God Keeps His Covenant and Calls His People to Praise

105:1 Give thanks to the Lord! Call on his name! Make known his accomplishments among the nations! 105:2 Sing to him! Make music to him! Tell about all his miraculous deeds! 105:3 Boast about his holy name! Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! 105:4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives! Seek his presence continually! 105:5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed, his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, 105:6 O children of Abraham, God’s servant, you descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen ones! 105:7 He is the Lord our God; he carries out judgment throughout the earth. 105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree, the promise he made to a thousand generations – 105:9 the promise he made to Abraham, the promise he made by oath to Isaac! 105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as a lasting promise, 105:11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.” 105:12 When they were few in number, just a very few, and resident aliens within it, 105:13 they wandered from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another. 105:14 He let no one oppress them; he disciplined kings for their sake, 105:15 saying, “Don’t touch my chosen ones! Don’t harm my prophets!” 105:16 He called down a famine upon the earth; he cut off all the food supply. 105:17 He sent a man ahead of them – Joseph was sold as a servant. 105:18 The shackles hurt his feet; his neck was placed in an iron collar, 105:19 until the time when his prediction came true. The Lord’s word proved him right. 105:20 The king authorized his release; the ruler of nations set him free. 105:21 He put him in charge of his palace, and made him manager of all his property, 105:22 giving him authority to imprison his officials and to teach his advisers. 105:23 Israel moved to Egypt; Jacob lived for a time in the land of Ham. 105:24 The Lord made his people very fruitful, and made them more numerous than their enemies. 105:25 He caused them to hate his people, and to mistreat his servants. 105:26 He sent his servant Moses, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. 105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them, and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham. 105:28 He made it dark; they did not disobey his orders. 105:29 He turned their water into blood, and killed their fish. 105:30 Their land was overrun by frogs, which even got into the rooms of their kings. 105:31 He ordered flies to come; gnats invaded their whole territory. 105:32 He sent hail along with the rain; there was lightning in their land. 105:33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees, and broke the trees throughout their territory. 105:34 He ordered locusts to come, innumerable grasshoppers. 105:35 They ate all the vegetation in their land, and devoured the crops of their fields. 105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of their reproductive power. 105:37 He brought his people out enriched with silver and gold; none of his tribes stumbled. 105:38 Egypt was happy when they left, for they were afraid of them. 105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, and provided a fire to light up the night. 105:40 They asked for food, and he sent quails; he satisfied them with food from the sky. 105:41 He opened up a rock and water flowed out; a river ran through dry regions. 105:42 Yes, he remembered the sacred promise he made to Abraham his servant. 105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced; his chosen ones shouted with joy. 105:44 He handed the territory of nations over to them, and they took possession of what other peoples had produced, 105:45 so that they might keep his commands and obey his laws. Praise the Lord! Psalm 106

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Psalm 105 tells God’s people to give thanks, sing, and remember what the LORD has done. He kept his promise to Abraham, protected the patriarchs, used Joseph’s suffering for good, brought Israel out of Egypt by mighty acts, and gave his people the land. The psalm ends by saying that redemption leads to obedience.

This psalm is a song of remembrance. It teaches Israel to look back at the LORD’s works and worship him for them. The people are told to give thanks, call on his name, sing, seek him, and remember his mighty deeds.

The reason for this praise is the LORD’s covenant faithfulness. He remembered the promise he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He protected their descendants when they were few and weak. He watched over them among the nations and would not let kings crush them.

The psalm then reviews Joseph’s story. Joseph suffered in prison, but God’s word proved true. The LORD raised Joseph up and used him to preserve the family in Egypt.

Next, the psalm recounts the time of Moses and Aaron. God sent plagues on Egypt, judged Pharaoh, and brought his people out with silver and gold. He led them through the wilderness with cloud, fire, food, and water. At last, he gave them the land he had promised.

The final point is important. God did these things so that his people would keep his commands and obey his laws. Redemption was not only rescue from slavery. It was also a call to covenant obedience.

• God is worthy of thanks, singing, calling on his name, and continual seeking.
• God remembers his covenant promise and keeps it across many generations.
• The LORD is not only Israel’s God; he rules judgment throughout the earth.
• God protected Abraham’s family when they were few and vulnerable.
• Joseph’s suffering was not wasted; God’s word proved true in his life.
• The plagues on Egypt were acts of judgment and deliverance.
• God brought Israel out of Egypt and provided for them in the wilderness.
• The land was given as inheritance according to God’s promise.
• Redemption was meant to lead to obedience to God’s commands.

• Give thanks to the LORD.
• Call on his name.
• Make his deeds known among the nations.
• Sing to him and make music to him.
• Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.
• Remember his mighty acts and his judgments.
• Do not flatten this psalm into a generic promise of immediate prosperity or national security.
• Do not erase the covenant-historical setting of Israel’s land promise.
• The psalm presents God’s judgments on Egypt as real acts of power and justice.

The psalm shows God carrying out one faithful plan across generations. He promised Abraham a people and a land. He preserved that family, brought them through suffering, judged their enemies, redeemed them from Egypt, sustained them in the wilderness, and gave them the inheritance. All of this happened so his people would live under his rule in obedience.

Believers should learn to worship by remembering what God has actually done. When God’s people feel weak or pressured, this psalm teaches them to trust his covenant faithfulness. It also reminds them that God saves people in order to shape them into an obedient people.

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