How does Psalm 107:6 connect with God's deliverance in Exodus? Setting the scene of Psalm 107 Psalm 107 recounts four vivid life-and-death scenarios—wanderers in a desert, prisoners in chains, fools wasting away in sickness, and sailors in a storm. In every case we read the same refrain: “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.” (Psalm 107:6; cf. vv 13, 19, 28) The cry and the reply: Psalm 107:6 • The people are “in their trouble”—a Hebrew word packed with the ideas of tightness, pressure, panic. • They “cried out to the LORD”—not a polite request but a desperate, wholehearted plea. • “He delivered them”—Hebrew natsal, used repeatedly in Exodus for Israel’s rescue (Exodus 3:8; 6:6). • He brings them to “straight way” or “safe haven” (vv 7, 30), mirroring Exodus where God leads Israel safely through the sea and toward the Promised Land. Echoes of Exodus deliverance Psalm 107 compresses Israel’s grand salvation story into a single verse—pointing straight back to Exodus: 1. Exodus 2:23-25 – Israel’s groans rise; God “heard” and “remembered.” 2. Exodus 3:7-8 – “I have surely seen the affliction… I have come down to deliver them.” 3. Exodus 14:10-14 – At the Red Sea the people cry, “Were there no graves in Egypt?” Moses replies, “Stand firm… the LORD will fight for you.” 4. Exodus 14:30 – “So the LORD saved Israel that day.” 5. Exodus 15:13 – “In Your loving devotion You will lead the people You have redeemed.” Psalm 107:6 therefore acts like a shorthand summary of that foundational rescue: cry → answer → deliverance → guidance. Shared motifs: trouble, cry, deliverance • Bondage to freedom – Egypt’s slavery swaps for a land of promise; desert wanderers find a city to dwell in (Psalm 107:7). • Waters part – Red Sea divides; Psalm 107’s sailors see a storm stilled (vv 23-30). • Divine initiative – In both passages God moves first, motivated by covenant love (Exodus 2:24; Psalm 107:1). • Response of praise – Miriam leads worship (Exodus 15); Psalm 107 ends, “Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion” (vv 8, 15, 21, 31). Faith lessons for today • The same God who literally split the sea still hears urgent cries. • No situation is too “tight” for His delivering hand—whether external bondage or inner turmoil. • Remembering past rescues fuels present trust; Psalm 107 invites every reader to see personal troubles through the lens of Exodus power. • Our rightful response mirrors Israel’s song on the shore: gratitude, testimony, and fresh obedience (Psalm 107:32, 42-43; Exodus 15:20-21). Psalm 107:6 isn’t just poetry; it’s Exodus in miniature—an evergreen reminder that the LORD who once delivered will deliver again. |
    |