Psalm 105
Psalm 105, The LORD’s Blessings on His Covenant People
Psalm 105 is a historical psalm of praise that calls God’s people to remember the covenant faithfulness of the LORD. It stands beside Psalm 106 as a companion psalm. Psalm 105 emphasizes God’s faithfulness, power, providence, covenant promises, and gracious care toward Israel. Psalm 106, by contrast, emphasizes Israel’s repeated failure, unbelief, and rebellion. Together, the two psalms give both sides of the relationship between the LORD and His covenant people, God is faithful, and man is often faithless.
The first 15 verses of Psalm 105 are also found in 1 Chronicles 16:8 to 22, where they are connected with David’s celebration when the ark of the covenant was brought into Jerusalem. This strongly supports Davidic authorship, even though Psalm 105 itself does not include a title naming David. The historical background is important because the ark represented the covenant presence of God among His people. David’s song therefore calls Israel to remember the God who made promises, preserved the patriarchs, delivered Israel from Egypt, guided them through the wilderness, and brought them into the land.
Psalm 105 is not merely history for history’s sake. It is theological history. The psalm teaches Israel to look back and see the hand of God in everything. God made covenant promises. God protected the patriarchs. God sent Joseph ahead. God used famine, slavery, imprisonment, and Egyptian power to preserve His people. God sent Moses and Aaron. God judged Egypt. God brought Israel out with wealth, strength, guidance, food, water, joy, and inheritance. The psalm ends by showing that grace has a moral purpose, God redeemed His people so that they might obey His statutes and keep His laws.
A. A Call to the People of God
Psalm 105:1 to Psalm 105:3, A Call to Worship the LORD
Psalm 105:1, “O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.”
Psalm 105:2, “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.”
Psalm 105:3, “Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.”
The psalm begins with a call to thanksgiving, “O give thanks unto the LORD.” This is not a vague religious feeling. It is a commanded response to the known works of God. The people of God are to give thanks because the LORD has acted in history, kept His covenant, preserved His people, and displayed His power.
Thanksgiving is one of the proper marks of true worship. A forgetful people become an ungrateful people, and an ungrateful people soon become a rebellious people. Psalm 105 begins by fighting spiritual forgetfulness. God’s people must remember what the LORD has done and respond with thankful praise.
The command “call upon his name” means that Israel must seek, invoke, worship, and depend upon the LORD alone. They were not to call upon the idols of the nations. They were not to trust Egypt, Canaan, false gods, or human strength. The covenant name of the LORD is the only name worthy of Israel’s confidence.
The phrase “make known his deeds among the people” shows that God’s works are not to be hidden. The deeds of God are to be declared publicly. Israel was chosen by God, but her testimony had meaning beyond herself. The nations were to hear of the mighty acts of the LORD. God’s covenant dealings with Israel were a witness to the surrounding peoples that Yahweh alone is God.
Verse 2 says, “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him.” God is worthy of doctrinal speech, but He is also worthy of song. Singing is not entertainment added to worship. It is a God ordained form of praise. The songs are to be sung “unto him.” This matters. Worship is not primarily performance for men, emotional display, or personal preference. It is directed to the LORD.
David also commands, “talk ye of all his wondrous works.” The people of God should speak often of what God has done. His works should fill conversation, instruction, family worship, public praise, and generational teaching. The mighty works of God are not museum pieces. They are living testimony meant to strengthen faith.
Verse 3 says, “Glory ye in his holy name.” Men glory in many things, wealth, status, power, military strength, education, nation, family name, pleasure, and achievement. The people of God are to glory first and highest in the holy name of the LORD. His name represents His character, His covenant faithfulness, His holiness, His power, and His revealed glory.
The verse ends, “let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.” Seeking the LORD is not misery. It produces joy. The world imagines that obedience to God is bondage and sin is freedom, but Scripture teaches the opposite. Those who seek the LORD have reason to rejoice because He is faithful, merciful, powerful, and near to those who call upon Him in truth.
