Psalm 107:23-32: The Lord Calms the Storm

Psalm 107:23-32: The LORD Calms the Storm

Our Scripture Reading this morning comes from Psalm 107:23-32. Hear now the words of the Living and True God:

²³  Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; ²⁴ they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. ²⁵ For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. ²⁶ They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; ²⁷ they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. ²⁸ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ²⁹ He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. ³⁰ Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. ³¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ³² Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

 May God bless the reading of his Word. 

Opening Illustration: The power of storms and the fear/awe they produce.

Psalm 107 is a post-exilic psalm or song of thanksgiving, calling the people to remember and praise God for his mighty redemptive deeds. Its opening in verses 1-3 establish the chorus and identify the target audience and characters – “The redeemed of the LORD”. Verse 1 states, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” It then calls upon the redeemed of the LORD, gathered from the four corners of the earth (the returning exiles) to take up the song of praise for the redemption that God has worked. It is comprised of four units describing how God has redeemed people, each concluding with a repeated call of thanksgiving, “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderous works to the children of man!” (v. 8, 15, 21, & 31). It then concludes with an expectation of eschatological renewal & justice in verses 33-42, before concluding with a call to the wise to “attend to these things” and to “consider the steadfast love of the LORD”.

• “Steadfast Love” is the Hebrew word Chesed, which can be understood as God’s covenant faithfulness/love. Why is this important? Is that it shows us that mercy and deliverance, in fact, every good thing we receive comes from God’s gracious heart of love. Chesed is the origin of all God’s saving, redemptive deeds and originates solely within himself, to the praise of his own glorious grace.
• His Wonderous Works is “Ve-niphle-otaw”, which in general is used to speak of God’s miracles – but this specific construction only occurs within Psalm 107 and Psalm 78. In Psalm 78, the author is specifically making references back to the Exodus Event, the act of God where he graciously saves, delivers, and redeems the Israelites from slavery and death, making them into his own people and special possession.

This song (Psalm 107) is a hymn extoling God’s undeserved and unmerited redemption, rooted in his covenant faithfulness that not only redeems his people but the entirety of the world which God has made.

Our Main Point for today is: The LORD is the gracious redeemer of his people.

Focusing in on one of these examples of redemption, we come to verses 23-32. This portion deals with God saving some men who are in danger of perishing as they traverse the seas.

²³  Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; ²⁴ they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. ²⁵ For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. ²⁶ They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; ²⁷ they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. ²⁸ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ²⁹ He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. ³⁰ Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. ³¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ³² Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

• These sailors go about their business on the sea and witness the “wondrous works” of God’s mastery over nature. The One who spoke all into being, is still sovereign over all the natural world, and the Psalm rightly attributes the wind and waves to him.
  • o These men have found themselves in the midst of a storm from which there seems to be no chance of rescue or survival.
• Verse 26 describes their courage melting and pictures them as helpless as a drunkard staggering about in the storm. It even describes them at their “wits’ end” (v.27), which interestingly can be understood as at the limits of their wisdom/skill. These are men who are helpless.
• The only option they are left with is to cry out to God for mercy in hopes they will be spared from destruction (v.28).
  • o But the reality is, these men being sinners, deserve no such mercy or rescue from God. He would be just to allow them to perish. Rebellious humanity deserves only Divine Justice – a fact that Israel was all too aware of from its history. The post-exilic community would be painfully aware of their own national past of sin, as well as the justice of God in sending them into exile for their own sins.
  • o Yet, God in his grace, demonstrates his Chesed and moves in compassionate mercy.
• God “speaks” into the situation, making the storm to be still and hushing the waves. Not only does God silence the storm that was raging against them, but the text says that he brings them to “their desired haven” (v.29-30).
• The Psalmist’s conclusion is to sing the chorus in v.31 and remind us as the reader that the response to the LORD calming the winds and waves, or any other mighty act of gracious redemption, is to extol God and sing his praises to each other.

What a wonderful story and example of God’s loving kindness and faithfulness – but is that all this is? Is that the only reason this portion of Scripture is given to us? While that would certainly be enough, this text is given, I believe, for a deeper point of connection.

Hopefully hearing this passage has begun to send up at least a few flags for you. Hopefully you are made to think of a similar story found in the Gospels – that of Jesus calming the storm and sea in Mark 4:35-41:

³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Mark 4:35-41 reveals to us that Jesus is more than a mere man, he is one who can even calm the stormy sea.

After a day of teaching by the sea, Jesus tells the disciples, “let us go across to the other side” (v.35). They leave behind the crowds and travel in their boat. Yet, a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, filling it with water.

• Professional fishermen, sailors, found themselves in a terrifying and life-threatening situation. And where do we find Jesus? Asleep in the back of the boat (v.38).
• In great distress, the disciples wake Jesus asking, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (v.38).
• Jesus wakes up, rebukes the wind and says to the sea, “Peace! Be still!”. The winds cease and there is a great calm.
• This leaves the disciples filled with great fear and wondering, “Who then is this…?” (v. 41)

When the disciples are left wondering, “Who then is this?” (or “What sort of man is this?” – Mt.8:27), their minds should have been led back to Psalm 107 in reflection.

• Through his mastery over nature (specifically the winds and waves), Jesus demonstrates a point of connection between himself and the LORD of Psalm 107.
• Not only is he their teacher and master, but he is the very God of Israel in flesh – the one who speaks to and controls nature itself. But, having this connection point to the LORD of Psalm 107, we also have to take into account all of the redemptive language of Chesed and Wonderous Works (specifically as they relate to the great redemptive work of the Exodus).
• These connections would mean that through calming the storm, Jesus reveals himself to not only be the LORD, but the redeemer who will act out his covenant love and faithfulness to redeem and gather his people from all nations. [Main Idea Slide]

How does he do this? Through the greater Exodus Event (Luke 9:30-31) of the cross – the point in history to which all of God’s prior redemptive deeds pointed.

• The Cross points to Christ as the one who alone calms the great storm of divine wrath and justice that would otherwise loom like a storm cloud over mankind and consume us like a great deluge.
• By hanging on his cross, standing as the substitute of his people, Jesus Christ endures the full fury of divine justice and punishment. He drains the cup given to him by his Father, that all who cry out for mercy and call upon the name of the LORD might be saved.
• But just as Jesus spoke peace to winds and waves, he also speaks to those who have put their trust in him, by assuring us that our salvation and relationship with God is not dependent upon us in any way, not dependent on our perfection or behaviors, but rests solely on the Covenant love and faithfulness (Chesed) of the God who saves.

By way of application:

For you who have trusted in Christ, the waves have been calmed, the skies have cleared and you can rest assuredly that he will bring you to your desired haven – the rest of glory for eternity.

If you have not trusted in Christ, abandoning your best efforts, having been brought to your wits’ end, I call upon you to cry out for mercy – for God is faithful and just to forgive.

If you are presently in a storm, I encourage you to rest and trust the one who loved you enough to send his Son to die in your place – he will never leave you or forsake you. And although your storm may not miraculously subside like the one faced by the disciples, Jesus is nevertheless with you, just as he was with them. Stand firm in your faith in your savior!

Lastly, if nothing else, we can join together like the Psalmist calls his audience to in Psalm 107:32 and extol the LORD in the midst of this congregation and praise him for all to hear!