Psalm 105 is a psalm that
calls God’s people to remember that God remembers! Even though the first
fifteen verses of this psalm were copied directly from a psalm that King David
had previously written (1 Chronicles 16:8-22), it is thought to have been
written by anonymous writer after the Babylonian captivity and the people of Israel
were facing the challenge of going back to the Promise Land to rebuild the
temple, the city of Jerusalem, and reestablish the nation. They needed to be
encouraged that their God would help them.
In verse 5, they were told to “Remember
His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His
mouth”. This chapter is divided into
them remembering “His marvelous works” (vv. 1-15), as God chose Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob and made an “everlasting covenant” (v.10) with them as the nation of
Israel. As we face major challenges in our lives, we need to remember that we
are also God’s chosen people. Jesus told His disciples in John 15:16, “You
did not choose me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that you should go
and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you
will ask of the Father in my name I will give it to you.”
In verses 16-41, the people
remembered God’s wonders and His judgements as He prepared Joseph to saved them
from a famine, and how God sent Moses and Aaron to call down His judgements on
Egypt. In verses 26-41, they were to remember the ten plagues that were both a
demonstration of the power of the God of Israel and a condemnation of the gods
of Egypt (Ex. 12:12; 18:11; Num. 33:4). Egypt worshiped the sun, so God sent
three days of darkness. The Nile River was a god, so God turned the water to
blood. The Egyptians worshiped over eighty different gods and goddesses, all of
whom were helpless to deliver the land from the onslaught of the plagues, the
judgments that God pronounced (v. 5). Jehovah proved that they were false gods
who could do nothing.
The psalmist began his list
with the plague of darkness (v. 28), which was actually the ninth plague. After
mentioning this plague, the writer stayed with the original sequence: water
turned to blood, and the invasions of frogs, flies, and gnats. He omits the
fifth and six plagues—the death of the livestock and the boils—and moves on to
the hail, locusts, and the death of the firstborn on Passover night. What a
demonstration of the awesome power of Jehovah! This led to the triumphant
exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt, like a victorious army carrying the
spoils of battle (v. 37; Ex. 3:21-22; 11:1-3; 12:36-37).
Remembering God's deliverance
and His care of His people would give courage to the Jewish remnant as they
returned to Judah to reestablish the nation. God remembers His covenant (v. 8),
and God's people must remember the Lord and what He has done (v. 5).
Today, we should also remember
that God remembers!
God bless!
