Psalm 105
One of my professors in seminary was Larry Moyer. He used to tell our class, “When you hear me make a point, be sure to listen. When you hear me say it again, be sure to sit up a little straighter in your seats. When you hear me say it the third time, be sure to write it down because you will only hear me say it three more times!” Repetition was one of the aspects that made Dr. Moyer a remarkable teacher.[1]
Repetition solidifies information in our memories by repeatedly exposing the brain to the same concept, allowing long-term retention. One writer said, “Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.”[2]
The most exceptional teacher, of course, is God. He uses the art of repetition throughout the book of Genesis. And retells the story in the psalms. Today, let’s consider a portion of Psalm 105.
Psalm 105 tracks God’s sovereign work, from the Abrahamic covenant to Israel’s freedom from Egypt. The psalmist implores God’s people to give him thanks, to sing praises to him, to “glory in his holy name,” and to “tell of all his wondrous works!” (Ps. 105:1-7). God never forgets his promises.
Psalm 105:8-11
[God] remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, 9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, 10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”
God’s covenant with Abraham began as a call in Genesis 12:1-3. God summoned Abraham from his home in Ur to “the land that I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). God promised to make Abraham a great nation that would bless all the families of the earth (Gen. 12:3). God’s directive was not based on Abraham’s righteousness. At the time of the call, Abraham and his family served other gods (Josh. 24:2). But the Creator transformed Abraham’s heart. God repeated his promise to Abraham in Genesis 13:14-17 and, in Genesis 15, confirmed the promise with a unilateral covenant dependent on God alone. Later in Genesis 17, this covenant was given the sign of circumcision. Isaac, the son of the covenant, was born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, as recorded in Genesis 21, and God reiterated the covenant promise to Isaac in Genesis 26:4-5. The covenant was repeated to Jacob when he was on his way to Paddan-aram in Genesis 28 and on his way back to Canaan in Genesis 35.
I want you to grasp how vital the Abrahamic covenant is. If God had given the promise once, it would have been enough. But check this out—the covenant is repeated in Genesis 12, 13, 15, 17, 21, 28, and 35. And I might have even missed a time or two!
Throughout Genesis, Israel was just a few family members, and they had no permanent home. They were living on other people’s land, sojourners moving from one place to another. Yet, God protected them just as he promised. The psalmist says it this way.
Psalm 105:12-15
When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, 13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, 14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, 15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”
God included some curious information when he repeated his covenant to Abraham in Genesis 15. God told the patriarch, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward, they shall come out with great possessions” (Gen. 15:13-14).
Wandering from place to place was the least of the patriarchs’ problems. Abraham’s family had conflicts with Ishmael and Isaac. Isaac’s family dealt with deceit and trickery between Esau and Jacob. For sure, Jacob’s family experienced jealousy and betrayal. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. The psalmist describes the event.
Psalm 105:17-19
[God] had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; 19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.
Can you imagine!? Wearing an expensive coat one day and your neck shackled the next? Was Joseph still pleading with his brothers when fetters were locked around his feet? Joseph’s trials continued in Egypt with a false accusation and years in prison until God worked through Pharaoh to set Joseph free and made him second-in-command. What the brothers intended for evil, God purposed it for good (Gen. 50:20).
Joseph’s wise leadership during a devastating famine allowed his entire family to move to Egypt. For the next four hundred years, God “made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes” (Ps. 105:24). Just as God had revealed to Abraham, Israel would emerge as a powerful nation after four hundred years of affliction. The Lord “remembered his holy promise” (Ps. 105:42)—he always does!
PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Psalm 105. This psalm reviews Israel’s history, from the covenant with Abraham to the years in Egypt to conquering the promised land. Reflect on God’s sovereign work in Israel’s history as you read.
Talking to God
Thank God for his sovereign work in your life. Ask him to help you trust him when you, like Joseph, are being tested.
Have Questions?
Please let us know if you have any questions about today’s reading or teaching. Our team is here to assist you as you explore God’s Word. Submit your question below, and they will reply shortly.
LIFE MAP
Go to ronmoore.org/lifemap for an exercise that will help you discover how God is writing his story in you. I have included a life map of Joseph that will serve as an example.
[1] You can check out Dr. Moyer’s ministry at https://www.evantell.org
[2] Zig Ziglar quoted in the following—https://www.nemours.org/reading brightstart/articles-for-parents/repetition-important-to-learning.html
Thank you for this summarization of Genesis. It’s just about a, family by family story of how God weaves his faithfulness to us in around and through the way we humans continuously mess up and complicate our lives. It looks as though in Genesis, even though there’s not smooth sailing, sin creeps in here and there all the way through, God uses all of this for his glory and our ultimate good. I am thinking, God that he is faithful, that he knows how to do that and wants me, in spite of mistakes of both omission and commission.