Psalm 103 begins and ends with the psalmist exhorting himself to praise God. By the end of the psalm, he will also call upon all of God's heavenly host to join him.
The psalm praises God for his forgiving nature. God is the one "who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases" (v 3). This verse is saying that not only does God forgive our sins, he will often graciously remove their consequences. In context, the "diseases" here include more than medical conditions, taking in all the kinds of problems into which we get ourselves.
The mention of forgiveness in conjunction with healing reminds of Jesus' healing of the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12). On that occasion Jesus told the man that his sins were forgiven (v 5). When people wondered about Jesus claiming this divine prerogative, he went on to heal the man, showing that he did indeed have the authority to forgive sins.
Psalm 103 expands upon one of the most important passages in scripture, God's revelation of his merciful nature in Exo 34:6-7. This key passage is referred to often in the Bible--e.g., in Ps 86:15;Ps 145:8. Psalm 103 describes God's mercy and forgiveness stretching throughout time and space---vv 11-12, 17. It also emphasizes that God's mercy is expressed toward those who fear him---vv 11,13,17.
Psalm 103 is referenced once in the New Testament, in Luke 1:50 during Mary's prayer of thanksgiving--Luke 1:50.
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