Psalm 101: No Wicked Thing
David vows to behave wisely and to walk within his house with “a perfect heart.” To that end, he promises to “set no wicked thing before [his] eyes” and to choose his friends wisely.
Psalm 102: Thou Art the Same
The psalmist opens with a plea for God to hear his prayer, then pivots to an expression of confidence: “Thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever. … Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion.” The psalmist testifies that the earth and the heavens “shall wax old like a garment,” but in contrast, he says to God, “Thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- Jacob quotes the following testimony from Isaiah: “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. But my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished” (2 Nephi 8:6; compare Isaiah 51:6).
- Both Nephi and Moroni testify of Christ: “He is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (1 Nephi 10:18; Moroni 10:19; see also Hebrews 13:8).
Psalm 103: As a Father
David says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” He remembers all of God’s “benefits,” including forgiving sins, healing diseases, providing tender mercies, and nourishing us. He says that God’s mercy is as great as the heavens are above the earth, and that “as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- David says, “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.” Jacob quotes this testimony from Isaiah: “Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son of man, who shall be made like unto grass?” (2 Nephi 8:12; compare Isaiah 51:12).
Psalm 104: How Manifold Are Thy Works!
The psalmist delights in God’s creations, including “the foundations of the earth,” mountains and valleys, plants and animals, and “this great and wide sea” where sea monsters play. He speaks of creation and renewal: “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- An angel tells Benjamin that Jesus Christ is “the Creator of all things from the beginning” (Mosiah 3:8), and Benjamin admonishes his people: “Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth” (Mosiah 4:9).
Psalm 105: He Hath Remembered His Covenant
The psalmist reviews the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Joseph, and Moses leading Israel out of Egypt. He concludes that God “hath remembered his covenant for ever.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- The promise that God will remember his covenants is a common theme in the Book of Mormon. For example, Nephi says, “Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt” (1 Nephi 17:40).
Psalm 106: They Soon Forgat His Works
The mirror image of the prior psalm. God remembers; people forget. This psalm relates many events from the Exodus and the Wandering in the Wilderness, emphasizing how the children of Israel repeatedly forgot Him, served idols, and provoked Him to anger. Nevertheless, the psalm testifies, “He remembered for them his covenant.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- Nephi reminds his brothers that the children of Israel “did harden their hearts from time to time” (1 Nephi 17:42). He also reproves them for their forgetfulness: “Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God” (1 Nephi 17:45).
Psalm 107: Oh That Men Would Praise the Lord!
The psalmist lists numerous blessings God gives to His children, with the repeated refrain, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” He concludes, “Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.”
Psalm 108: My Heart Is Fixed
This psalm consists of passages from two prior psalms. Verses 1-5 are basically Psalm 57:7-11, while verses 6-13 are Psalm 60:5-12. David opens by declaring that he is determined to sing and give praise to God: “My heart is fixed.” He acknowledges that he needs God’s help and says, “Through God we shall do valiantly.”
Psalm 109: Let Them Curse, but Bless Thou
David pleads with God to deliver him from his enemies. He requests cursings upon those who persecute the poor: “As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.” In the end, he pleads to see a sharp contrast between the unkindness of people and the mercy of God. “Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.”
Psalm 110: The Order of Melchizedek
David speaks of his Lord sitting at the right hand of God and ruling with power and holiness. He says, “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- Alma teaches the people of Ammonihah that God “ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son.” He associates this priesthood order with Melchizedek, who exercised mighty faith and “received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God” (Alma 13:1, 18).
Today I will discipline my heart, remember God’s mercy, and strive to live according to His holy order.
Leave a Reply