Psalm 103 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Psalm 103 Short Summary:

Psalm 103 is a psalm of praise to God for His kindness and mercy. It speaks of God’s patient nature, how He tolerates us longer than we deserve to be tolerated. He chooses not always to punish us for our sins but to show us compassion. This psalm contains the famous words, which are now a title of a hymn, “Bless the Lord, O my soul… bless His holy name!”

Psalm 103 Summary

AUTHOR:

• David is the author of Psalm 103.

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:

• No Known New Testament References.

THEMES:

• Psalm 103 is a meditation on the goodness of God.

• It extolls His beautiful qualities and blesses Him for His forgiving spirit.

DEFINITIONS:

• Chide (103:9) – To scold or rebuke.

OUTLINE:

• BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL (103:1-22):

  • Psalm 103 is a meditation on the goodness of God and how we ought to worship the Lord because of His goodness.

  • David expressed this in the opening words of the psalm, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!”

  • David wanted to remind himself of all of God’s good qualities so he wouldn’t forget. Those good qualities included God’s forgiveness, healing, love, and mercy.

  • God was constantly refreshing David. His relationship with God was the highlight of his life.

  • David described God as a warrior fighting for the oppressed and a source of love who was slow to anger.

  • Speaking of God’s mercy, he wrote, “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.”

  • God doesn’t always give us what we deserve for our sins, which is a good thing! Like a father, He shows compassion to His children.

  • God’s love is “from everlasting to everlasting” on those who keep His instructions.

  • The Lord was enthroned in Heaven, and David called on the angels, the hosts of Heaven, and His own soul to bless the Lord forever.

APPLICATION:

• There are times to be critical. There are times to discuss problems and work on solutions. There are times to talk about what has gone wrong that needs fixing.

• There are times to talk about God’s anger and His judgement.

• But those things should never become our sole focus or our obsession, causing us to dwell in a negative state of mind continually.  

• There are times when we should dwell on what is good. What is right about the Church and what is beautiful about God.

• Psalm 103 is a case study in how to do that. It is overwhelmingly positive, and it reminds us that there is a lot in life that is good, especially and above all our God.