Psalm 105
Introduction – Psalm 104 begins with a worshipful benediction of the greatness of God—“O Lord my God, you are very great”—and continues within a grand framework of images showing the intimate involvement of God with the creation in all of its splendor and functionality. “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle. …O Lord, how many are your works! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your possessions” (Psalm 104:14, 24). Psalm 105 shows that God has the same involvement with His imagebearers, selecting a people for himself and governing their progress through the world by his wise providence for the manifestation of his glory, power, faithfulness, justice, and mercy in the execution of his infinite wisdom. Psalm 106 celebrates God’s faithfulness in the context of His chosen nation’s unfaithfulness. Their sinful provocation leads to rebuke, oppression, repentance, restoration. One may see verse 45 as an epitome of the Psalm: “And He remembered His covenant for their sake, and relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness.” Our Psalm, the one-hundred-fifth, calls for consistent praise for his condescension to enter into relationship with a rebelling humanity through covenant.
I. The Beautiful Duty of Praising God (verses 1–6).
Praising implies knowing; knowing and praising imply an experiential acquaintance with pure goodness.
A. We praise because He has condescended to reveal His person and His purpose (1, 5).
-
- From the call to gratitude we may infer that the Psalmist has an indelible awareness of God’s character and that He has given gracious favors to the people. He has opened to them some aspects of his lovingkindness.
- “Make known His deeds” shows that God has entered into human consciousness in such a way that his work may be described and his actions may be opened up to the minds of rational beings.
- Both His working and His speaking constitute an ever-increasing body of revelatory truth for the people. “His wonders which He has done” may refer to the compelling revelatory power of creation or the observable interventions of providence which will be detailed in following verses.
- “The judgments uttered by His mouth” shows that we are not left to learn of God and His purpose merely through inference from human observation but through direct verbal communication. God has told us who He is, who we are, what duties we owe to him, what graces he planned and executed for us, what standards of judgment constitute the final declarations of eternal reward or eternal punishment.
B. We praise because His encouragement to seek Him is of infinite value (3, 4).
The Psalmist sees an occasion for joy in seeking the Lord. They seek, not because they naturally want to know him [“There is none that seeks God” (Romans 3:11)]. People look for many things in life: education, a job, a spouse, recognition, expertise in a field, wealth, and pleasures of various sorts. Some of these are done in fulfillment of a legitimate stewardship of life and some emerge from misplaced value. But the command to seek the Lord with the prospect of finding Him is a treasure of unequalled value. He could hide himself forever and justly shut us out forever, but He has urged us to seek him with the prospect of finding Him in Christ.
C. We praise because He is worthy of endless worship in the fulness of His nature–His name (1, 3).
The “Name” of God (Exodus 3:13–16) speaks to His self-existence, immutability, faithfulness, and covenant aggressiveness. According to his perfections, He established a covenant with Abraham that will result in the greatest fullness of manifestation of his attributes: incomprehensible yet revealing, punishing the guilty yet forgiving sin, absolutely just yet filled with mercy, without passions yet relating to His creation in the full spectrum of pure affections, never receding from or failing in his predestined plan yet regretting and angry and threatening to begin again.
D. We praise because of the unsearchable riches of His works (1, 2, 5).
-
- Verse 1 commands, in our thanksgiving, to “make known his deeds among the people.” He has revealed to us His works of creation, providence, and redemption. The Psalms consistently celebrate all of these (e.g. 19, 22, 135,145, 147) and these various parts of each. So should we be mindful of these specific deeds of God, call them to mind for reflection and engage others in conversation about the attributes of God that give rise to and adorn each deed with reason for gratitude and praise. These divine deeds will be an endless source of wonder and praise in eternity (Revelation 4:11 and 5:9, 10).
