Psalm 105: God’s Wonderful Work & our Worship

​Key Verse
43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.
 
Meditation
Remembering God’s wonderous works fuels worship.
 
Today’s reading commands God’s people to “give thanks,” “call upon His name,” and “sing to Him, sing praises to Him!” (vv. 1-2) through celebrating “the wonderous works He has done” (v. 5). God’s covenant promises to the patriarchs is the headwaters of the river of worship, elevating God’s faithfulness to fulfill all His promises (vv. 1-6). 
 
Originally sung when David brought the ark into Jerusalem (compare vv. 1-15 with 1 Chronicles 16: 4-22), this song intensely communicates “that what He had said came to pass” (v. 19). God is faithful to keep His word to a thousand generations (vv. 7-8). God remembers His holy promises and redeems His chosen people (v. 42). Demonstrating His faithfulness, God sovereignly sends both famine (v. 16) and fruitfulness (v. 24) as He turns enemy hearts (v. 25) and mightily tramples over the gods of this world (vv. 26-36). 
 
Remembering the famine to fruitfulness under Joseph (vv. 16-23) followed by the recollection of slavery to freedom under Moses (vv. 24-38) points to the greater picture of God’s faithfulness to keep His covenant promises through the person and work of Jesus. Jesus is “the man sent ahead” of us (v. 17) as our covenant representative, and all of God’s promises are “Yes!” in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20). Jesus left glory to embrace humility, taking the nature of a slave to free His people through His obedience to die in our place (Philippians 2:6-8). God’s wonderful work to faithfully keep His covenant promises should fuel thanksgiving and worship from His redeemed people. 
 
 
Today’s Reading
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
7 He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.

8 He remembers his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as your portion for an inheritance.”
 
12 When they were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
14 he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”
16 When he summoned a famine on the land
    and broke all supply of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them,
    Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18 His feet were hurt with fetters;
    his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass,
    the word of the Lord tested him.
20 The king sent and released him;
    the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he made him lord of his house
    and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to bind[b] his princes at his pleasure
    and to teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel came to Egypt;
    Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24 And the Lord made his people very fruitful
    and made them stronger than their foes.
25 He turned their hearts to hate his people,
    to deal craftily with his servants.
26 He sent Moses, his servant,
    and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

27 They performed his signs among them
    and miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark;
    they did not rebel
against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood
    and caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
    even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
    and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
    and fiery lightning bolts through their land.

33 He struck down their vines and fig trees,
    and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
    young locusts without number,
35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land
    and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
    the firstfruits of all their strength.
37 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,
    and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.

38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
    for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
    and fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quail,
    and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
    it flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise,
    and Abraham, his servant.
43 So he brought his people out with joy,
    his chosen ones with singing.
44 And he gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil,
45 that they might keep his statutes
    and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially God’s faithfulness to keep His promises?
 
-How is God’s sovereign grace the basis for rejoicing and singing in the Scriptures, God’s work leading to our worship?
 
-What does it look like for you to rejoice in the grace of God? What is keeping you from rejoicing? How can it be replaced with a refocus on Jesus and His work for you?
 
Key Verse
43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.