Psalm 103:8-10 Now Available feat. Caroline Cobb

Psalm 103:8-10 is now available on all streaming platforms!

THE VERSE

[8] The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

[9] He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.

[10] He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.

“What is God like?” The age old question… If someone asked you this question, how would you answer? Where would you even begin? What aspects of God might you highlight or point to that get to the core of who He is? Here in Psalm 103:8-10, David seeks to answer this question but does so by quoting God’s own words Himself in Exodus 34:6. Who better to reveal what God is like than God Himself? Interesting fact about this passage in Exodus is that it is the first place in the Bible God “self-describes” what He’s like… This description of God became one of the key descriptions of God repeated over and over again (either overtly or alluded to) throughout the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures! Why? Because it gets to the heart of His character! In fact, some have gone as far to describe this verse as “the John 3:16 of the Old Testament.”

What is God like? David gives us four powerful descriptions in verse 8 that we could never mine in full depth. God is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

God is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

Each of these brief descriptions could keep us busy for a lifetime and unlock eternal songs of praise, gratitude, and wonder… God’s mercy gets at His active compassion and pity toward us. God’s grace highlights the unmerited favor He pours out on us and his general posture. God’s slowness to anger reveals both His patience and His passion for us. God’s steadfast love brings us back to His active covenantal and one way pursuit of us regardless of our actions. This is the God of Psalm 103 and this is our God! Do we believe this and live out this understanding of who He is?

In the subsequent 2 verses (9-10), David unpacks a few ways this works itself out practically in His interactions with us: God not chiding forever means He refuses to act like a lawyer with us, always looking for an angle in order to bring an accusation against us. He’s also not harboring resentment secretly in His heart. Finally, we’re told His primary lens of interaction with us won’t be through our sin or iniquities. How is this possible, especially when it’s true that we sin against Him repeatedly?

Jesus Himself took on the very judgment that we deserved because of our sins on the cross.

Ultimately, we find the clearest answer at Calvary! Jesus Himself took on the very judgment that we deserved because of our sins on the cross. As Jesus was lifted up onto that tree, so were each of the realities highlighted in Psalm 103:8! His mercy, grace, patience, and committed love were on display for all to see. Amazingly not only does God not give us what we deserve, He also gives us the very thing we don’t have and we need: His very own righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says this:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

At the cross of Christ we see the mercy and grace and patience and love that Psalm 103 talks about in action! These aren’t merely figurative attributes, but rather embodied ones… Is God merciful? Look to Jesus. Gracious? Look into the eyes of His Son. Slow to anger? Set your gaze on the cross! Is God loving? Return to Calvary again and again! He is fully and finally all of these things in Christ… As you meditate and sing through these verses, we pray God not only takes your head into these realities, but also your heart. That you’d learn to see God as He’s described Himself and not as you’ve imagined Him to be, and then in turn to live from this place!

The Song + The Artist

This song was written by Caroline Cobb and she talked a bit about what these verses meant to her:

I was drawn to this verse in particular because it contains God's primary description of himself: merciful, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. This language is first used in Exodus 34 when God reveals himself to Moses, and it's picked up again and again in the Old Testament. I love that when God describes himself, he leads with his compassion and mercy. What kind of God would do that? Of course, he is just too, but his righteous anger is a slow burn; he delays the execution of justice, waits patiently for the sinner, and he's quick with forgiveness. He does not deal with us according to what our sins deserve, a truth most clearly seen in Jesus. God's character and self-description is such good news for us!

Song Credits

Caroline Cobb - Vocals, guitars
Brian Eichelberger - Everything else

Song written by Caroline Cobb. Mixed by Brian Eichelberger and mastered by Connor Hedge.

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