Telling God He did a GOOD JOB s30e132 Psalm 105 part b

If God has been active and kind to you in designing and implementing a rescue plan for you over many generations, you might want to take notice.  Psalm 105 helps us do just that.  

It is a declaration of all that God has done in Israel to set the stage to save the world at Christmas. (and Easter.)

Read and appreciate it with me today.  We'll be telling God, "You did a good job."

https://youtu.be/Bd9u6DGTmuY

Transcript

Telling God He did a GOOD JOB s30e132 Psalm 105 part b

Psalm 105 is a history of Israel that is remembered by Israel in an anonymous psalm

It’s content must be required reading for all generations of Israel to come to Him. And for all generations of those from outside of Israel to be grafted into His family.

It is a story of inordinate blessing and familiarity: the Lord making an everlasting covenant with a people group of little account, few in number and of no particular homeland. 

Then Israel came to Egypt;

Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 

24    And the Lord made his people very fruitful

and made them stronger than their foes. 

25    He turned their hearts to hate his people, 

to deal craftily with his servants. 

26    He sent Moses, his servant, 

and Aaron, whom he had chosen. 

27    They performed his signs among them 

and miracles {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{in the land of Ham. 

28    He sent darkness, and made the land dark; 

they did not rebel against his words. 

29    He turned their waters into blood

and caused their fish to die. 

30    Their land swarmed with frogs, 

even in the chambers of their kings. 

31    He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, 

and gnats throughout their country. 

32    He gave them hail for rain, 

and fiery lightning bolts through their land. 

33    He struck down their vines and fig trees, 

and shattered the trees of their country. 

34    He spoke, and the locusts came, 

young locusts without number, 

35    which devoured all the vegetation in their land 

and ate up the fruit of their ground. }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

36    He struck down all the firstborn in their land, 

the firstfruits of all their strength.

37    Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, 

and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. 

38    Egypt was glad when they departed, 

for dread of them had fallen upon it. .Lord makes a way for these people to be freed from captivity of 400 years. Left Egypt with the people of God, with the possessions and riches of Egypt and the sobering knowledge of the protection and possession by God Himself. That continued in a two week trip called the exodus, that eventually lasted 40 years:

39    He spread a cloud for a covering, 

and fire to give light by night. 

40    They asked, and he brought quail, 

and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. 

41    He opened the rock, and water gushed out; 

it flowed through the desert like a river. 

42    For he remembered his holy promise, 

and Abraham, his servant. .God Remembered Abraham by promise that extends to his knuckleheaded sons and daughters.

Don’t scoff: many of us are the very same knuckleheads. BUT we don’t enjoy the priveleges naturally given by birth into that kingdom.

We came a s strangers and aliens and undeserving people to His family and to His promises. We get it all by grace.

43    So he brought his people out with joy, 

his chosen ones with singing. 

44    And he gave them the lands of the nations, 

and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,

45    that they might keep his statutes 

and observe his laws. 

       Praise the Lord! 

Deut 6 He writes a warning: Take care lest you forge the Lord. When you get stuff you didn’t deserve. When you are placed into the fruit of others people’s labor.: 10 “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

I am going to give you the fruit of other nations’ labor so you can be the fruit of the nations. That others may come and see your special relationship with God.  That you may picture for me what it is like to be in relationship with The Lord.  That Others may see and desire this

Yesterday, we paused this psalm at the verse that describes Joseph wearing a collar of iron of slavery. It was real, it was longer than He wanted, it hurt.

Today we hear the rest of the story of the nation of Israel. It is a land and a people favored, chosen, and gifted by God so it could one day bring forth a Savior to remedy the big problem of intergalactic offense. Of sin.

Those not of Jewish descent owe them gratitude and awe as we participate in the solution they helped bring to us in the Person of Jesus. They shouldn’t be proud, for they were nothing without God.  The Gentiles shouldn’t be proud either, for they started as aliens and on the outside looking in. He tells us how to respond

Telling God He did a GOOD JOB 

105 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; 

tell of all his wondrous works! 

3    Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! 

4    Seek the Lord and his strength; 

seek his presence continually! 

5    Remember the wondrous works that he has done, 

his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,