Psalms 106

Praise the Lord! Give thanks for He is good; His loving kindness endures forever. Wesley frames this psalm as the history of Israel's rebellion against the goodness celebrated in Psalm 105—yet it begins and ends with Hallelujah.

Both camps: praise is the right frame even when confession follows. Arminian readers find a sincere call to thank the God whose love endures—mercy that invites repentance rather than shutting the door.

Calvin: the prophet begins with praises so the people may cherish good hope; past favors encourage reconciliation and keep despair at bay. Praise is not denial of sin but the soil of hope.

Mercy that endures forever grounds the confession that follows. Give thanks; He is good; steadfast love forever.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD, or fully declare all his praise? The deeds outstrip the tongue; praise is attempted, never exhausted.

God’s works are greater than any words can tell. Wesleyan Arminians hear this as invitation to attempt praise anyway—not as a barrier that silences the willing heart.

Calvin: no one who concentrates every energy on praising God finds himself adequate—the grandeur overpowers the senses. Yet this stirs us up to praise to the utmost; heart-praise is pleasing though perfection fails.

Inadequacy is not an excuse for silence. Mighty deeds; all His praise beyond full utterance.

Blessed are those who keep justice. Blessed is one who does what is right at all times. Wesley and Calvin alike refuse lip-praise detached from life. Blessing rests on those who keep judgment and work righteousness continually.

"At all times" is sincere command under enabling grace—perseverance in righteousness as duty, not a claim that any finish sinless.

Calvin: praises of the lip alone are not acceptable; heart and deportment must concur. Keep judgment (sincere affection) and work righteousness (external works); perseverance is required—empty profession and inconsistent virtue fail.

True godliness is briefly described. Both traditions hear: observe justice; do righteousness always.

Remember me, LORD, with the favor that you show to your people. Visit me when You save them. Wesley: Me—he speaks in the name and on behalf of the whole nation; with those favors God usually and peculiarly gives His people.

The singer asks to share the people's salvation—grace sought as favor, not pretended interest.

Calvin: remember me with the goodwill You bear toward Your people—grant the same unmerited kindness conferred on Your people, that I may never be cut off from Your Church. Visit me with Your salvation; "remember" suits a time when the faithful fear God has forgotten them.

Desire to share elect favor as summit of happiness. Common reading: remember; favor; salvation help.

That I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, glory with Your inheritance. Wesley: See—enjoy; Chosen—Your chosen people, Israelites indeed; Gladness—such joy as formerly afforded; Glory—occasion to glory in God's goodness; Inheritance—congregation of Your people.

Both camps: joy is corporate. Wesley’s heirs hear chosen ones as the covenant people whose good is sincerely desired for all who belong.

Calvin: that I may see the good of Your chosen—enjoy the blessings constantly realized by the elect; rejoice in the joy of Your nation and glory with Your heritage. The prophet clings to belonging to God's flock even in a mournful church state.

Share the good of the chosen. Both confess: prosperity, gladness, glory with the inheritance.

Both We have sinned with our fathers. Wesley: Glory—as our fathers did (in shared guilt). Triple confession presses enormity home.

No feigned humility—we and they stand guilty. Classical Arminians preach confession that opens the way to pardon sincerely held out.

Calvin: the prophet, though speaking as one man, dictates prayer for the whole Church. From first to last the fathers were malign and perverse; descendants are not better; having confessed, they ask remission. Pardon comes after we confess ourselves guilty; hardness shuts out grace.

Rigid self-examination before God's tribunal. Either reading: we and our fathers; iniquity; wickedness.

Our fathers in Egypt did not consider wondrous works; they didn’t remember the multitude of loving kindnesses, but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Wesley: At the sea—when those wonders were newly done and fresh in memory.

Both sides agree: forgetfulness at the shoreline of miracle is inexcusable. Arminian interpreters hear rebellion as resistance of light already given.

Calvin: from the commencement of emancipation they were ungrateful and rebellious. Folly here is vile stupidity—blind in matters so plain that even the blind might behold them. They remembered not: forgetfulness from stupid indifference, and that quickly.

Invincible perversity met by inconceivable kindness. Did not consider; did not remember; rebelled at the sea.

Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power known. Wesley: Saved them—that He may vindicate His name from blasphemous reproaches if they had been destroyed.

Name's sake is God's reputation among the nations—mercy that still saves a rebellious people without making sin cheap. Wesleyan Arminians glory that God acts for His name while sincerely calling the saved to trust.

