Psalm 105
God's Faithfulness in Israel's History
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Intro
Psalm 105 is a recounting of God's mighty acts in Israel's history, illustrating His faithfulness and covenant-keeping nature. When we consider this Psalm in light of the New Covenant, it points us to God's ultimate act of faithfulness - the sending of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of His promises.
Section 1: Call to Praise and Remember God's Wonders (Verses 1-7)
"Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name! Make his doings known among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises to him! Tell of all his marvelous works. Glory in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice. Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more. Remember his marvelous works that he has done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth, you offspring of Abraham, his servant, you children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is Yahweh, our God. His judgments are in all the earth. "
Harmony
The call to give thanks and remember God's deeds is reminiscent of Ephesians 5:19-20, which encourages us to sing and make melody to the Lord with our hearts, always giving thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Talking Points:
The importance of giving thanks and remembering God's deeds.
The role of praise and singing in remembering God's wonders.
The affirmation of God's rule over all the earth.
Questions:
How can we cultivate a habit of giving thanks and remembering God's deeds in our lives?
How does praise and singing help us remember and celebrate God's wonders?
How does recognizing God's rule over all the earth shape our view of world events?
Section 2: God's Faithfulness to His Covenant (Verses 8-25)
"He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac, and confirmed the same to Jacob for a statute; to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance”; when they were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners in it. They went about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people. He allowed no one to do them wrong. Yes, he reproved kings for their sakes, “Don’t touch my anointed ones! Do my prophets no harm!” He called for a famine on the land. He destroyed the food supplies. He sent a man before them. Joseph was sold for a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles. His neck was locked in irons, until the time that his word happened, and Yahweh’s word proved him true. The king sent and freed him; even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all of his possessions; to discipline his princes at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom. Israel also came into Egypt. Jacob lived in the land of Ham. He increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their adversaries. He turned their heart to hate his people, to conspire against his servants. "
Harmony
God's faithfulness to His covenant is echoed in Luke 1:72-73, where Zechariah praises God for remembering His holy covenant, the oath He swore to Abraham.
Talking Points:
God's faithfulness in remembering His covenant.
The role of God's covenant in shaping Israel's history.
The specific example of Joseph and how God's covenant shaped his story.
Questions:
How have we experienced God's faithfulness to His promises in our lives?
How does understanding God's faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham impact our understanding of the Bible's larger narrative?
What can we learn from Joseph's story about God's providential care?
Section 3: God's Deliverance and Provision (Verses 26-45)
"He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed miracles among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness, and made it dark. They didn’t rebel against his words. He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish. Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the rooms of their kings. He spoke, and swarms of flies came, and lice in all their borders. He gave them hail for rain, with lightning in their land. He struck their vines and also their fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, and the grasshoppers, without number, ate up every plant in their land; and ate up the fruit of their ground. He struck also all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their manhood. He brought them out with silver and gold. There was not one feeble person among his tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen on them. He spread a cloud for a covering, fire to give light in the night. They asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of the sky. He opened the rock, and waters gushed out. They ran as a river in the dry places. For he remembered his holy word, and Abraham, his servant. He brought his people out with joy, his chosen with singing. He gave them the lands of the nations. They took the labor of the peoples in possession, that they might keep his statutes, and observe his laws. Praise Yah! "
Harmony
The deliverance and provision of God align with 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, which mentions the Israelites' Exodus journey and spiritual nourishment, ultimately pointing to Christ as the spiritual rock that followed them.
Talking Points:
God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt through Moses and Aaron.
The joyful celebration of God's people at their deliverance.
God's provision of the promised land and the call for His people to keep His statutes.
Questions:
How does the story of the Exodus inspire our trust in God's power to deliver?
How can we cultivate a spirit of joyful celebration for God's deliverance in our lives?
How does God's provision for Israel in the promised land speak to His provision for us today?
Summary:
Psalm 105:1-45 recalls God's faithfulness to Israel through His mighty deeds and covenant promises.
God’s faithfulness to Israel of old mirrors the New Covenant truths of God's faithfulness in sending Jesus Christ (Luke 1:72-73), our call to thanksgiving and praise (Ephesians 5:19-20), and God's deliverance and provision (1 Corinthians 10:1-4).
The psalm invites us to join in remembering and praising God for His faithfulness, to trust in His covenant promises, and to rejoice in His deliverance and provision.