In Today's Email:
Psalm 103 Notes
This psalm was written by David and is a song of praise to God.
vs. 1-5 – Personal praise to God for His goodness to the individual.
vs. 6-14 – Corporate praise for His goodness to his people. Note the character of God’s forgiveness here.
vs. 15-18 – Praise to Eternal God for His mercy to frail mankind.
vs. 19-22 – A call for all to join in praising the sovereign God.
Psalm 104 Notes
No author or superscription is given for this psalm. It is a song of praise.
vs. 1-4 – Praise to the God who created all things.
vs. 5-9 – Praise to the God who created land and sea.
vs. 10-13 – Praise to the God who provides water and life.
vs. 14-18 – Praise to the God who provides for abundantly for life.
vs. 19-23 – Praise to God who created the sun and moon.
vs. 24-30 – Praise to the God who created land and sea.
vs. 31-35 – Praise to the God who is greater than His creation.
Psalm 105 Notes
No superscription is provided for this psalm. However, the first fifteen verses were penned by David in I Chronicles 16:8-12 so we can be confident that this psalm was written by him. It is a song of praise and thanksgiving for God’s past dealings with Israel.
vs. 1-7 – A call for Israel to praise the Lord.
vs. 8-11 – The covenant with Abraham is remembered, quoting the promises made to him in such verses as Genesis 12:7.
vs. 12-15 – Abraham and the patriarchs are remembered from their time before the sojourn in Egypt. There is a reference in vs. 15 to Genesis 26:11.
vs. 16-23 – Joseph and his rescue of Egypt during the famine is remembered.
vs. 24-25 – The growth of the Hebrew nation in Egypt and the growth of the Egyptian hatred against them.
vs. 26-38 – Moses and the deliverance from Egypt is remembered.
vs. 39-41 – The wilderness journey is remembered.
vs. 42 – The covenant with Abraham is recalled for the second time.
vs. 43-45 – The conquest of Canaan is remembered. God is praised for blessing Israel with the fruitful land to dwell in.
Closing Thoughts
The ideas of praise and thanksgiving are practically synonymous in the Psalms. The Hebrew verb yadah (Strong’s H3034) is translated as both praise and thanks. If we look back at what God has done for us, what He is doing for us, and what He will do for us, our thanksgiving surely will turn manifest in praises.
Hymn for Today
Our hymn today is “Sing of Jesus, Sing Forever”, written in 1815 by Thomas Kelly. Psalm 105 called for Israel to praise God for His past dealings with them. This song calls Christians to praise God for what Christ has done for us.
Sing of Jesus, sing forever
Of the love that changes never;
Who, or what from Him can sever
Those He makes His own?
With His blood the Lord hath bought us;
When we knew Him not, He sought us,
And from all our wand’rings bro’t us;
His the praise alone.
Patiently and persevering,
Let us labor, never fearing,
While we wait for His appearing;
All will then be well.
By His word our fears allaying,
All our feeble footsteps staying,
Let us never cease our praying;
All will then be well.
Tho’ we pass thro’ tribulation,
Christ will be our consolation,
Ours will be a full salvation;
All will then be well.
Happy still in God confiding,
Fruitful if in Christ abiding;
Holy thro’ the Spirit’s guiding,
We with Him will dwell.