1 Chronicles 16:8, “Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.”
1 Chronicles 16:9, “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.”
1 Chronicles 16:10, “Glory ye in his holy name, let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.”
The repetition of these verses in 1 Chronicles shows that this call to worship was tied to the ark, the covenant presence of God, and David’s desire for Israel to be a remembering, singing, declaring, thankful people.
Psalm 105:4 to Psalm 105:6, A Call to Seek the LORD and Remember His Great Works
Psalm 105:4, “Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.”
Psalm 105:5, “Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;”
Psalm 105:6, “O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.”
The psalmist now gives another command, “Seek the LORD, and his strength.” God’s people are not merely to seek blessings from God, but God Himself. Yet they are also commanded to seek His strength. Human strength fails. National strength fails. Military strength fails. Political strength fails. Personal resolve fails. But the strength of the LORD is sufficient for His people.
This command points forward to the New Testament exhortation to stand in the Lord’s strength rather than human strength.
Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
The phrase “seek his face evermore” shows the ongoing nature of true devotion. God’s people are not to seek Him occasionally, casually, or only in crisis. They are to seek His face continually. To seek His face is to desire His presence, favor, fellowship, direction, and approval.
Verse 5 says, “Remember his marvellous works that he hath done.” This is one of the central commands of the psalm. The people of God must remember. Biblical faith is deeply rooted in memory, not imagination. Israel was to remember what God actually did in history. The Exodus, the covenant promises, the preservation of the patriarchs, and the entrance into the land were not myths. They were acts of God in time and space.
The psalmist includes “his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.” God’s wonders display His supernatural power. His judgments reveal His righteous decisions, His authoritative word, and His just rule. The God of Israel does not merely act with power. He acts with moral purpose.
Verse 6 identifies the first audience, “O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.” Psalm 105 is especially addressed to Israel, the covenant people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham is called God’s servant, showing both honor and appointment. Jacob’s children are called His chosen, showing that Israel’s identity rests on God’s sovereign election and covenant promise.
This is important for a literal reading of Scripture. God’s covenant dealings with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel are not to be erased or spiritualized away. The LORD made real promises to real patriarchs concerning real descendants and real land. Psalm 105 celebrates that covenant faithfulness.
Genesis 12:1, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:”
Genesis 12:2, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing:”
Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
Psalm 105 begins by commanding worship, declaration, singing, rejoicing, seeking, and remembering. These are not optional spiritual activities. They are the covenant duties of a people who have received the mercy and faithfulness of God.
B. God’s Care for Israel Under the Patriarchs
Psalm 105:7 to Psalm 105:12, God’s Marvelous Covenant With the Patriarchs
Psalm 105:7, “He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.”
Psalm 105:8, “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.”
Psalm 105:9, “Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;”
Psalm 105:10, “And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:”
Psalm 105:11, “Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:”
Psalm 105:12, “When they were but a few men in number, yea, very few, and strangers in it.”
Verse 7 declares, “He is the LORD our God.” This is covenant language. The LORD is not merely a tribal deity among many gods. He is Yahweh, the self existent, eternal, covenant keeping God. Yet He has entered into relationship with Israel as “our God.” This is grace. The God who rules all things chose to bind Himself by covenant promise to Abraham and his seed.
The verse continues, “his judgments are in all the earth.” God’s covenant focus on Israel does not mean He is limited to Israel. His judgments are worldwide. He is sovereign over all nations. His rule extends over Egypt, Canaan, kings, famines, prisons, seas, and wildernesses. Israel’s God is Lord of all the earth.
Verse 8 is one of the key statements of the psalm, “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.” God remembers His covenant. This does not mean He had forgotten and then recalled it. It means He acts faithfully according to what He promised. God’s remembering is covenant action.
The covenant is called “the word which he commanded.” This shows that God’s covenant was not a negotiation between equals. Abraham did not bargain God into blessing him. God sovereignly initiated the covenant by grace and commanded the promise by His own authority.
