NOTES for Psa 106
While the preceding psalm tells how the Lord guided the people, here we are reminded of the story of the apostasy from Him of those for whom He cared. Numerous attempts to view the Bible “critically” have not been able to undo the fact that the biblical view of the world and of the human person is sober. Its pages leave no room for idealizing anyone. The rules “one of ours, therefore good” and “do not wash your dirty linen in public” do not apply here.
Yet the Lord continues to treat with mercy the apostates who turned away from Him and openly demonstrated that they did not need Him: He does not cease caring for them and continues to deliver them from enemies and oppressors. How can this be reconciled with His incompatibility with every evil and with the constant reminders, through the prophets He called, that a sinful life is impermissible?
It is impossible to comprehend Him. Yet it would probably not be far-fetched to suppose that His demands upon people flow precisely from His mercy—demands that guard them from paths leading to destruction.