Psalm 107: 1 – “O…”

What kind of word is “O?” Actually, it is not a word. It is an exclamation. It is a sound that comes out which has less to do with itself than the feeling, the thought or the emotion which precipitated it. The writer of Psalm 107 could have very easily began the psalm directly with the words: “Give thanks unto the Lord.” However, he decided that before he began to give thanks, an “O” was appropriate.

Needless to say, we can only speculate why he did this. Still, even though it is speculation, that won’t stop us from trying to figure out this “O.” It might have been an:
O of remembrance. You know how you say “O” when you just remembered something you should have never forgotten. Like when you remember you forgot to say your grace after already swallowing four forks full of food. How many times have we rushed to receive God’s blessing and had to catch ourselves with: “O, I almost forgot to give thanks.”

O of recognition. We say “O” when we finally get something! O, now I see. O, now I get it. O, now I understand I should give thanks. At this point of recognition, giving thanks is no longer something you do because your mother told you to or your wife expects you to or the pastor shamed you to do. It is something which you now understand as something which you can no longer help but do.

O of rallying. More than being an “O” of remembrance or recognition, this is most likely an “O” of rallying. That is to say, what the psalmist is doing is encouraging his hearers to come together and join him in giving thanks to the Lord. In essence, he is saying: Come on ya’ll! Let’s give thanks. Therefore, the bottom line is: Don’t forget to give thanks. Don’t fail to understand the propriety of giving thanks. – And, don’t try to do it all by yourself. Get some friends to join you in giving thanks! “O!”