Calvin: Israelites were saved not on account of deserving, but because God had regard to His own glory—lest His holy name become a reproach among the heathen. Antithesis between God's name and men's merits: out of regard to His glory He finds in us no cause to save us.

Salvation for the Name, not for desert. Both traditions see: for His name's sake; make known mighty power.

He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it became dry; He led them through the depths, as through a desert. Wesley: Led them—as securely as if they had walked upon dry land.

Both note: creation rebuked for the people's path. Classical Arminians preach a God who answers rebellion with miracle—grace preceding the praise of v. 12.

Calvin: sea rebuked—power at whose command waters receded and a free passage opened. They walked through depths as through a desert; the path was smooth by astonishing power alone.

Nature altered for a perverse people. Rebuked; dry; led through the deep.

He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

Common confession: save and redeem are God's verbs. Arminian readers hear deliverance offered as pattern of gospel rescue—foe and enemy named so thanks may be specific.

Calvin: saved from the hand of the enemy; delivered from the hand of the wicked. Distinction between Israel and Egypt in the same sea magnifies the miracle.

Redemption is particular in that hour. Both readings hold: saved; redeemed from the enemy's power.

And the waters covered their adversaries. There was not one of them left.

Both agree: total overthrow of the foe. Classical Arminians refuse to mute judgment when celebrating mercy—the same sea that opened for Israel closed on Egypt.

Calvin: waters covered their oppressors; not one left. Instantaneous difference between peoples shows God made the distinction.

Judgment as clear as deliverance. Covered; not one left.

Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.

Belief and song after the miracle—response under grace. Classical Arminians also warn that such faith can prove temporary if the heart does not continue (v. 13).

Calvin: they believed and sang—not to their commendation, but to increase guilt twofold. Overpowered by grandeur, they were compelled to believe and give glory, then immediately relapsed. Temporary faith, not voluntary regenerating faith—compulsion of sensed power, soon gone.

Forced reverence is not persevering trust. Believed His words; sang His praise.

But they soon forgot his works. They didn’t wait for his counsel. Wesley: Soon—even within three days (Ex 15:22–23); Waited not—they did not wait patiently for supplies in the manner and time God thought fit.

Forgetting and not waiting are sins of a people who could have remembered—resistible grace despised. Agreed: soon forgot; did not wait.

Calvin: they made haste and forgot; did not attend to His counsel. Inconstancy: believed only a very short time. They did not suspend desires till fitting opportunity; carnal desire goes before God's counsel.

Despising benefits is the root of ingratitude. Both hear: soon forgot; did not wait for counsel.

They gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland. Wesley: Lusted—for flesh.

Both see: craving that tests God. Wesleyan Arminians preach testing God as limiting Him to our means—sin of impatient desire under providence.

Calvin: lusted greatly and tempted God. To tempt God is not to acquiesce in His will but to desire more than He is willing to grant—limiting God to means of their devising; rejecting the way they ought to follow.

Fleshly lusts oppose God's rule of the affections. Wanton craving; put God to the test.

He gave them their request, but sent a wasting disease among them. Wesley: Souls—into their bodies; inordinate desire of pampering bodies occasioned destroying them.

Answered prayer that wounds—gift without blessing. Arminian readers warn that God may grant the request and withhold the soul's good.

Calvin: gave them their desire but sent leanness into their soul—gratified inordinate desires so that those who loathed manna received leanness. Blessing withheld from the food they immoderately longed for.

The judgment came wrapped inside the gift they demanded. Gave what they asked; wasting / leanness.

Men in the camp envied Moses, and Aaron, the LORD’s saint. Wesley: The saint—consecrated for the priesthood; envy and rebellion not only against Aaron but against God Himself.

Undisputed: jealousy against God's appointed servants. This is rebellion against office as rebellion against the God who set it.

Calvin: they envied Moses and Aaron—diabolic pride rising against God; to refuse their rule was to resist God's authority. Aaron the saint of Jehovah: Divinely invested authority; Dathan and Abiram rebelled against God.

Envy of the holy office is war on God. No dispute here: envy in the camp against Moses and Aaron, the LORD’s saint.

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

Classical Arminians preach this as warning that God answers conspiracy against His servants—history that should humble, not harden.

Calvin: heinousness seen in magnitude of punishment. Earth swallowed alive Dathan and Abiram; yet the people, so far from being bettered, conducted themselves the more perversely.

Terrible vengeance that still left many unhumbled. Earth opened; Dathan; Abiram covered.

Fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked.

Where they meet: fire from God on the wicked company. Arminian readers refuse to soften the flame—justice is part of the Name praised in v. 1.

