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The author of this psalm is unknown. This psalm is classified as a hymn that celebrates Israel’s history of redemption (also called a narrative or story telling psalm, which there are only five: 78, 105, 106, 153, 136). This psalm’s storyline begins with God’s covenant with Abraham and then displays that covenant beginning to be fulfilled in the nation of Israel. Eight of the ten plagues of Egypt are mentioned.
I. The call to worship (vs. 1–6)
A. Sing praises to Yahweh
B. Seek the LORD
C. Express gratitude to the LORD
D. Glorify the LORD, Look to the LORD in dependent trust
E. Remember His signs, wonders and judgments in connection with redemption and revelation
II. The Abrahamic covenant of promise (vs. 7–11)
A. Yahweh is faithful to His covenant promises, “Yahweh our God,” Exodus 20
B. Covenants are established by God, commanded, sworn oath, decree, confirmed
C. The promise of the land is to the physical seed, ethnic Israel
D. A thousand generation promise
E. Focus is on the unconditional aspects of the covenant here
III. The covenant people’s protection by Yahweh (vs. 12–15)
A. God protected the patriarch’s as Genesis recorded
B. The Jews survive because Yahweh decreed it, not because of their strength
C. Those who God chooses He anoints with His Spirit
D. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob received direct revelation like the prophets
E. Pharaoh, Abimelech and his son were all rebuked by God
IV. The covenant people’s providential preservation by Yahweh (vs. 16–23) ***
A. The famine of the Land moved God’s people to Egypt
B. God providentially sent Joseph first
V. The covenant people’s further protection by Yahweh (vs. 24–36)
A. The people expanded, multiplied, just like Yahweh promises
B. Pharaoh order gender specific post-birth abortions, Yahweh overruled
C. Eight of the ten plagues are mentioned in a different order than Exodus 10–12
D. These are the judgmental signs and wonders connected with redemption and revelation
VI. The fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant promise (vs. 37–45b)
A. Yahweh must bring the people out of Egypt to give them Canaan
B. He must provide them with the resources they needed
C. He must give them a constitution and legal system
D. He must give them property
E. He must provide for them food and water for the trip
F. He must provide them a Messiah in which to trust
. . . and they all drank the same drink from the Spirit - for they drank from a Spirit-sent Rock which followed them, and that Rock was the Messiah. (1 Cor 10:4 CJB)
G. He must provide them reasons to rejoice and be glad
H. He gave them tree groves and vineyards already planted
I. He blessed them
J. He gave them His worship regulations and His moral laws, which as a couplet stands for the entire law, which includes Civil, Ceremonial, and Moral as categories of law
VII. The benediction of worship (vs. 45c)
A. The author ends as he began, a call to praise
B. This conclusion is fitting benediction, Praise Yahweh, He is faithful to keep His covenant promises
C. Because the nation was unfaithful, violated the covenant, and brought the chastisements of the covenant on themselves, the remnant had to take hold of the promises of Yahweh by faith. It has always been that way
Lessons to live by:
• In every era of time it is impossible to please God without faith. See Hebrew 11
• If God keeps His promises to the ethnic seed of Abraham, how much more will He keep His promises to the Spiritual seed of Abraham (Galatians 3)
• If God protects the ethnic seed, will He not also protect the Spiritual seed? (Romans 8)
• The chosen ones today are in the New Covenant with Jesus the Messiah as the mediator of the new and better covenant
• There is no safer place on the earth than living in a committed obedient relationship to Yahweh and His book, the Bible and following His guidance
• Salvation is through faith by grace and never by works, however, the saved will display their salvation by their actions (Eph 2:8–10; James 2)
