Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 105

Psalm 105 is another psalm that reminds us that the Christian life is to be a life of obedience and in that obedience, must be a heart of praise. In psalm 105 the psalmist gives a few history lessons that remind the Jewish people of the great things God has done for them in an effort to remind them to obey God.

Psalm 105:1-6
Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!  Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!  Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!  Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!  Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,  O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

These words are as applicable to us today as it was to Israel then. Just as God chose Abraham to be the father of the Jews and Israel to be His people, God has chosen each and every Christian to be His church.

Psalm 105:7-11
He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.  He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,  the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,  which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,  saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”

God made a covenant with the Jews and it was a physical covenant that involved land. When God sent Jesus to go to the cross and die in our place, there was a new covenant put into effect. But there are two major differences in the covenants. The Old Covenant was between God and Man and it was based on their ability to keep the law which defined the agreement. The New Covenant is not really a covenant between us and God, it is a covenant between God, the Father and Jesus, the son. We are not saved by our works and by keeping the law; we are saved by grace. And the promises of the New Covenant are not of a physical land, but of a spiritual one.

As Psalm 105 continues on, it tells the stories of God’s deliverance of the nation through the lives of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. The story of the nation Israel is a picture of the life of a Christian. Like the Jews, we keep falling back into our sinful patterns. The Old Covenant teaches the truth of man’s inability to save Himself, while the New Covenant is based only on a life of faith in Christ. But Jesus didn’t say He came to abolish the law; He said He came to fulfill it. Though Christians are not under obligation to follow the letter of the law, we are still called to live by the spirit of the law. God’s moral code has not changed. The Ten Commandments still apply. The difference? We are not saved by our works; we are defined by them. When the Bible tells us to examine ourselves in 2 Corinthians 13:5, it is reminding us that unless our faith has changed us and caused us to be devoted to a life of repentance and obedience to God, then we are not really His.

Psalm 105:43-45
So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.  And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil, that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!

Every day we need to start and end with a thankful heart to our God who has blessed us abundantly. We must also examine ourselves to be sure we are truly His. Jesus stated it clearly in John 14:15 saying that “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” We are not to look anything like the world. We are instead supposed to show the world Jesus through our own lives. Jesus went on in John 14 and said this, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”

We cannot keep His word if we do not know His Word. Jesus also made a promise in John 14.

John 14:25-26
 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

This morning open your Bible and read His Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and to empower you to be obedient. This, my friends, is the way to peace. This is the way to joy. This is how to become a person of worship and praise.

Psalm 105:43-45
So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.  And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil, that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!

Take possession of the spiritual land God has given you. Then praise the Lord!