John Calvin Commentary Psalms 106:12

"Then believed they his words; They sang his praise." — Psalms 106:12 (ASV)

Then they believed his words. In stating that they believed God’s word and sang His praise, the prophet does not say this for their commendation, but rather to increase, in a twofold manner, their guilt; because, being convinced by such indubitable testimony, they still instantly resumed their customary disposition of mind and began to rebel against God, as if they had never beheld His wonderful works.

How very inexcusable was that impiety which in a moment could forget the remarkable benefits they had been compelled to admit! Overpowered by the grandeur of God’s works, they were, he says, in spite of themselves, compelled to believe in God and give glory to Him; and thus the criminality of their rebellion was increased, because, although their stubbornness was overcome, yet they immediately relapsed into their former state of unbelief.

A question, however, arises. Since true faith always corresponds with the nature of the word, and as the word is an incorruptible seed, so, though this faith may be almost lost, it can never be totally destroyed. But there is a temporary faith, as Mark calls it (Mark 4:17), which is not so much a fruit of the Spirit of regeneration as of a certain mutable affection, and so it soon passes away.

It is not a voluntary faith that is here extolled by the prophet, but rather that which is the result of compulsion—namely, because people, by their sense of God’s power, are constrained to show some reverence for Him, whether they are willing or not. This passage ought to be carefully considered, so that people, once they have yielded submission to God, may not deceive themselves, but may know that the touchstone of faith is when they spontaneously receive the word of God and constantly continue firm in their obedience to it.

To point out the inconstancy of the people, he says, they made haste. Some explain this as follows: that after they had set out on their journey, they hastened to reach the place called Marah. This, however, is a very tame representation of the emphatic style in which the prophet speaks when severely reprehending their hasty and headlong departure from the way, since they believed only for a very short time and speedily forgot God’s works. For they had journeyed only three days from their passage through the sea until they came to Marah, and yet they began to murmur against God because they could not find pleasant water.

Meanwhile, we must observe here, as we have seen elsewhere, that the sole reason people are so ungrateful toward God is their despising of His benefits. Were the remembrance of these to take fast hold of our hearts, it would serve as a bridle to keep us in His fear.

The prophet declares what their transgression was: namely, that they did not suspend their desires until a fitting opportunity occurred for God to grant them. The insatiable nature of our desires is astonishing, since scarcely a single day is allowed to God to gratify them. For should He not immediately satisfy them, we at once become impatient and are in danger of eventually falling into despair.

This, then, was the fault of the people: that they did not cast all their cares upon God, did not calmly call upon Him, nor wait patiently until He was pleased to answer their requests, but rushed forward with reckless precipitation, as if they would dictate to God what He was to do.

And, therefore, to heighten the criminality of their rash course, he employs the term counsel; because people will neither acknowledge God’s wisdom nor do they deem it proper to depend upon His counsel, but are more provident than is fitting for them, and would rather rule God than allow themselves to be ruled by Him according to His pleasure.

So that we may be preserved from provoking God, let us always retain this principle: that it is our duty to let Him provide for us such things as He knows will be for our advantage. And truly, faith, divesting us of our own wisdom, enables us to wait hopefully and quietly until God accomplishes His own work; whereas, on the contrary, our carnal desire always precedes the counsel of God through its excessive haste.