Psalm 105 reminds me of the wedding shower that we were given at work. My soon-to-be bride had been working there for a number of years and had several great friends, while I had only been there a short time. To me the gifts we received were far too generous. Unfortunately, my wife was not present the day the gifts were given. I was overwhelmed and really did not know how to respond. After explaining the situation and how uncomfortable I was, my sweet wife said, “A simple ‘Thank You’ is perfect”. When gifts are given in love, a sincere word of thanks is the best response. This psalm begins, “Give thanks to the Lord“. He quickly adds, “Tell of all His wonderful acts… let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice“. In other words, gifts are not supposed to remain in the box. They are given to be used. He writes, “Remember the wonders… O descendants of Abraham… He remembers His covenant forever… the covenant He made with Abraham“. The promise God made to Abraham was three-fold; he would be the father of many nations, God would give Abraham a land, and through his descendants the Savior of the world would be born. We also read that God swore this promise to Himself, meaning it was irrevocable. Here is the coolest part of all for you and me, Galatians 3:6 reminds us, “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness“. That means Abraham was made right with God by faith, believing His promise. Maybe you don’t feel very deserving of forgiveness. You are right, in fact, you can’t earn it, you can only receive it and say “thanks”.
The psalm continues with a history lesson of Israel, “He swore to Isaac… He confirmed it to Jacob… to Israel as an everlasting covenant… sent a man before them Joseph… Then Israel entered Egypt… The Lord made his people very fruitful… He sent Moses His servant… He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold… He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert. For He remembered His holy promise given to His servant Abraham“. Four hundred- thirty years later, God was still blessing His people because of the promise He gave to Abraham! The people were not perfect, but God’s promise has no expiration date.
It is interesting that the Psalm does not mention the Law given through Moses, only God’s faithfulness to Abraham, and the reaction of His people entering the Land, “His chosen ones with shouts of joy“. Today, many electronic gadgets come with lengthy instruction manuals. It helps us better understand the gift, but the benefit comes from experiencing the subject of the manual. What about the third promise to Abraham? Galatians 3:14, 29 explain that this same promise is extended to us through the work of Jesus. “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit… if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise“. Jeremiah 31 prophesied, “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel… I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more“. Just like the Israelites, we are “heir to what others had toiled for“. Perhaps this is why the psalm ends, “observe His laws. Praise the Lord“. Will you open the gift and say “thanks”?