Verse 9 says this covenant was made with Abraham and confirmed by oath to Isaac. Verse 10 says it was confirmed to Jacob for a law and to Israel for an everlasting covenant. The covenant line is specific. It runs through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not through all possible descendants in an undefined way.
The covenant promises were repeatedly affirmed in Genesis.
Genesis 15:18, “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:”
Genesis 17:7, “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”
Genesis 17:8, “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
Genesis 26:3, “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee, for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;”
Genesis 26:4, “And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”
Genesis 28:13, “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac, the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;”
Genesis 28:14, “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south, and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
Psalm 105:11 states the land promise plainly, “Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.” The land was not incidental. It was part of the covenant. God gave Canaan as Israel’s inheritance. The psalmist does not treat this as symbolic only. He praises God for a definite promise concerning a definite land.
Verse 12 emphasizes the grace and power of God in making this promise, “When they were but a few men in number, yea, very few, and strangers in it.” When God promised the land, Abraham’s family was small and vulnerable. They did not own the land in full. They were strangers and pilgrims in it. Humanly speaking, they had no power to secure the promise. But the covenant did not rest on their strength. It rested on God’s faithfulness.
This is a major theme in Scripture. God often makes promises when fulfillment appears impossible, so that His power and faithfulness are displayed.
Romans 4:19, “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:”
Romans 4:20, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;”
Romans 4:21, “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
Psalm 105:7 to 12 teaches that God is the covenant keeping LORD, His rule is over all the earth, His promise stands for a thousand generations, His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is everlasting, and the land of Canaan was given as Israel’s inheritance by divine promise.
Psalm 105:13 to Psalm 105:15, God’s Protection of the Patriarchs
Psalm 105:13, “When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;”
Psalm 105:14, “He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;”
Psalm 105:15, “Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”
The patriarchs did not immediately possess the land in fullness. They wandered. Abraham journeyed from Ur to Canaan, then to Egypt. Isaac sojourned in the land. Jacob lived with Laban and later went down to Egypt. They moved “from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people.” They were few, vulnerable, and often surrounded by stronger powers.
Yet verse 14 says, “He suffered no man to do them wrong.” This does not mean they never faced danger, hardship, or mistreatment. It means God sovereignly prevented their destruction and preserved the covenant line. The patriarchs were not protected because they were politically strong. They were protected because God had bound Himself to His promise.
God “reproved kings for their sakes.” This happened in the life of Abraham when Pharaoh took Sarai into his house, and the LORD intervened.
Genesis 12:17, “And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.”
Genesis 12:18, “And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?”
Genesis 12:19, “Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife, now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.”
God also protected Sarah before Abimelech.
Genesis 20:3, “But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken, for she is a man's wife.”
Genesis 20:6, “And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart, for I also withheld thee from sinning against me, therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.”
Genesis 20:7, “Now therefore restore the man his wife, for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live, and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.”
Psalm 105:15 says, “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” In context, this refers first to the patriarchs. Abraham is specifically called a prophet in Genesis 20:7. The patriarchs were set apart by God for His covenant purposes. They were not sinless men, but they were chosen and protected by God.
This verse is often misused when men try to shield religious leaders from accountability. That is not the point here. The point is that God preserved the covenant family in its vulnerable patriarchal stage. Kings could not overturn what God had promised. The LORD Himself defended the line through which His promises would continue.
This is grace, not human merit. Abraham deceived. Isaac repeated similar weakness. Jacob had a long history of scheming. Yet God remained faithful. Psalm 105 emphasizes God’s faithfulness more than man’s worthiness. The preservation of the patriarchs reveals that the covenant rests on the LORD’s promise and power.
Psalm 105:16 to Psalm 105:22, God’s Care for the Patriarchs in the Days of Joseph
Psalm 105:16, “Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.”
Psalm 105:17, “He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:”
Psalm 105:18, “Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:”
Psalm 105:19, “Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.”
Psalm 105:20, “The king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.”