Calvin: fire coming down consumed them. God charged faults of a few upon the body because murmurings showed the same distemper; punishment fell on captains, design to spare the people at large.

The fire fell on the wicked, yet the guilt belonged to the whole company. Fire; flame burned the wicked.

They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped a molten image. Wesley: A calf—when just brought out by wonders, having seen plagues on Egyptian idolaters, law newly delivered in tremendous manner.

Idolatry at the foot of revelation—willful exchange under light. Both traditions hear: calf; metal image.

Calvin: abandoned true worship and made a calf; brutal stupidity worshipping before the molten image. Intention to worship God this way still robs Him of honor.

Image-worship is departure from the true God. Common reading: made a calf; worshiped a metal image.

Thus they exchanged their glory for an image of a bull that eats grass. Wesley: Their glory—God, who was indeed their glory; into the golden image of an ox which must be fed by them, unlike the true God who fed Israel.

Arminian interpreters hear Rom 1:23 echoed—glory exchanged is apostasy.

Calvin: changed their glory into the likeness of a bull that eats grass. God robbed of honor; glory tarnished. God had clothed them with His glory—madness to substitute the inanimate form of an ox.

Exchange of glory is base unbelief. Either reading: exchanged glory for a bull that eats grass.

They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt.

Forgot their Savior—memory refused after rescue. Wesleyan Arminians stress that forgetting is culpable when great things have been done before their eyes.

Calvin: forgot God their Preserver who had done great things in Egypt. Sin not through ignorance only but wilfully—God made known, then cast off for brutish idolatry.

Inexcusable blindness after condescending revelation. Forgot God their Savior; great things in Egypt.

Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red Sea.

Egypt and Red Sea piled as evidence. Arminians preach memory of Ham and the sea as fuel for present faith.

Calvin: wondrous works in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea. Miracles notable and terrible—base to shut eyes and give themselves to idolatry.

Darkness should vanish before such knowledge. Both sides agree: wondrous works; awesome deeds by the sea.

Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them. Wesley: Breach—God made a wall about them; they made a breach by sins; Moses by prevailing intercession hindered destruction.

Intercession turns wrath—Moses as type of the one Mediator. Arminians glory that God hears a chosen intercessor for a guilty people.

Calvin: He said that he would destroy them unless Moses His chosen stood in the breach to turn away wrath. God purposed to strike with terror; in secret counsel He had resolved upon forgiveness. Moses interposed as intercessor like a soldier in the breach.

Chosen intercessor; wrath turned. Both traditions see: destroy; Moses stood in the breach; wrath turned.

Yes, they despised the pleasant land. They didn’t believe his word. Wesley: Despised—preferring Egypt and former bondage (Num 14:3–4).

No faith in the promise—unbelief as refusal to trust a word God meant. Arminians preach the pleasant land rejected by unbelieving hearts.

Calvin: despised the pleasant land; did not believe His word. Canaan was holy habitation and pledge of heavenly inheritance—basest ingratitude. Not believing, they refused the heritage and rebelled.

Unbelief despises the sworn gift. Both note: despised the pleasant land; no faith in His promise.

But murmured in their tents, and didn’t listen to the LORD’s voice of the Lord. Wesley: The voice—God's command that they should boldly enter.

Common confession: tent-murmur and refused obedience. Arminians hear the voice as sincere command they would not keep.

Calvin: murmured in their tents; did not listen to the voice of Jehovah. Rebellion in the camp as if rising against God.

Murmur is disobedience voiced. Both readings hold: murmured; did not obey the Lord's voice.

Therefore he swore to them that he would overthrow them in the wilderness. Wesley: Lifted up—He sware; dreadful irrevocable oath (Num 14).

God swore an oath of judgment. Arminian readers refuse to soften the raised hand—promise of fall is as sure as promise of land was.

Calvin: lifted up His hand against them to destroy them in the desert—swearing. God restrained full anger yet; the threatening itself should have subdued pride.

Sworn judgment in the wilderness. Both agree: raised hand; swore; fall in the wilderness.

And would overthrow their offspring among the nations, and scatter them in the lands. Wesley: Overthrow—He sware also that He would punish sins in posterity.

Scattering threatened—national sin with generational cost. Arminians still hold each generation accountable under grace offered anew.

Calvin: destroy their seed among the heathen; scatter them throughout the lands. Holy Land preserved by Moses' prayers; dispersion would have been awful.

Offspring under the oath of scatter. Offspring fall; scatter among the lands.

