Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

PSALM 105: HIS SACRED PROMISE TO ABRAHAM The Heirs of the Nations

This highly poetic song emphasizes the covenant God made with Abraham that is still in effect today. This promise allows his children to worship and rejoice with confidence knowing God will fulfill all of his promises. This psalm forms a pair with 106 telling the history of ‘how God treated Israel and how Israel treated God 1 .’ Together they make up the last two psalms of Book Four of the Pentateuch of Psalms. It is also closely related to Psalm 78, the other major historical psalm. Christ’s life is foreshadowed by the life of Joseph and he is seen as the bread of heaven and the rock from which poured out fountains of waters in the desert. The first fifteen verses of the psalm are quoted in 1 Chronicles 16 along with parts of Psalms 106 and 96 as a composite song commissioned by King David to celebrate the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. David understood that worship is based on the promise given to the Patriarch Abraham and handed down to each generation of his believing children. It is outlined as:

I CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM - 1-6 Heirs of Worship II COVENANT…WITH ABRAHAM - 7-15 Heirs of the Land III ALL THE KINGS HOUSEHOLD - 16-25 Joseph, Heir of the Throne IV MOSES… WITH AARON - 26-36 Heirs of Deliverance V SACRED PROMISE TO ABRAHAM - 37-45 Heirs of the Promise

I CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM - 1-6

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his miracles. Exult in his holy name; O worship- pers of the Lord, rejoice!” (1-3) This is the first of 4 psalms beginning with the phrase “Give thanks unto the Lord...” The others, psalms 107, 118 and 136 carry the phrase a little further saying ‘Give thanks to the Lord for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” There is a reason behind the explosion of worship expressions found in these first verses. Despite the difficult history of the Israelites, the original promise that God gave to Abraham, the founder of the nation, will surely come to pass. These instructions are for all who have be- come children of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ: “And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.” (Gal. 3:29) 1. “Give thanks to the Lord...” The basic ingredient of Abrahamic worship is a heart of gratefulness. 2. “…and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.” Abrahamic wor- ship reaches out to all the nations of the world; it is not only centered on the Jewish people and Jerusalem as God told him: “I have made you the father of many nations.” (Rom. 4:17) 3. “Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.” Abrahamic worship is intimate music that is addressed di- rectly to God as Abraham “… was even called the friend of God.” (James 1:23) 4. “Tell everyone about his miracles.” Abrahamic worship music includes proclamation of the good news of Christ: “God promised this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’” (Gal. 3:8) 5. “Exult in his holy name;…” Abrahamic worship is centered on the lifting of God’s name to the highest place of honor. 6. “O worshippers of the Lord, rejoice!” Abrahamic worship is filled with joy! “Search for the Lord and for his strength, and keep on searching. Think of the wonderful works he has done, the miracles and the judgments he handed down, O children of Abraham, God’s servant, O descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen one.”(4-6) This psalm fulfills the command to search for the Lord and his mighty deeds. It unfolds the story of God working through the descendants of Abraham through a period of 500 years. All those who put their faith in Christ become a part of Abraham’s family: “The real children of Abraham, then, are all those who put their faith in God.” (Gal. 3:7)

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