Psalm 105:21, “He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:”
Psalm 105:22, “To bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his senators wisdom.”
The psalm now turns to Joseph. Verse 16 says, “Moreover he called for a famine upon the land.” The famine in Joseph’s day was not outside God’s rule. God called for it. He “brake the whole staff of bread,” meaning He removed the ordinary supply of food. Bread is called a staff because food supports human life. When God breaks the staff of bread, men learn how dependent they are.
The famine is described in Genesis.
Genesis 41:56, “And the famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians, and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.”
Genesis 41:57, “And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn, because that the famine was so sore in all lands.”
Verse 17 says, “He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant.” This is one of the strongest providence statements in the psalm. From the human side, Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold by traders, enslaved in Egypt, falsely accused, and imprisoned. From the divine side, God sent him before Israel to preserve life.
Both realities are true. Joseph’s brothers sinned. Potiphar’s wife sinned. Human evil was real. Yet God ruled over it for His covenant purpose. Joseph himself later confessed this truth.
Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”
Psalm 105:18 says Joseph’s “feet they hurt with fetters” and “he was laid in iron.” His suffering was real. The providence of God did not make the prison painless. Joseph was not playing a role in an easy story. He was enslaved, chained, and humiliated.
Verse 19 says, “Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.” Joseph had received dreams from God, but their fulfillment did not come quickly. Between the promise and the fulfillment came slavery, temptation, false accusation, prison, waiting, and testing. The word of the LORD tried him.
This is a vital lesson. God’s promises often test His servants before they comfort them. A man may receive a promise from God’s Word, but then circumstances seem to contradict it. That waiting period exposes whether faith is real. Joseph’s character was forged in affliction. The iron that held his body helped prepare his soul for authority.
The New Testament gives the same principle concerning trials.
James 1:2, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”
James 1:3, “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
James 1:4, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
Verse 20 says, “The king sent and loosed him.” In God’s appointed time, Pharaoh released Joseph. The same sovereign God who allowed Joseph to be imprisoned also arranged his release. No prison can hold a man one day longer than God permits.
Verse 21 says, “He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance.” Joseph moved from slave and prisoner to ruler under Pharaoh. Verse 22 says he was given authority “to bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his senators wisdom.” Joseph became an instrument of wisdom and authority in Egypt.
The story of Joseph shows that God’s providence often moves through painful means. Famine, betrayal, slavery, imprisonment, and delay were all woven into God’s plan to preserve Israel. Psalm 105 does not minimize Joseph’s suffering, but it shows that suffering was not wasted. God was sending a man before them.
This also anticipates the greater truth seen in Christ. Jesus was rejected by His brethren, humbled, falsely accused, and delivered up, yet through His suffering God brought salvation. Joseph is not Christ, but his life contains clear providential patterns that point toward the way God brings life through suffering.
Psalm 105:23 to Psalm 105:25, God’s Preservation of Israel in Egypt
Psalm 105:23, “Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.”
Psalm 105:24, “And he increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies.”
Psalm 105:25, “He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.”
After Joseph was sent ahead, Israel came into Egypt. Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham, a name connected with Egypt. This move was part of God’s providential care. Jacob feared going down to Egypt, but God assured him.
Genesis 46:2, “And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.”
Genesis 46:3, “And he said, I am God, the God of thy father, fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation:”
Genesis 46:4, “I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will also surely bring thee up again, and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.”
Egypt became both a place of preservation and later a place of bondage. God used Egypt to protect the covenant family during famine and to multiply them into a nation. Verse 24 says, “he increased his people greatly.” This fulfills God’s promise to multiply Abraham’s descendants.
Exodus records this multiplication.
Exodus 1:7, “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty, and the land was filled with them.”
The psalm says God “made them stronger than their enemies.” This growth alarmed Egypt. A family became a people. A small covenant line became a nation. Pharaoh saw Israel’s strength as a threat.
