John Calvin Commentary Psalms 107:6

"Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he delivered them out of their distresses," — Psalms 107:6 (ASV)

In their straits they called upon Jehovah. The verbs here are in the past tense and, according to grammarians, represent a continuous action. Therefore, the meaning is that those who wander in desert places are often afflicted by hunger and thirst because they find no place to lodge; and when all hope of deliverance fails them, they then cry out to God.

Doubtless, God grants deliverance to many when in straits, even though they do not offer their supplications to Him for aid. And so, the prophet's design in this passage was not so much to praise the faith of the pious, who call on God with all their heart, as it was to describe common human feelings.

There are many whose hope is not centered on God, who are nevertheless compelled by some invisible disposition of mind to turn to Him when under the pressure of dire necessity.

This is the plan God sometimes pursues to extort from such people the acknowledgment that deliverance is to be sought from no other source than from Him alone. He even constrains the ungodly—who, while living for pleasure, scoff at Him—to invoke His name in spite of themselves.

It has been customary in all ages for heathens, who regard religion as a fable, when compelled by stern necessity, to call on God for help. Did they do so in jest? By no means. It was by a secret natural instinct that they were led to reverence God’s name, which they formerly held in derision.

Therefore, in my opinion, the Spirit of God here describes what frequently happens: namely, that people destitute of piety and faith, and who have no desire to have anything to do with God, if placed in perilous circumstances, are compelled by natural instinct, and without any real understanding of what they are doing, to call on the name of God.

Since it is only in doubtful and desperate cases that they turn to God, this acknowledgment they make of their helplessness is a clear proof of their stupidity. In times of peace and tranquility they neglect Him, so much are they then under the intoxicating influence of their own prosperity.

And even though the seed of piety is planted in their hearts, they nevertheless never think of learning wisdom unless driven by the force of adversity—I mean, learning the wisdom of acknowledging that there is a God in heaven who directs every event.

It is unnecessary here to allude to the sarcastic retort of the ancient buffoon who, on entering a temple and seeing a number of tablets that several merchants had hung there as memorials of their escape from shipwreck through the kind intervention of the gods, smartly and humorously remarked, “But the deaths of those who have been drowned are not counted, the number of which is innumerable.” Perhaps he had some just cause for scoffing at such idols in this manner.

But even if a hundred times more were drowned in the sea than safely reach the harbor, this does not in the least detract from the glory of God’s goodness. God, who while He is merciful is at the same time also just, ensures that the dispensing of mercy does not interfere with the exercise of justice.

The same observation applies to travelers who stray from the path and wander up and down in the desert. If many of them perish from hunger and thirst, if many are devoured by wild animals, if many die from cold, these are nothing less than tokens of God’s judgments, which He intends for our consideration.

From this we infer that the same thing would happen to all people if it were not God’s will to save a portion of them. Thus, acting as a judge between them, He preserves some to show His mercy and pours out His judgments on others to declare His justice.

Therefore, the prophet very properly adds that by God’s hand they were led into the right way, where they may find a suitable place for lodging; and consequently he exhorts them to give thanks to God for this manifestation of His goodness.

And to enhance God’s loving-kindness, he connects his wondrous works with His mercy. It is as if to say that in this kind intervention, God’s grace is too clear either to be unperceived or unacknowledged by all.

For those who have experienced such a remarkable deliverance to remain silent about it would be nothing less than an impious attempt to suppress God’s wonderful deeds—an attempt as futile as trying to trample the sunlight under their feet.

For what else can be said of us? Seeing that our natural instinct drives us to God for help when we are in perplexity and peril, and when, after being rescued, we immediately forget Him—who will deny that His glory is, as it were, obscured by our wickedness and ingratitude?