Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

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COMMENT

I have never met someone who said no, I am good with my ailment (physical), I do not want to be healed. I have, on the other hand, encountered many who have said they were, in fact, good with their ailment (spiritual) and wanted no part of healing.

Although often quoted and taken out of context (see additional resources below ), it is the latter that our text for today addresses.

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CONTEXT

OVERVIEW: Early modern commentators explore many dimensions of praise and thanksgiving throughout their expositions of this psalm. They stress as the motive for such praise God’s unmerited grace and mercy as demonstrated in his forgiveness of sins. It is this forgiveness that reconciles estranged humans to a holy God. Some of the commentators discuss these themes within the framework of God’s covenant, distinguishing between those merely externally associated with it and those truly included in it by God’s grace. They also view this psalm as a summons not only to humans but also to angels to praise and worship God. Furthermore, attention is given to the explanation of key words in the psalm on the basis of the Hebrew text.

PRAISE OF GOD’S WORKS. WOLFGANG MUSCULUS: The psalm consists of three parts. The first part, verse 1 and 2, he excites his soul to bless and praise the Lord. The second part, from verse 3 until 19, he gives an overview of the blessings God has bestowed on him personally as well as those on Israel in general. The third part, from 19 till the end, celebrates the kingdom of God. And after he has admonished angels, those that have power and dominion and God’s servants to praise all of God’s works, he in the end returns to himself with an admonishment. PSALMS OF DAVID.

GOD’S LOVE IS FATHERLY. ALEXANDER NOWELL: Dear is the name of Father, and of fatherly love, and most full of good hope and confidence. It was God’s will therefore to be called by the sweetest name in earth, by that means alluring us to himself, that we should without fear come to him, taking away all doubting of his fatherly heart and goodwill. For when we determine that he is our Father, then being encouraged with his Spirit, we go to him as children use to go to their father. God therefore in this place liked better to be called “Father,” by name of dear affection and love rather than “King” or “Lord,” by terms of dignity and majesty; and so therewithal to leave to us, as to his children, a most rich inheritance of his fatherly name. NOWELL’S CATECHISM.

Herman J. Selderhuis and Timothy George, eds., Psalms 73–150: Old Testament, vol. VIII, Reformation Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2018), 166–167.

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v.3 Who forgiveth all thy iniquities. He now enumerates the different kinds of the divine benefits, in considering which he has told us that we are too forgetful and slothful. It is not without cause that he begins with God’s pardoning mercy, for reconciliation with him is the fountain from which all other blessings flow. God’s goodness extends even to the ungodly; but they are, notwithstanding, so far from having the enjoyment of it, that they do not even taste it. The first then of all the blessings of which we have the true and substantial enjoyment, is that which consists in God’s freely pardoning and blotting out our sins, and receiving us into his favour. Yea, rather the forgiveness of sins, since it is accompanied with our restoration to the favour of God, also sanctifies whatever good things he bestows upon us, that they may contribute to our welfare. The second clause is either a repetition of the same sentiment, or else it opens up a wider view of it; for the consequence of free forgiveness is, that God governs us by his Spirit, mortifies the lusts of our flesh, cleanses us from our corruptions, and restores us to the healthy condition of a godly and an upright life. Those who understand the words, who healeth all thy diseases, as referring to the diseases of the body, and as implying that God, when he has forgiven our sins, also delivers us from bodily maladies, seem to put upon them a meaning too restricted. I have no doubt that the medicine spoken of has a respect to the blotting out of guilt; and, secondly, to the curing us of the corruptions inherent in our nature, which is effected by the Spirit of regeneration; and if any one will add as a third particular included, that God being once pacified towards us, also remits the punishment which we deserve, I will not object. Let us learn from this passage that, until the heavenly Physician succour us, we nourish within us, not only many diseases, but even many deaths.

John Calvin and James Anderson, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, vol. 4 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 126–127.

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Who forgiveth all thine iniquities. Forgiveth, see on Ps. 25:11. It implies pardon with full pacification. Iniquities, commonly so rendered, always implying wrong, perverseness. All human blessedness either permanent or important, must be based in forgiveness of sin. This is the first gift of God to the penitent. But it is not the last. It is merely the opening of the house of mercy. Who healeth all thy diseases. Diseases, elsewhere sicknesses, Deut. 29:22. It might apply to maladies of the body, 2 Chron. 21:18, 19. But it doubtless has a chief reference to diseases of the soul, Ps. 41:4; Isa. 1:6; 6:10; 53:5. God never bestows pardon without granting with it renewal, by which the corruptions of our hearts are cured. Horne: “What is pride, but lunacy; what is anger, but a fever; what is avarice, but a dropsy; what is lust, but a leprosy; what is sloth, but a dead palsy?” Scott: “Sinful passions are the diseases of the soul.” Did God’s blessing stop at the forgiveness of sins and not go on to cure the madness in our hearts, we should be both vile and miserable forever. Some think that the word diseases has a special reference to bodily miseries sent as the penal consequences of transgression. There is no objection to admitting this additional idea. Compare Ex. 15:26; Ps. 107:17–19. But the catalogue of mercies is only begun:

William S. Plumer, Studies in the Book of Psalms: Being a Critical and Expository Comm

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Are faith healers for real?

Thursday Thoughts- “Cessationism” – 10/03/2024

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DEVOTION

“Who healeth all thy diseases.” —Psalm 103:3

Humbling as is the statement, yet the fact is certain, that we are all more or less suffering under the disease of sin. What a comfort to know that we have a great Physician who is both able and willing to heal us! Let us think of him awhile to-night. His cures are very speedy—there is life in a look at him; his cures are radical—he strikes at the centre of the disease; and hence, his cures are sure and certain. He never fails, and the disease never returns. There is no relapse where Christ heals; no fear that his patients should be merely patched up for a season, he makes new men of them: a new heart also does he give them, and a right spirit does he put with them. He is well skilled in all diseases. Physicians generally have some speciality. Although they may know a little about almost all our pains and ills, there is usually one disease which they have studied above all others; but Jesus Christ is thoroughly acquainted with the whole of human nature. He is as much at home with one sinner as with another, and never yet did he meet with an out-of-the-way case that was difficult to him. He has had extraordinary complications of strange diseases to deal with, but he has known exactly with one glance of his eye how to treat the patient. He is the only universal doctor; and the medicine he gives is the only true catholicon, healing in every instance. Whatever our spiritual malady may be, we should apply at once to this Divine Physician. There is no brokenness of heart which Jesus cannot bind up. “His blood cleanseth from all sin.” We have but to think of the myriads who have been delivered from all sorts of diseases through the power and virtue of his touch, and we shall joyfully put ourselves in his hands. We trust him, and sin dies; we love him, and grace lives; we wait for him and grace is strengthened; we see him as he is, and grace is perfected for ever.

C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).