Verse 25 says, “He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.” This must be understood carefully. God is not the author of sin in the sense of committing evil or being morally guilty. Yet He sovereignly governs history in such a way that even the sinful hatred of men serves His larger purposes. The Egyptians’ hatred was truly their sin. Yet God used their hatred and oppression to set the stage for His mighty deliverance.
Exodus records the Egyptian response.
Exodus 1:8, “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.”
Exodus 1:9, “And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:”
Exodus 1:10, “Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.”
Exodus 1:11, “Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.”
Exodus 1:12, “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.”
This section teaches that God preserves His people even in hostile environments. Egypt could oppress Israel, but Egypt could not erase Israel. The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied. God’s covenant purpose was stronger than Pharaoh’s policy.
C. God’s Care for the Israelites as They Came Into the Promised Land
Psalm 105:26 to Psalm 105:36, The Deliverance From Egypt
Psalm 105:26, “He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen.”
Psalm 105:27, “They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.”
Psalm 105:28, “He sent darkness, and made it dark, and they rebelled not against his word.”
Psalm 105:29, “He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.”
Psalm 105:30, “Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.”
Psalm 105:31, “He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.”
Psalm 105:32, “He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.”
Psalm 105:33, “He smote their vines also and their fig trees, and brake the trees of their coasts.”
Psalm 105:34, “He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,”
Psalm 105:35, “And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.”
Psalm 105:36, “He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.”
At the appointed time, God sent deliverers. “He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen.” Moses is called God’s servant, and Aaron is described as chosen. Deliverance came through men, but the initiative was God’s. Moses did not appoint himself. Aaron did not seize the office. God sent them.
Verse 27 says, “They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.” The signs were God’s signs. Moses and Aaron were instruments. The plagues were not magic tricks or natural coincidences. They were divine judgments demonstrating the superiority of the LORD over Egypt and its false gods.
The psalm lists several plagues, though not in the exact order of Exodus and not including all ten in sequence. The purpose is not to provide a full chronological account, but to praise the decisive power of God.
God sent darkness.
Exodus 10:21, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.”
Exodus 10:22, “And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:”
Exodus 10:23, “They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days, but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”
This plague struck at the heart of Egyptian religion, especially their reverence for the sun. The LORD showed that the lights of heaven obey Him, not Egypt’s idols.
God turned the waters into blood.
Exodus 7:20, “And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded, and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants, and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.”
Exodus 7:21, “And the fish that was in the river died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river, and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”
The Nile was Egypt’s lifeline. God turned their waters into blood and slew their fish. Egypt’s source of life became a sign of judgment.
God brought frogs in abundance.
Exodus 8:5, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 8:6, “And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.”
The frogs entered even “the chambers of their kings.” No rank could hide from God’s judgment. Pharaoh’s palace was not exempt.
God sent flies and lice.
Exodus 8:17, “And they did so, for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast, all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 8:24, “And the LORD did so, and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt, the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.”
God gave hail and flaming fire.
Exodus 9:23, “And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground, and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 9:24, “So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.”
Exodus 9:25, “And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast, and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.”
Psalm 105 specifically says God struck their vines, fig trees, and trees of their coasts. Egypt’s agriculture, prosperity, and food supply were struck by the hand of God.
God spoke, and locusts came.
Exodus 10:13, “And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night, and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.”
Exodus 10:14, “And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt, very grievous were they, before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.”
Exodus 10:15, “For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left, and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.”
The psalm emphasizes the power of God’s word, “He spake, and the locusts came.” Creation obeys the Creator. Insects become an army when God commands them.
Finally, God struck all the firstborn in the land, “the chief of all their strength.” This was the decisive plague. It judged Egypt at the level of inheritance, family, future, and national strength.
Exodus 12:29, “And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.”
Exodus 12:30, “And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.”
The only protection was the blood of the Passover lamb.
Exodus 12:13, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
The plagues were judgments against Egypt, but they were also revelations of the LORD’s supremacy. The gods of Egypt could not protect the Nile, the land, the crops, the sky, the palace, the animals, the people, or the firstborn. The LORD alone is God.