- Verses 2 and 5 point to God’s wonders and marvels. These are the miraculous interventions that show each of the deeds to bear the clear evidence of a work of God. Apart from each deed defying any coherent explanation that omits divine power and purpose, each of them also includes at least one event, often several, that rise above any attempt at naturalistic explanation. The flood in the days of Noah, the parting of the Red Sea, the stilling of Jonah’s storm, Jesus’ rebuking the winds and the waves, the linguistic phenomenon at Pentecost: all these are “wonders” that show God’s command over nature and carry forth his purposes in providence and redemption.
E. We praise because a joyful knowledge of Him is the peculiar blessing of election (6).
The Psalmist brings to mind that Abraham, out of all the people on earth, was called and invested with a promise. Then, the sons of Jacob gave rise to the chosen people through whom God’s covenant would proceed until its fulfillment in Jesus the Christ. Paul honored this admonition when he wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ … even as He chose us in him before the foundation of the world;… In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:3–6). To this truth of redemptive revelation, we must submit mind and heart as it will be an endless source of praise in eternity (Romans 11:33–36).
II. The Covenantal Purpose of God (105:8–45)
A. Abraham received a promise of universal blessing reflecting the provisions of an eternal covenant (8–10).
First to Abraham, from Abraham to Isaac (a son of promise), and from Isaac to Jacob God revealed the covenant that He called “an everlasting covenant” (10). This everlasting began with the promise of the land in which Abaham resided, one family surrounded by seven nations of people. By comparison they were “few in number, very few, and strangers in it” (12).
B. The covenant involves precise operations of providence with a small and overwhelmed people (13–41).
The writer sees the events of Abraham’s family under the special protection of God (13–15). He isolated the life of Joseph—its difficulties, betrayals, and elevations—as under the precise control of God in order to advance the covenantal promise to Abraham (16–22). The move of Jacob’s family, its safety, prosperity, and growth are summarized as under the superintendence of God in verses 23 and 24. Verses 25–36 summarize the enslavement and miraculous rescue of Israel through Moses, Yahweh’s servant. Plagues were sent upon Egypt to force their release from the oppressive rule of Pharaoh. In addition, when they left, they left with the spoil of Egypt’s riches and with Egypt’s eagerness that they go. During the years of wandering, God protected the nation, fed them, and finally led them to take the land promised to Abraham four centuries earlier.
C. The writer summarizes the Covenantal promise of a nation (Genesis 12:2), a land (Genesis 12:7; 13:14, 15), and a law (Exodus 19:3–6).
They received not only the land, but the advantages of its fruitfulness of the people’s labor (37–44). They had been given the eternal standard of righteousness through the Ten commandments given at Sinai through Moses. This standard, if followed in heart and pursued with joy, would make them a great nation, a blessing to the whole world (45)
Poem on Psalm 105
Gratitude erupts in praise;
Songs and Psalms to God we raise.
His name and deeds are holy
His mercies raise the lowly.
His promises enfold me.
Magnify the Lord’s great fame,
For His wonders now exclaim.
Faithfully his Name adorn.
Pity those whose words spread scorn;
So were we, but now reborn.
Sought by Him, therefore, we seek.
His words, His face, strong and meek.
By covenant He has shown
Eternal love for His own.
His redeemed they shall be known.
Abraham and Isaac heard
God’s covenant promise word.
Jacob’s sons while still so few,
The promised land they could view.
Joseph’s slavery – life renewed!
From Egypt Moses brought them’
With loving pow’r, God sought them.
God’s miracles would save them,
When Pharaoh had enslaved them.
God’s loving care engaged them.
The Red Sea swallowed their foe.
From desert rock water flowed.
God’s protection all around,
Bread from heaven filled the ground,
With quail, sweet meat did abound.
Every trouble, every pain,
Planned in love to give them gain.
This Messianic nation
Preserved for us salvation,
Prompting praise with elation.
God’s eternal promises
Seal that glory all is His,
Gave a people to His Son,
By His blood each shall be won.
Praise eternal, sin undone.
Sing Psalms of His election!
Christ’s infinite perfection.
We have gained where Jesus wrought:
Statutes honored—as we ought—
Found, the righteousness He sought;
Christ’s own blood His people bought.
