SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/13/2012 9:47:23 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm PT-1
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Psalm 105:1-15
Message of the verses: We will begin to look at Psalm 105 in Today’s
SD by looking at the introduction of the psalm by several different Bible
Commentators.
“This psalm was penned by David,
and sung at the time when the ark was brought from the house of Obededom to the
place which David had prepared for it; at least the first fifteen verses of it,
the other part being probably added afterwards by the same inspired penman, as
appears from #1Ch 16:1-7. The subject matter of the psalm is the special and
distinguishing goodness of God to the children of Israel, and to his church and
people, of which they were typical: the history of God’s regard to and care of
their principal ancestors, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, &c. and of the whole
body of the people, in bringing them out of Egypt, leading them through the
wilderness, and settling them in the land of Canaan, is here recited, as an
argument for praise and thankfulness.” (John Gill)
“This historical psalm was
evidently composed by King David, for the first fifteen verses of it were used
as a hymn at the carrying up of the ark from the house of Obededom, and we read
in #1Ch 16:7, "Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank
the Lord, into the hand of Asaph and his brethren." Such a song was
suitable for the occasion, for it describes the movements of the Lord’s people
and his guardian care over them in every place, and all this on account of the
covenant of which the ark, then removing, was a symbol. Our last psalm sang the
opening chapters of Genesis, and this takes up its closing chapters and
conducts us into Exodus and Numbers.
The first verses are full of joyful
praise, and call upon the people to extol Jehovah, #Ps 105:1-7; then the
earliest days of the infant nation, are described, #Ps 105:8-15; the going into
Egypt, #Ps 105:16-23, the coming forth from it with the Lord’s outstretched
arm, #Ps 105:24-38, the journeying through the wilderness and the entrance into
Canaan.
We are now among the long Psalms, as at
other times we have been among the short ones. These varying lengths of the
sacred poems should teach us not to lay down any law either of brevity or
prolixity in either prayer or praise. Short petitions and single verses of
hymns are often the best for public occasions, but there are seasons when a
whole night of wrestling or an entire day of psalm slinging will be none too
long. The Spirit is ever free in his operations, and is not to be confined
with, the rules of conventional propriety. The wind bloweth as it listeth, and
at one time rushes in short and rapid sweep, while at another it continues to
refresh the earth hour after hour with its reviving breath.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
“Just as Pss. 103 and 104 were
matched pairs; so are Pss 105 and 106, as they look at Israel’s history from
God’s perspective and then Israel’s vantage respectively. This psalm possibly originated by command of
David to Asaph on the occasion when the Ark of the Covenant was first brought
to Jerusalem (2Sam. 6:12-19; 1Chron. 16:1-7). Psalm 105 1:15 repeats 1Chron.
16:8-22.
“Psalm 104 magnifies the God of
creation and 106 the God who chastens His people and forgives them, but this
psalm focuses on the God of the covenant (vv. 8-10) who works out His divine
purposes in human history. ‘Make known
his deeds’ (vv. 1-2, 5) is the major thrust, referring, of course, to God’s
mighty acts on behalf of Israel. (See
also 78, and note that 105:1-15 is adapted in 1Chron. 16:8-22.) The psalm does not go beyond the conquest of
Canaan (v. 44) or mention the Davidic dynasty, which suggests that it may have
been written after the Babylonian exile, possibly by one of the Levites who
returned to Judah with the Jewish remnant.
The psalmist saw the hand of God in the events of Jewish history, and
this was the kind of encouragement the struggling remnant needed. He reminded them that they were God’s chosen
people and that God worked according to His schedule. Beginning with Egypt, the Lord had already
revealed His power over the Gentile nations, and He will always keep His
promises. Remembering these truths can
bring God’s people encouragement and any time in history! (v. 5)” (Warren Wiersbe)
The Patriarchs—God’s Gracious Election (vv. 1-15): “1 ¶
Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds
among the peoples. 2 Sing to Him, sing
praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. 3
Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be
glad. 4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually. 5 Remember
His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His
mouth, 6 O seed of Abraham, His servant,
O sons of Jacob, His
chosen ones! 7 He is the LORD our
God; His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to
a thousand generations, 9 The covenant
which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. 10 Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11
Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the portion of
your inheritance," 12 When they
were only a few men in number, Very few, and strangers in it. 13 And they wandered about from nation to
nation, From one kingdom to another people. 14
He permitted no man to oppress them, And He reproved kings for their
sakes: 15 "Do not touch My anointed
ones, And do My prophets no harm.’”
In the first five verses of this
psalm we see ten commandments that the psalmist gives to his readers,
especially the nation of Israel, but not just for them, for it is for all those
who belong to the Lord. We know that
Israel was chosen by the Lord for we read this in verse six, and the reason
that God chose them was because they were His sovereign choice, and there is no
other reason necessary.
Israel was supposed to be a light
to the Gentile nations, and this could have been done by their giving thanks to
the Lord, their praying and also their singing.
Sadly for the most part this was not done on a regular basis. The prophet Daniel, in his wonderful prophecy
that he writes in chapter nine tells of a number of things that the nation of
Israel was to do in order to be wittiness to the nations around them. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled most of these
commands that is found there: Daniel 9:“24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for
your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of
sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to
seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.”
The psalmist speaks of the covenant
that God made with Abraham, a covenant that is still in effect to this day, in
verses 6, 9, and 42. This covenant is
seen in the Book of Genesis 12:1-5 and 15:9-21; and also in Acts 7:1-8 where
Stephen repeats it to those who were about to stone him to death. This covenant would apply to all of Abraham’s
physical descendants as well as for those who are believers today and are his
spiritual descendants. See Luke 1:68-79; Galatians 3:1-9 and 29. Part of this covenant promise was the gift of
the land of Canaan, and we can see today that Israel lives in part of this
land, and for the first time in nearly 2500 years Israel is back in their land
having control of their nation there.
After the Babylonian exile they came back to Israel, but were subject to
the nations who had control over it, not so today. Dr. Wiersbe writes that “this covenant will
endure forever (vv. 8-11; Deut. 7:9).
Again this was an act of grace on the part of the Lord, for none of the
patriarchs had any claim to upon God nor did He owe them anything. They were homeless nomads—pilgrims and
strangers (Heb. 11:8-16)—who depended on the Lord to protect and guide them
(Gen. 34:30; Deut. 7:6-11; 26:5). Even when
they erred, the Lord protected them and even reproved kings on their behalf
(Gen. 12:10ff; 20; 26; 32-33). God is sovereign,
and though He does not turn men and women into robots, He does rule and
overrule when they disobey. His will shall
be done and His plans shall be fulfilled (vv. 8-11; 19; 22:11).”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: Just as
the Lord called the nation of Israel to be His witness to a lost world He has
also called the Church today to do the same, and that is my desire too.
My Steps of Faith for
Today: I desire to abide in the Vine
so that the Lord can teach me and guide me and use me to do what He desires for
me to do. I desire to tell others about
the Lord Jesus Christ, the way the truth and the life.
Memory verses for the week:
2Peter 1:1-5
1.Simon
Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those
who have a received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of
our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2.
Grace and mercy be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our
Lord; 3. Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining
to life and righteousness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by
His own glory and excellence. 4. For by
these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by
them we can become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world by lust.
5. Now for
this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral
excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
7/13/2012 10:41:20 AM
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