Psalm 107

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Who - An unnamed psalmist writes a Thanksgiving song for gathered worship, speaking to the people.  

What - The primary focus is to call the people to remember the steadfast love of the LORD.  The reasons for calling the people to remember are thanksgiving, encouragement and admonishment.  Those who have experienced the steadfast love of LORD are to give thanks to Lord for what he has done.  Those in similar circumstances to the first group are encouraged to seek the LORD for help.  Why?  Because from His steadfast love He will help them if they are repentant and faithful.  Individuals are admonished not to join the wicked or turn to sinful ways.   The LORD’S steadfast love for His people means the LORD’S judgment for those who oppress others.  

When - Unstated

Where - Unstated

Why - The psalmist is calling the people to give thanks to the LORD for His steadfast love and His deliverance from trouble.  He is calling the redeemed of the LORD to give thanks to Him for redeeming them.  

How - The psalmist calls on the people to praise and give thanks to the LORD for He is good.  His steadfast love endures forever and He redeems His people from trouble.  The psalmist first calls the redeemed to praise and give thanks to the LORD.  He lists four groups the LORD has redeemed:  

1. Wanderers in a wasteland the LORD has led to a city to dwell in.  
2. Those suffering in the shadow of death and in affliction and prison because they rebelled against the LORD.   
3. The foolish who suffered affliction as a result of their foolishness, but were healed when they cried out to the LORD.   
4. Those who went to do business on the sea and the LORD sent a great storm to discipline them.  They were saved when they cried out to the LORD.  Each group is called to give thanks to the LORD for his steadfast love and wondrous works for the children of men.  For He:    1) satisfies the longing soul (vs 9).  2) shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron (vs 16).  3) delivers from destruction (vs 20).  4) brings them to their desired haven (vs 30).  Each is to testify to the LORD’S wondrous works.  

The last two stanzas are admonishments to avoid wickedness.  The LORD punishes those who do evil while he blesses those who do good.  

So What 

1. Testify to the LORD’S steadfast love in your life by telling what He has done for you.  All of us fit into one or more of the four groups listed by the psalmist.  Testify!
2. When we find ourselves in one of the four situations described by the psalmist, cry out to Jesus.  He will save.  
3. When tempted to do evil or join wicked people, remember the steadfast love of the LORD becomes the steadfast judgment of the LORD for the wicked (vs 33-43).  
4. Give thanks to the LORD for he is good and His steadfast love endures forever!  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!  

Psalm 104

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Who - An unnamed author gives praise to the LORD.  

What - This psalm tells about two attributes of God.  The first is the Lord as the sustainer and provider for creatures here on earth.  The second is the LORD’S greatness and majesty.  It is a song of deep and joyful praise to the LORD driven by the psalmist’s amazement at the LORD’S majesty, greatness and power.  

When - Unknown

Where - Unknown

Why - The psalmist is praising the LORD and giving Him glory.  He is also calling his hearers to praise the LORD for the same reasons he is praising the LORD.  

Psalm 101

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Who - David writes a song of commitment to the LORD.  

What - David is making a promise to the LORD of how he will live.  It is a promise to live in a covenant with the LORD.  All the promises David makes to the LORD are aspects or components of covenantal living, to call and affirm good that which the LORD has called good and evil what the LORD has called evil.  

This song is also a praise and a request.  David praises the LORD for His steadfast love and justice.  David's only request in this song is for the LORD to come to David.  

While this psalm is a personal pledge to the LORD by David, it is also a psalm that describes the perfect king and the perfect people.  It is describing the perfect Davidic king, the one promised in 2 Samuel chapter 7.  Therefore, it is a psalm that describes the Messiah.  

When - Unstated, but it must be early in David’s life or early in his kingship.  He would not say these things in this way after Bathsheba and Absalom.

Where - Unstated

Psalm 100

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Who - An unnamed psalmist talks to the gathered worshipers.  

What - This is a psalm of thanksgiving according to the title.  The psalmist is calling the gathered worshipers to give thanks to the LORD.  He calls on them to declare the LORD’S steadfast love for them.  

When - Unstated.  Probably at a festal gathering at the temple.  

Where - Unknown, probably Jerusalem.

Why - No particular event is associated with this psalm, so the purpose seems to be for general thanksgiving, probably as part of a festal gathering.  

Psalm 95

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Who - An unnamed psalmist speaks to the people gathered for worship.  

What - A psalm of thanksgiving and a call to obey the LORD.  This psalm is a psalm for corporate worship, though it could be for any size group or even an individual.  

When - Unknown 

Where - Unknown

Why - The psalmist is calling the people to come and worship the LORD, to sing and delight in the LORD because he is a great God and King.  And also because those gathered in worship are His people.  The psalmist warns the people not to be unfaithful like their forefathers at Meribah and Massah, primarily not to go astray in their hearts.  

Psalm 94

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Who - An unnamed psalmist talking to the LORD and then to the people.  

What -This is a psalm of thanksgiving and lament, it is also a wisdom psalm.  The psalmist is saying three things: 

1. The psalmist is thanking the LORD for his deliverance of the psalmist from danger and the wicked person.  
2. The psalmist is lamenting over the actions of the wicked people who oppress and abuse those around the psalmist. 
3. The psalmist is also instructing his hearers about the downfall of the wicked so they will resist the temptation to adopt their ways.  

When - Unknown

Where - Unknown

Why - Either a foreign group or a group of Israelites not living in covenant faithfulness have taken control of the land and are oppressing the people by wicked actions.  The psalmist is talking to the LORD for help and acknowledging the LORD'S previous deliverance.  He is also warning others not to fall for the temptation to adopt the methods and philosophies of the wicked.  Because despite the current prosperity of the wicked, the LORD sees and hears and will bring them to justice.  

Psalm 92

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Who - An unnamed psalmist writes to the LORD.  

What - This is a psalm written for Sabbath worship.  The psalmist is declaring the LORD’S goodness and the joy it brings him to see the works of the LORD’S hands.  He is also expressing his hope in the LORD for deliverance and vindication against his enemies.  As this is a psalm written for Sabbath worship, it is meant for the congregation to sing and embrace as their own prayer to the LORD.  The psalmist does not identify a specific problem, but seems to be focusing on the LORD’S worthiness of praise even though a general threat exists.  

When - unstated

Where - unstated

Why - The psalmist is pointing to all the reasons for praising the LORD and to call his hearers to praise the LORD.  

Psalm 91

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Who - The author is unstated.  He is appealing to the LORD and speaking to his hearers.  

What - This reads like a deliverance psalm, as the author is asking the LORD to deliver him and his hearers from some trouble.  Is this an individual psalm or a corporate psalm?  I cannot tell from the words whether its original inspiration was an individual crisis or a national one.  It reads as if the priest was saying these words over the army as they go out to battle.  Yet it has a very personal “you” and “I” singular message.  Either way it is appropriate to apply in both cases today.  

Satan quotes verses 11 and 12 to Jesus at His temptation on top of the temple.  Which is stunning as verse 13 talks about the Messiah's victory over the lion and serpent!  Jesus’s response about not testing the LORD is a good warning about misuse of a psalm to justify careless and reckless actions.  

When - Unstated

Where - Unstated

Why - The author is facing a crisis in which his physical life is in danger.  He is asking the LORD to deliver him.