Then they joined themselves also to Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. Wesley: Joined—communion with him as God's people have with God in worship.

Arminians hear spiritual adultery—covenant broken by willing communion with idols.

Calvin: joined themselves to Baal-peor; ate sacrifices of the dead. Perfidy: forsaking true worship, broken holy union as spouse. Ate what bound them to death instead of the living God.

Betrothal violated. Baal of Peor; sacrifices to the dead.

They provoked him to anger with their deeds. The plague broke in on them.

Their provocation brought the plague. Arminian readers preach deeds that kindle anger—sin that invites temporal judgment while mercy still waits (vv. 30–31).

Calvin: provoked God by their works; plague broke out. Another plague as guard—chastisements fruitless when hearts are not bettered.

Wrath answered by plague. Provoked; plague broke out.

Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, so the plague was stayed.

One man's zeal stops plague—intervention as righteous act God accepts. Arminians hear courage under grace that turns judgment.

Calvin: Phinehas stood up and executed justice; plague stopped. Kind interposition; most effectual way to quench anger is when the sinner judges sin. Plague ceased at the punishment of a single person as people shrunk from the wickedness.

Justice that stays plague. Phinehas stood; plague stayed.

And that was credited to him for righteousness, for all generations to generation forever. Wesley: And—it was accepted and rewarded of God as an act of justice and piety.

Counted for righteousness—reward of a faithful act, not a second gospel. Arminians distinguish this reckoning from justification by faith alone in Christ.

Calvin: deed imputed for righteousness from generation to generation. Honor on one casts reproach on the people. Work imputed as God imputes the faithful's works—by free grace, not intrinsic merit; faith alone procures righteousness for persons and works.

Gracious reckoning, not merit of congruity. Counted as righteousness forever.

They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled for their sakes.

At Meribah the people’s rebellion wounded Moses himself. Wesleyan Arminians preach the people's sin bringing grief on the servant—corporate guilt that does not erase Moses' own rashness (v. 33).

Calvin: provoked Him also at the waters of strife; it turned out ill to Moses on their account. Clamor against Moses was virtually against God; heinous that God did not spare His chosen servant.

People hard-dealt Moses into judgment. Meribah; ill with Moses on their account.

Because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips. Wesley notes the people's role in pushing Moses' spirit.

Bitter spirit, rash lips—even the meek can stumble when provoked. Classical Arminians hold both the people's guilt and Moses' accountability.

Calvin: they grieved his spirit so that he spoke with his lips. Moses' gentle spirit fanned by perversity; he spoke unadvisedly, "Can God give water out of the rock?" Indignation burned; he did not calmly wait God's commandment.

Provocation does not excuse rash speech. Spirit bitter; spoke rashly.

They didn’t destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them.

Both hear: incomplete obedience. Those in Wesley’s line hear command refused—lenity that disobeys is not mercy when God has spoken judgment.

Calvin: did not destroy the nations Jehovah commanded. Remiss in driving out; refused to execute righteous vengeance; land left liable to pollution. Two extremes: over-rigor and defeating justice by lenity—adhere to God's command.

Sparing when commanded to destroy is sin. Both see: did not destroy; as the Lord commanded.

But mixed themselves with the nations, and learned their works.

Mix and learn—imitation of the nations. Arminians warn that association without holiness spreads corruption.

Calvin: mingled with the heathen and learned their works. Foolish humanity issued in defilement. Nothing more dangerous than associating with the ungodly—prone to follow vice.

Mixture teaches their works. Undisputed: mixed; learned to do as they did.

They served their idols, which became a snare to them.

No dispute here: idols as snare. Arminian interpreters hear service that traps—worship that binds the worshiper.

Calvin: served their idols; occasion of their overthrow. Confutes empty distinctions that claim honor without divine homage—image-worship condemned.

Service of idols snares and overthrows. Both affirm: served idols; snare.

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. Wesley: Devils—they did not worship God as pretended, but devils in their idols; spirits in images were evil spirits.

Child-sacrifice to demons—zeal without truth. Classical Arminians refuse "good intentions" as cover for horror.

Calvin: sacrificed sons and daughters unto devils. Inconsiderate zeal is flimsy pretext; burning zeal increased guilt. Unlike Abraham's obedience, this was intemperate zeal casting off natural affection.

Their sacrifices went to demons, not to God. Where they meet: sacrificed children to the demons.

They shed innocent blood… sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood.

Both traditions hear: innocent blood pollutes the land. Arminians preach land-guilt that cries for judgment—holiness of the inheritance violated.

