Psalm 105
Psalms 105 and 106 bring to a close the series of psalms celebrating the reigning of the Lord Jesus as Israel’s King. They declare the faithfulness of God to His covenant, and in Psalm 106 His mercy is prominent. Thanksgiving is called for, and the proclamation in word and song of Jehovah’s praise. Thus does Psalm 105 begin.
In verse 2 There is a deeper thought than “talk ye of” all His wondrous works; the expression is better translated, “meditate upon” all His wondrous works. In this modern age of hurry, meditation—centering one’s thoughts upon the. Word of God, is but little known among Christians, and there is not the blessing that there ought to be, in consequence.
Observe also, in verses 3 and 4, the recurrence of the word “seek.” This is more than to “inquire after”; the word implies having an earnest desire and using diligence to obtain it. And how shall we “seek the Lord, and His strength; seek His face evermore?” O, this is a step further for the believer beyond meditating upon His wondrous works; it is to seek to know Him through His Word. Consider the following,
“He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.” Psalm 103:77He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. (Psalm 103:7). “Acts” are what are seen, but “ways” are deeper, we know; they are known only to those who are well acquainted with the person spoken of.
May our Lord stir us up to seek to know Him better through diligent occupation of mind with His Word; coupled with prayer.
Our psalm treats of God’s unconditional promise to Abraham, renewed and confirmed to Isaac and Jacob (See Genesis 12:1-3; 26:2-5,1Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: 2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:1‑3)
2And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Genesis 26:2‑5) and 28:13, 14). This covenant will yet be fulfilled, though because of Israel’s sins under the covenant of the law (Exodus 19:55Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: (Exodus 19:5) to 24:8), and most deeply in Judah’s putting to death the Messiah (Matthew 27), they are now set aside, while God in grace goes out to the Gentiles with the gospel of the glory.
The psalm considers Israel’s history from Abraham to the exodus, and to Ca naan, setting out God’s acting on their behalf in delivering them from oppression, overruling the earth’s mighty ones (Genesis 12:17; 20:3-7; 31:24; 35:5; 11:38-43; Exodus chapters 6-12, 14), and finally placing His people in the land promised to Abraham.
In view of the behavior, the stony-hearted unbelief and sin, which marked the children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan and afterward, verses 39 to 45 are very remarkable. Their failure and ruin are set out in the next psalm, but here the inspired writer sees only God as the covenant-keeping God, the Deliverer, the Protector, the Provider, the Giver of all Israel’s blessings. What a God is ours!
ML 08/30/1931