Question 1

What does it mean that God’s mercy endures for ever in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When this song says God’s mercy endures for ever, it is saying that God’s kindness and loyal love do not run out, even when his people keep failing. The psalm walks through many sins: forgetting his works, complaining, worshiping a calf, joining themselves to idols, and even shedding innocent blood. Again and again, God punishes, yet he also saves, listens to their cry, and remembers his covenant. His mercy enduring for ever does not mean he ignores sin, but that he keeps showing compassion and offers rescue after real repentance.

Question 2

Why does the writer say, “We have sinned with our fathers”?

Accepted Answer

The writer does not stand apart from the past but includes himself with earlier generations. By saying, “We have sinned with our fathers,” he admits that the same rebellious heart is still present. He lists sins from Egypt, the wilderness, and the land, and owns them as part of his own story. This kind of confession is honest about both personal and shared guilt. It shows a humble spirit that does not blame only those who came before but sees the need for mercy across all generations, including the present one.

Question 3

What is the meaning of God saving them “for his name’s sake”?

Accepted Answer

When the passage says God saved them for his name’s sake, it means he rescued them to show who he is, not because they deserved it. At the Red sea they had just provoked him, yet he rebuked the waters, led them through, and destroyed their enemies. He did this so that his mighty power would be known. His “name” points to his character and reputation. God ties his honor to keeping his promises and showing mercy, so his saving acts flow from his own goodness and purpose rather than from the people’s worthiness.

Question 4

Who are Moses and Phinehas in this passage, and what did they do?

Accepted Answer

Moses and Phinehas appear as men who stepped in when the people sinned deeply. Moses “stood before him in the breach,” which means he pleaded with God not to destroy Israel after the golden calf. God listened and turned away his wrath. Later, when the people joined themselves to Baalpeor and a plague broke out, Phinehas acted in zeal for God’s honor and executed judgment on open sin. The plague stopped, and that act was counted to him for righteousness. Both show how God uses faithful servants to restrain judgment.

Question 5

Why did Israel keep forgetting God’s works and turning to idols?

Accepted Answer

The passage shows a pattern: God acts with great power, the people believe and praise him for a time, then they soon forget. They grow impatient, lust after what they want, envy leaders, and copy the nations around them. Forgetting God’s past mercies leads them to rely on their own ideas and desires. That opens the door to idols, even to the horror of sacrificing their own children. The song is a warning that when we stop remembering and trusting God’s goodness, we are easily drawn into sins we never thought possible.

Question 6

What does it mean that God gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul?

Accepted Answer

This line points to a time when the people craved and complained about food in the wilderness. God answered their physical request and gave them what they asked for, yet it did not bring true blessing. Instead, it brought leanness into their soul, showing emptiness and trouble inside. Having what they wanted on the outside did not match peace with God on the inside. It warns that when we stubbornly demand our own way, God may let us have it, but without his favor it will not satisfy and can become part of our judgment.

Question 7

Why is this passage honest about such terrible sins like child sacrifice?

Accepted Answer

The passage does not soften Israel’s history. It tells of serving idols, sacrificing sons and daughters, and polluting the land with blood. This stark honesty shows how far people can fall when they leave the living God and learn the ways of the nations. It also makes God’s patience and mercy shine more clearly. He does not excuse these sins, and his wrath is kindled, yet after many deliverances and many failures he still hears their cry, remembers his covenant, and moves even their captors to pity them.

Question 8

What does this teach about God’s covenant and his response to repentance?

Accepted Answer

Near the end, the song says God remembered for them his covenant and “repented” according to the multitude of his mercies. This means he turned from further destroying them and lessened their punishment, not because he changed in himself, but because he chose to act in mercy instead of continued wrath. He had promised to be their God, so when they were brought low, cried out, and were afflicted, he regarded their trouble. It shows that God’s pledged love is steady, and when his people return to him, he is ready to forgive and restore.

Question 9

How can a reader today pray and live in light of this passage?

Accepted Answer

This passage invites a reader to do what the writer does: start with praise for God’s goodness, confess sin honestly, remember past mercies, and ask for fresh help. The prayer, “Remember me…visit me with thy salvation,” can shape our own prayers when we feel weak or scattered. The blessing on those who keep judgment and do righteousness calls us to match our words of praise with a life that seeks justice and obedience. We can also take comfort that even after many failings, God still hears, gathers, and gives songs of thanks.

Psalm 106:1

Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good

Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good

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Psalm 106:1

Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

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Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good

Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good

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