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No. 37Psalms of Thanksgiving
Psalm 107
Four kinds of trouble, one refrain: then they cried out, and He delivered them
StatusEssential
Read2 min
Study5 min
DifficultyBeginner
Psalm 107 · Unattributed; post-exilic · Israel; wilderness, prison, sickbed, and sea
The Point
Psalm 107 tells four stories, lost travelers, prisoners, the sick, and sailors in a storm, and gives each the same two-line refrain: then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them; let them thank Him for His steadfast love. The repetition is the argument. Whatever kind of trouble you are in, the psalm says, there is a version of you in here, and the same door out.
Story Snapshot
The psalm calls the redeemed to give thanks because God is good and His steadfast love endures forever. It then tells four stories of distress, wanderers lost in the wilderness, prisoners in darkness and iron, fools suffering from their own sin, and sailors overwhelmed at sea. Each group cries out and is delivered, and each account is followed by the call to thank God for His steadfast love and wonderful deeds.
Main Characters
| Character | Role | Key Trait | Why They Matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wanderers | Lost travelers | Hungry, directionless | Led by a straight way to a city |
| The Prisoners | The confined | Rebellious, then freed | Chains broken, brought out of darkness |
| The Sick | Those suffering their own folly | Weakened, near death | Healed by God's sent word |
| The Sailors | Storm-tossed voyagers | Terrified, courage melted | Brought to their desired haven |
| The LORD | The deliverer in every case | Good, steadfast | Answers every cry with rescue |
Story Summary
The psalm opens by inviting the redeemed of the LORD, those He has gathered from every direction, to say so, giving thanks because He is good and His steadfast love endures forever. Then come four case studies, each built the same way: a description of distress, the cry, the deliverance, and a refrain of thanks. First, wanderers lost in desert wastes, hungry and thirsty, fainting; they cried out and God led them by a straight way to a city to dwell in. Second, prisoners sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, bound in affliction and iron because they had rebelled; they cried out and God brought them out, breaking their chains and shattering the bars. Third, those suffering because of their own foolish ways, so sick they loathed food and drew near death; they cried out and God sent His word and healed them and delivered them from destruction. Fourth, those who go down to the sea in ships, who saw God's deeds in the deep, caught in a storm that lifted them to heaven and dropped them to the depths until their courage melted; they cried out and God hushed the storm to a whisper and brought them to their desired haven. Each account closes with the call to thank the LORD for His steadfast love and His wonderful deeds. The psalm's final section describes God's power to reverse conditions, turning rivers to desert and desert to springs, lifting the needy and bringing down princes, and it ends with a note for the wise: whoever is wise will attend to these things and consider the steadfast love of the LORD.
Timeline
- The CallLet the redeemed of the LORD say so.
- Lost in the WildernessWanderers cry out and are led home.
- Bound in DarknessPrisoners cry out and chains are broken.
- Sick from FollyThe afflicted cry out and are healed.
- Storm at SeaSailors cry out and the storm is hushed.
- ReversalsGod turns desert to springs and humbles princes.
- The Wise Will NoticeConsider the steadfast love of the LORD.
Themes
ThanksgivingDeliveranceRedemptionSteadfast LoveWisdom
What This Story Means
Psalm 107 is deliberately comprehensive. Its four scenarios cover the lostness of having no direction, the confinement of consequences, the sickness that follows our own choices, and the sheer terror of forces beyond us. Notably, two of the four groups are suffering from their own doing, prisoners who rebelled and fools afflicted because of their sins, and God delivers them on exactly the same terms as the innocent sailors. That is a significant pastoral point: the psalm does not sort sufferers into deserving and undeserving before offering the same door. The repeated refrain works like a chorus a congregation could sing back, which is likely its original use. And the final verse turns the whole psalm into a wisdom exercise, telling the reader that paying attention to these patterns is what wisdom looks like.
Bringing It Home
- Whatever the kind of trouble, the psalm's door out is the same: cry to God.
- God delivers those suffering their own consequences on the same terms as anyone else.
- Rehearsing past deliverances aloud is a practice, not a sentiment.
- Wisdom is defined here as paying attention to how God has acted.
Key Verse
Psalm 107:1
“Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.”
Did You Know?
- The psalm opens the fifth and final book of the Psalter.
- Its refrain repeats four times, suggesting congregational response in worship.
- Two of the four groups suffer from their own rebellion or folly, yet receive the same deliverance.
- 'Those who go down to the sea in ships' has long been used in maritime prayer services.
Read Next
What This Shows Us About God
- God's steadfast love endures through every kind of distress.
- God delivers the self-inflicted sufferer as readily as the innocent.
- God reverses conditions, raising the needy and humbling the powerful.
What This Shows Us About People
- We get lost, confined, sick, and overwhelmed in predictable ways.
- We often wait until desperation before crying out.
- We forget deliverances unless we deliberately recount them.
A Question to Sit With
Which of the four stories is closest to mine right now, and have I actually cried out yet?
Prayer
LORD, You are good, and Your steadfast love endures forever. I have been lost, I have been confined by my own choices, I have been sick and afraid. In every one of those, the door out was crying to You. Let me be wise enough to notice how often You have delivered me, and thankful enough to say so. Amen.