I’m not Irish, but I sure love their music. My daughters and I have the habit of singing Irish songs to each other… They each have a special song, with a special phrase that I sing to them. One of the songs speaks of a “Blessing” between an older and a younger person, another song is really about an Irishman leaving the Island never to return. Yet one phrase in this song is special to my oldest daughter and I; “Let me tell you that I love you, that I think about you all the time.”
I’m not Jewish, but I love their songs too. Their cries of petition and praise to God often strike a chord within my heart. I have not known their hurts, but my hurts produce in me many of the same emotions David sings about. Recently I was reading a book to my children that referenced Psalm One hundred and Seven, we stopped and read it together. My daughter read, and I wept.
This Psalm is a poem of broken thanksgiving for God’s mercy in bringing his people back from exile. It is a corporate praise song; it expresses the thanks of many for God’s grace toward all of his people. The plural praise is “Let THEM thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works among the children of man!” I see myself everywhere in this Psalm, I see the church everywhere in this psalm. Let me show you:
• They have been redeemed from trouble and gathered “From the East and from the West, from the North and from the South.”
• Eph 2:17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
• They were Thirsty and hungry finding no way to a city to dwell in.
• We drink the water of life without cost Rev 22:17, We have come to the city of God. Heb 12:22
• They sat in darkness in the shadow of death, in affliction and irons for they had rebelled against the words of God
• For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.2 Cor. 4:6
The Song, and Psalm, and my hearts echo of it, go on to describe men who were fools in their sin, and suffer affliction cry out for mercy and find him sweet. Some pursued wealth and adventure in ships on the sea, only to discover in their running that God is God of the ocean as well. God punctuates their puniness by sending storms from the deep that cause them to cry out to him. My heart swells in awe when David sings of God bringing men to a haven, who have spurned and run from him. The glory goes on as the song sings of rivers turned to deserts and back again, all as part of his plan to make known his work to the children of man. Our God makes wickedness “Shut its mouth.”
In another mans song about God’s mercy toward his people, I find a poem of praise to borrow for my own use. While I borrow Irish ballads to sing love songs to my girls, I will also sing this song to my children.
I am not a Jew, but I sure love their music.