Calvin: shed innocent blood of sons and daughters; land defiled with blood. Religious frenzy enhanced by cruelty; doubly wicked—defiling the land meant for God's worship and butchering children.

Pollution of the holy land. Common reading: innocent blood; land polluted.

Thus they were defiled with their works, and prostituted themselves in their deeds.

Unclean; played the whore—covenant adultery in deeds. Classical Arminians hear spiritual unfaithfulness as breach God still may heal (vv. 44–45).

Calvin: polluted with their own works; went a whoring after their own inventions. False worship devised without divine sanction is impurity; holiness in worship comes from the word.

Worship of human invention corrupts the service of God. Unclean by acts; played the whore in deeds.

Then the anger of the LORD burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance.

The passage carries heritage abhorred yet not finally cast off—discipline inside covenant love.

Calvin: wrath waxed hot against His people; He abhorred His inheritance. Severe punishment confirms no trivial offense. Sacred heritage delivered to abominations of the heathen—awful vindictive wrath.

Anger and abhorrence as judgment. Both confess: anger kindled; abhorred His heritage.

He gave them into the hand of the nations. Those who hated them ruled over them.

Either reading: given into enemies' hand. Wesleyan Arminians preach rule of haters as just consequence—yet cry still heard (v. 44).

Calvin: delivered into hands of the heathen; enemies ruled. Those who refused His yoke delivered to tyrants; those who would not endure paternal sway subdued under enemies' feet—retributive justice.

God handed them over as a judgment. Both sides agree: hand of the nations; haters ruled.

Their enemies also oppressed them. They were brought into subjection under their hand.

Oppression and subjection—low estate that should humble. Arminian readers call for repentance under the rod.

Calvin: adversaries subdued them; afflicted under their hand. Bondage and oppression; folly that they were not truly humbled under God's almighty hand.

They were brought into subjection, yet they did not repent. Both traditions see: oppressed; brought into subjection.

Many times, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low in their iniquity. Wesley: Counsel—by forsaking God's way and following their own inventions.

Many deliverances, repeated rebellion—grace resisted again and again. Classical Arminians glory that God kept delivering while purposes stayed rebellious.

Calvin: many times He delivered them; they provoked Him with their counsel and were oppressed by iniquity. Benefits could not bend them; after wonderful deliverances they backslid. Nevertheless groanings were heard.

Repeated mercy, repeated revolt, just lowering. Many times delivered; rebellious; brought low.

Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry.

Both note: nevertheless—look and hearing. Arminians hear cry met by attention—God not deaf to distressed rebels who call.

Calvin: He saw when they were in straits; heard their cry. Though most deserving of afflictions, groanings heard—unwearied kindness.

Look and hearing after rebellion. Looked on distress; heard their cry.

For their sake He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. Wesley: Repented—changed His course and dealing with them.

Covenant remembered; relenting according to abundant love—mercy that changes dealings without denying holiness. Arminians preach abundance of steadfast love as sincere hope for the gathered (v. 47).

Calvin: remembered His covenant toward them; it repented Him according to the greatness of His mercies. Covenant declares gracious pardon; "repent" expresses no change in God but in the mode of administering corrections—Scripture accommodates to our capacity.

Covenant memory and great mercies. Common confession: remembered covenant; relented; abundance of steadfast love.

He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captive.

Pity from captors—God turns hearts. Arminian readers preach providence over even enemy compassion.

Calvin: made them find pity from those who carried them captive. Hearts of all men under God's control—to harden or soften. When anger appeased, cruelty changed into mercy; wolves transformed into lambs.

God softens captors. Both readings hold: caused to be pitied by captors.

Save us, LORD, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise.

Both agree: save and gather for thanks and glory. The accent falls on prayer for gathering sincerely offered—end is praise, not mere safety.

Calvin: Save us… gather us from among the heathen, to praise Your holy name, to triumph in your praise. Penned in sad dispersion; covenant remembrance fuels hope of forgiveness. End of redemption: celebrate the Name.

Gather for praise. Save; gather; thanks; glory in praise.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the Lord!

Doxology and Amen—people consent to bless God even under chastening. Classical Arminians end where they began: Hallelujah.

Agreed: everlasting blessing; corporate Amen; Praise the Lord.

Calvin: Blessed be Jehovah… let all the people say Amen. Praise ye Jehovah. Regulates prayers so dejected captives may still render thanks; meek submission under correction. Consent to praises though privately and publicly overwhelmed.

Bless God in affliction; Amen of the people.