weighed around four tons (Mt. 28:2, Mk. 16:1-7).  Although angels are more powerful than men, they are not omnipotent like God.  Angels are mighty, but they are not almighty.  God is their source of strength (Ps. 72:18).

2.  Angels obey God’s Word. The last part of the verse says they “do His word, heeding the voice of His word.”  They are willing to be subject to the Will of God.  They are in an acceptable position to bless God.

Verse 21 continues with a call to praise God.  It says, “Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.”  Who are the “hosts” David calls upon to bless God?  Some interpret this as the heavenly hosts, e.g., the sun, moon, and stars.  We do see the term used this way in the Scriptures (Deut. 17:13, Jer. 33:22).  However, in this verse, “hosts” seems to continue to speak of angels, as it does elsewhere in the Scriptures (1 Kgs. 22:19, 2 Chron. 18:18).  Notice the use of the term at the birth of Christ.  Luke 2:13-14 says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’”  Angels are messengers and servants of God and are “ministers of His who do His pleasure” (21b).  Verses 20-21 are parallel to one another.  Parallelism is where a writer expresses the same idea twice, using different words.  The main point of these two verses is that even angels (mighty heavenly beings) are to praise God, so humans should undoubtedly do so.

David concludes in verse 22, continuing to praise God, saying, “Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!”

Material things are sometimes called on in poetry to speak or to praise God.  Psalm 19:1-2 exclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.”  In Psalm 148:1-5, the writer declares, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!  Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!  Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!  Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created.”

He ends this psalm as he stared, reminding himself to praise God.  As minute as he might be, he joins in the praise at the end, and he calls on everyone and everything to do the same: the strong and the weak, the rich and the poor, and the animate and inanimate, are to praise God!  One writer put it like this:

This psalm has been compared to a stream which, as it flows, gradually acquires strength and volume till its waves of praise swell like those of the sea. The poet begins by invoking his own soul to show its gratitude for the Divine favour, and, by a highly artistic touch, makes the psalm, after rising to sublime heights, end with the same appeal to personal experience. (Ellicott Commentary)

This psalm is beautiful; it comes from the heart of a devoted servant of God.  We should not only call on others to bless God, but we should also joyfully praise Him ourselves with our whole hearts!