Psalms 105: Remembering God's Faithfulness
O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:
When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.
He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.
The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.
He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.
He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.
They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.
Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.
He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.
The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;
That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.
This psalm, Psalms 105, is a powerful reminder of God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises, particularly to Abraham and his descendants, the nation of Israel. It serves as a historical summary, tracing God's providential care from the time of the patriarchs through the Exodus and the eventual possession of the Promised Land. In contrast to the following chapter, Psalms 106, which emphasizes Israel's failures, Psalms 105 highlights God's consistent goodness as a reason for worship and praise. This psalm is a call to remember God's wondrous works and to seek His face always (Psalms 105:1-2, 4-5).
God's Covenant with Abraham (Psalms 105:1-11)
The psalmist begins by calling on God's people to give thanks and declare His deeds among the peoples. We are to sing to Him, meditate on all His wonders, and glory in His holy name. This is a call to active remembrance and celebration of God's faithfulness. The foundation of this faithfulness is the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promising them the land of Canaan as an everlasting inheritance (Genesis 17:7-8, Psalms 105:8-11). This covenant is not a one-time event but an ongoing commitment, a testament to God's unchanging nature. God's nature is truthfulness, and He cannot fail to remember His own promises. When the Lord guarantees something, He will see it through.
Protection and Provision (Psalms 105:12-25)
The psalm then recounts how God protected the patriarchs even when they were few in number and wandering without a homeland (Psalms 105:12-15). Despite their sins and errors, God remained faithful, even warning pagan kingdoms not to harm them (Genesis 12:17, 20:3). The narrative then shifts to Joseph, one of Jacob's sons, who was sold into slavery in Egypt. Yet, God's plan was at work, elevating Joseph to a position of power, second only to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:38-45). This elevation allowed Joseph to save Egypt from a devastating famine (Genesis 50:20) and to provide refuge for his family, bringing them to settle in Egypt (Genesis 47:11-12).
The initial prosperity of Israel in Egypt eventually led to resentment and oppression, culminating in their enslavement (Psalms 105:16-25, Exodus 1:7-10). This period of suffering sets the stage for God's dramatic intervention.
Deliverance from Egypt (Psalms 105:26-38)
To deliver Israel from slavery, God sent Moses and Aaron, empowering them to perform miraculous signs and wonders (Psalms 105:26, Exodus 3:20). The psalmist summarizes the ten plagues that devastated Egypt, demonstrating God's power and compelling Pharaoh to release His people (Exodus 7-12). These plagues included turning water into blood, infestations of frogs and insects, darkness, hail, and the death of the firstborn (Psalms 105:26-38). The Egyptians were so desperate to be rid of these plagues that they sent the Israelites away with great wealth (Exodus 12:33-36). The Lord had made them a great nation by his providential and powerful delivering hand. Israel’s story is one that involved the constant supernatural provision and protection of God.
Guidance and Provision in the Wilderness (Psalms 105:39-42)
Even after their Exodus, God continued to demonstrate His faithfulness. He guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Psalms 105:39, Exodus 13:21-22). He provided for their needs in the wilderness, giving them manna to eat and water to drink (Psalms 105:40, Exodus 16:13-15, 17:5-6). All these acts were part of God's unwavering commitment to the promise He made to Abraham (Psalms 105:42).
Inheritance of the Promised Land (Psalms 105:43-45)
Finally, the psalm concludes with the fulfillment of God's promise: bringing Israel into the Promised Land (Psalms 105:43-45, Joshua 1:1-3). He drove out the nations before them and gave them possession of their lands. The ultimate purpose of this deliverance and inheritance was so that Israel might keep His statutes and obey His laws (Psalms 105:45).
The Lord was faithful to his holy promise to Abraham (Psalms 105:42). And, although Israel was hindered by enemies and by their own sinful rebellion, God gave them the land he had promised—the lands of the nations (Psalms 105:44). What was the reason for all of the Lord’s remarkable deeds? That his people might keep his statutes and obey his instructions (Psalms 105:45).
Our Response
Like the Israelites, we are called to remember God's faithfulness in our own lives. Just as He delivered Israel from slavery, He delivers us from sin and death through Jesus Christ. We are not delivered so that we can go our own way but rescued for reverence and saved to serve. As we reflect on God's faithfulness, may we be inspired to worship Him, obey His commands, and share His love with the world.
