Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Psalms 105-107 are all about a recounting of the people’s relatively consistent bad behavior, crying out to God, and God’s consistent love and mercy. There are parts of this I appreciate and understand, and parts I don’t.
The accompanying reflection for this section of psalms is from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and focuses on sin and sin’s desire to stay isolated and in the dark. Bonhoeffer says that the more lonely people become, the more power sin has over them. This, he argues is why corporate confession is so valuable. Confessing our sins in the midst of a community daylights the sin, and gives it nowhere to hid. This removes its power over the lonely and isolated. For the psalmist to talk about the sinful history of the people helps to remove the shame and isolation and power of that history. This makes sense to me.
After the collective remembering of sin, the psalmist recounts how the people cried out to God, again and again. And again and again, God showed mercy and saved them from their trials. For this, the people were grateful, until they again fell into sin and the whole cycle started over. This I understand too. We try to live right, only to fail in big and little ways. Every time, we commit to do better, and are grateful for God’s mercy.
Psalm 107 gives a recount of how and where people travelled, how their lives became separated from God, and how God had mercy. Some wandered in desert wastes and could not find any food or water. I’m guessing that this is figurative for people who wandered to places where they couldn’t find spiritual sustenance. Perhaps they should have stayed on the right path. Others sat in darkness and gloom, rebelling against God. These people didn’t necessarily get lost by wandering, but rather in the midst of God’s love and presence, they turned their backs on God, actively resisting God. They cried out, and God answered them. Others became sick because of their evil ways, and eventually returned to God and God saved them.
The group I’m unsure about is the people who went to the boats, and did business on the mighty sea. God showed God’s power through mighty waves, and stormy winds. The people’s courage disappeared, as some of them went down to the depths. They were ‘at their wit’s end’. Um, yes. I don’t get the sense that God conjures up storms and winds, just for fun, or to show people God’s power. Perhaps this group of people didn’t head off with ill-intent as the other groups. Rather, these folks were faced with crises, and their faith faltered. Of course, if I was in a boat with massive storms, and some of my boatmates were mounted up to heaven and others sent to the depths, I suspect my courage would melt away too.
I suspect that I am bristling at this section because it seems like they didn’t set off to do anything untoward. Rather, they came up against God’s power and might and were frightened. Of all the human foibles outlined in this psalm, this is the one I’m most likely to commit. Life hands us all challenges. Responding with courage and faith is what I’m challenged to do, regardless of the size of the waves or whether my boatmates have sunk to the depths. I would take issue that God puts those challenges before us just to demonstrate God’s power. And regardless why the challenges arise, I want to respond without blaming God or losing hope.
This morning, I’m thinking about how to respond to the raging storms in a way that strengthens my faith and resolve, rather than eroding it. I think this has to do with being grateful even for the waves, and acknowledging that God’s present and merciful at all times.
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