Psalm 107:23-28
23 Those who go down to the
sea in ships, Who do business on great waters,
24 They see the works of the
LORD, And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He commands and raises
the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26 They mount up to the
heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and
stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end.
I will never forget in the
early 70’s, when I was in Lynchburg Baptist College (Now Liberty University),
hearing a message in chapel on this passage in Psalm 107 by a pastor by the
name of Larry Chapman. I could be wrong about his name, but I clearly remember
his message. He was challenging the “preacher boys” to be willing to step out
of our comfort zone and “launch out into the deep” to attempt to do great
things for God.
It is interesting to remember
that the context and historical background for this passage is about Israel
coming out of Babylonian captivity and returning to the Promise Land to rebuild
the city of Jerusalem, their temple, and their nation. The psalmist first
pictures them as wandering through the wilderness, looking for a city to dwell
in for security and peace (vv. 4-9). Then they are pictured as rebelling
against God’s Word and His counsel and find themselves sitting in darkness and
in bondage (vv. 10-16). Next, they are pictured as fools being afflicted
because of their sins and almost ready to die (vv. 17-22). But in each case
when they cried to the LORD in their trouble, He saved them out of their
distresses!
Now in these verses they are
pictured as sailors going out on the sea to do business in the great waters. We
need to remember that the Jews were not a seafaring people like the Phoenicians.
They would definitely be out of their comfort zone to get into a ship to go out
into the sea to do any kind of business! But this group of people were willing
to leave the comfort and safety of the shallow waters of the harbor and to go
into the “great waters” to do a great business (vv. 23-24). The psalmist points
out that it is this courageous group of sailors that would have the opportunity
to see the awesome “works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep”.
In Luke 5, Jesus was in a boat
with His disciples next to the shore on the Sea of Galilee where He was
teaching the multitudes. After He finished His lesson, He instructed Peter to “launch
out into the deep and let down his nets for a catch of fish” (Luke 5:4).
Peter objected by saying that he had fished all night and had caught nothing
but said, “nevertheless, at Your word, I will let down my net”. Then one
of the great miracles of the New Testament takes place. They begin to catch so
many fish that they almost sink their boats.
In the other Gospels we also
learn that after this miracle they are instructed by the Lord to “go to the
other side” of the sea. Jesus leaves them and goes up to a mountain to
pray. It is then as they are sailing in the middle of the night that they
encounter such a great storm they think they are going to perish. But Jesus
shows up walking on the water and calms the storm, gets into the boat with them
and immediately they are at the place they are going (John 6:16-21).
I often wonder if later Peter
and the other disciples thought about this passage in Psalm 107. My friend, if
we want to see God do great things we must be willing to be obedient and leave
our “comfort zones” and “launch out into the deep” to do the great
business of catching souls for Jesus. This could mean teaching a Sunday school
class of children, becoming a deacon, or maybe going to Bible College to become
a pastor or a missionary!
What is the Lord speaking to
you about today?
God bless!
