Psalm 105:1-4, 8-11, 26-29, 36-37, 42-45 NIV
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made,
for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
“To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.”
He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness and made the land dark—
for had they not rebelled against his words?
He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.
Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their manhood.
He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,
and from among their tribes no one faltered.
For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.
He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 105 is a history lesson. It's 45 verses cover in brief the contents of Genesis, Exodus, and Joshua. The laws and ordinances in Leviticus and Deuteronomy are implied when God's precepts and laws are mentioned.
From a narrative standpoint the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph are celebrated. Then the exodus out of Egypt with Moses and Aaron leading is covered with all the plagues God brought on their oppressors. Then the conquest of Caanan under Joshua is remembered, though Joshua is not mentioned.
I only copy a portion of the psalm above. Take the time to read the whole psalm to get it's full impact.
If you are familiar with these stories in Genesis you'll recognize them in the psalm. Like Abram and Sarai pretending to be brother and sister in the company of Canaanite kings like Abimelech. God protected Abram and his wife from harm and made them wealthy among the people of the land of Canaan, even though Abram owned no land.
The brief mention of Joseph sold into slavery reminds you of his brothers' jealousy, his dreams, and his coat of many colors. We remember his hardship in Egypt and how God's was with him through it all. God made faithful Joseph a source of salvation for Israel, Egypt, and many others who were starving during the 7 years of drought.
The main theme of Psalm 105 is God's faithfulness. He has remembered His covenant, His promises to the patriarchs to give their descendants the land of Caanan. The psalm reminds worshipers of the acts of God among the people of Israel over the centuries to fulfill His promise. It took half a millennia to bring the promise to fulfillment, and that long history, which included great suffering, many mistakes, and the deaths of generations of Hebrews, is something to celebrate. Not that failures and difficulties are a reason to celebrate, but that God was faithful through it all. God kept His promise.
God has made many promises to those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. Eternal life is the greatest among them. Heaven is the new promised land and our lives here on earth are a journey out of slavery, out of the clutches of false worship, sin and death. We wander through the wilderness of this life moving toward the promise of life everlasting. We have many blessings along the way to celebrate. God sends people into our lives to lead us or help us in some way. We will have many trials and challenges on this journey. God will be faithful through it all.
I encourage you to write a brief history of your own journey through life, to this point, celebrating the ways God has shown faithfulness to you. Recount His mighty acts in your life to deliver you, provide for you, and bring you into the kingdom of His love.
Psalm 105:3 NIV
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
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