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Psalm 105: 1-11 (NIV)
1 Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4 Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
5 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
7 He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant for ever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”
The first fifteen verses of Psalm 105 repeat the praises of King David and his people as the ark of the covenant was brought into Jerusalem. On that day “David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the LORD” in this manner (1 Chronicles 16: 7). Asaph’s song of praise continues beyond 1 Chronicles 16: 8-22 (portions of it are found also in Psalm 96 and Psalm 106).
Verses 8 to 11 of the passage above recall the promises that the Lord made to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, promises which were the subject of last week’s reflection. Asaph chose different words to refer to these promises: “covenant”, “promise”, “oath”, “decree” and even “everlasting covenant” – each word reinforcing the reliability of a promise made by God.
Of importance to us today is the psalmist’s conviction of the enduring nature of God’s promises. God “remembers his covenant for ever”; it is a promise he made “for a thousand generations” (verse 8). We take heart from this conviction. We know that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever” (Hebrews 13: 8). We know that what he has taught and what he has promised are for eternity. People who are his, “the sheep of his pasture” (Psalms 79: 13, 100: 3), take comfort in the conviction that Jesus gives eternal life and that “(we) shall never perish; no one will snatch (us) out of (Jesus’) hand” (John 10: 28). In fact Jesus then promised, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10: 29).
The presence with them of the ark of the covenant assured the people of Israel that the LORD was with them. We have the assurance of a resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, who has promised, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28: 20). Is not this assurance grounds enough for us to repeat with heartfelt thanks the verses with which Psalm 105 begins, to give praise to the Lord and to glory in his holy name!