O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:
When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.
He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.
The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.
He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.
He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.
They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.
Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.
He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.
The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;
That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.
This psalm, Psalms 105, is a powerful reminder of God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises, particularly to Abraham and his descendants, the nation of Israel. It serves as a historical summary, tracing God's providential care from the time of the patriarchs through the Exodus and the eventual possession of the Promised Land. In contrast to the following chapter, Psalms 106, which emphasizes Israel's failures, Psalms 105 highlights God's consistent goodness as a reason for worship and praise. This psalm is a call to remember God's wondrous works and to seek His face always (Psalms 105:1-2, 4-5).
God's Covenant with Abraham (Psalms 105:1-11)
The psalmist begins by calling on God's people to give thanks and declare His deeds among the peoples. We are to sing to Him, meditate on all His wonders, and glory in His holy name. This is a call to active remembrance and celebration of God's faithfulness. The foundation of this faithfulness is the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promising them the land of Canaan as an everlasting inheritance (Genesis 17:7-8, Psalms 105:8-11). This covenant is not a one-time event but an ongoing commitment, a testament to God's unchanging nature. God's nature is truthfulness, and He cannot fail to remember His own promises. When the Lord guarantees something, He will see it through.
Protection and Provision (Psalms 105:12-25)
The psalm then recounts how God protected the patriarchs even when they were few in number and wandering without a homeland (Psalms 105:12-15). Despite their sins and errors, God remained faithful, even warning pagan kingdoms not to harm them (Genesis 12:17, 20:3). The narrative then shifts to Joseph, one of Jacob's sons, who was sold into slavery in Egypt. Yet, God's plan was at work, elevating Joseph to a position of power, second only to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:38-45). This elevation allowed Joseph to save Egypt from a devastating famine (Genesis 50:20) and to provide refuge for his family, bringing them to settle in Egypt (Genesis 47:11-12).
The initial prosperity of Israel in Egypt eventually led to resentment and oppression, culminating in their enslavement (Psalms 105:16-25, Exodus 1:7-10). This period of suffering sets the stage for God's dramatic intervention.
Deliverance from Egypt (Psalms 105:26-38)
To deliver Israel from slavery, God sent Moses and Aaron, empowering them to perform miraculous signs and wonders (Psalms 105:26, Exodus 3:20). The psalmist summarizes the ten plagues that devastated Egypt, demonstrating God's power and compelling Pharaoh to release His people (Exodus 7-12). These plagues included turning water into blood, infestations of frogs and insects, darkness, hail, and the death of the firstborn (Psalms 105:26-38). The Egyptians were so desperate to be rid of these plagues that they sent the Israelites away with great wealth (Exodus 12:33-36). The Lord had made them a great nation by his providential and powerful delivering hand. Israel’s story is one that involved the constant supernatural provision and protection of God.
Guidance and Provision in the Wilderness (Psalms 105:39-42)
Even after their Exodus, God continued to demonstrate His faithfulness. He guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Psalms 105:39, Exodus 13:21-22). He provided for their needs in the wilderness, giving them manna to eat and water to drink (Psalms 105:40, Exodus 16:13-15, 17:5-6). All these acts were part of God's unwavering commitment to the promise He made to Abraham (Psalms 105:42).
Inheritance of the Promised Land (Psalms 105:43-45)
Finally, the psalm concludes with the fulfillment of God's promise: bringing Israel into the Promised Land (Psalms 105:43-45, Joshua 1:1-3). He drove out the nations before them and gave them possession of their lands. The ultimate purpose of this deliverance and inheritance was so that Israel might keep His statutes and obey His laws (Psalms 105:45).
The Lord was faithful to his holy promise to Abraham (Psalms 105:42). And, although Israel was hindered by enemies and by their own sinful rebellion, God gave them the land he had promised—the lands of the nations (Psalms 105:44). What was the reason for all of the Lord’s remarkable deeds? That his people might keep his statutes and obey his instructions (Psalms 105:45).
Our Response
Like the Israelites, we are called to remember God's faithfulness in our own lives. Just as He delivered Israel from slavery, He delivers us from sin and death through Jesus Christ. We are not delivered so that we can go our own way but rescued for reverence and saved to serve. As we reflect on God's faithfulness, may we be inspired to worship Him, obey His commands, and share His love with the world.