Psalm 105 presents the Exodus not as legend, but as historical deliverance by divine power. God saw His people, sent His servants, judged their oppressors, and broke the power of Egypt.
Psalm 105:37 to Psalm 105:41, The Deliverance From Egypt Into the Wilderness
Psalm 105:37, “He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.”
Psalm 105:38, “Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.”
Psalm 105:39, “He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night.”
Psalm 105:40, “The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.”
Psalm 105:41, “He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out, they ran in the dry places like a river.”
God not only brought Israel out of Egypt, He brought them out with wealth. “He brought them forth also with silver and gold.” This fulfilled what God had spoken earlier to Abraham and later to Moses.
Genesis 15:13, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years;”
Genesis 15:14, “And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge, and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”
Exodus 12:35, “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses, and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:”
Exodus 12:36, “And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”
Israel did not leave like defeated slaves. They left as a people delivered by God, carrying the wealth of Egypt. This was not theft. It was divine justice after generations of oppression.
The psalm adds, “and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.” This is remarkable. After years of slavery and the chaos of the plagues, God preserved and strengthened His people for the journey. Egypt was filled with death, but Israel departed with strength.
Verse 38 says, “Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.” Egypt had once enslaved Israel, but now Egypt feared them. This reversal was the work of God. The oppressor wanted the oppressed gone because the LORD had shown Himself mighty on Israel’s behalf.
Verse 39 says, “He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night.” God guided and protected Israel in the wilderness by the pillar of cloud and fire.
Exodus 13:21, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night:”
Exodus 13:22, “He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”
The cloud was a covering by day, and the fire gave light by night. God’s presence was not abstract. He visibly led them, shielded them, and directed their path.
Verse 40 says, “The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.” Psalm 105 gives a positive remembrance of God’s provision, without focusing on Israel’s complaining. The next psalm will deal more directly with Israel’s sin. Here the emphasis is on God’s goodness.
God provided quail.
Exodus 16:12, “I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread, and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.”
Exodus 16:13, “And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.”
God also gave manna, called here “the bread of heaven.”
Exodus 16:14, “And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.”
Exodus 16:15, “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna, for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”
Verse 41 says, “He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out.” In a dry wilderness, God brought water from the rock.
Exodus 17:5, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.”
Exodus 17:6, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
The water “ran in the dry places like a river.” God did not barely provide. He abundantly provided. The wilderness could not stop Him. Dry places became streams under His command.
The New Testament identifies the spiritual significance of this provision.
1 Corinthians 10:1, “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;”
1 Corinthians 10:2, “And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;”
1 Corinthians 10:3, “And did all eat the same spiritual meat;”
1 Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”
Psalm 105:37 to 41 teaches that God’s deliverance is complete. He brought Israel out with wealth, strength, fear upon their enemies, guidance by cloud and fire, food from heaven, flesh in the wilderness, and water from the rock. The God who redeems also sustains.
Psalm 105:42 to Psalm 105:45, God Graciously Brought Israel Into the Land of Canaan
Psalm 105:42, “For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.”
Psalm 105:43, “And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:”
Psalm 105:44, “And gave them the lands of the heathen, and they inherited the labour of the people;”
Psalm 105:45, “That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.”
Verse 42 gives the reason for the entire story, “For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.” God delivered Israel because He remembered His promise. The Exodus was not an isolated rescue. It was covenant fulfillment. God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be afflicted in a foreign land, that the nation oppressing them would be judged, and that they would come out with great substance.
Genesis 15:13, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years;”
Genesis 15:14, “And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge, and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”
Genesis 15:15, “And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, thou shalt be buried in a good old age.”
Genesis 15:16, “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”
Psalm 105 calls this promise “holy.” God’s promises are holy because they come from His holy character. He cannot lie. He cannot forget. He cannot fail. His covenant word is morally pure, sovereignly powerful, and absolutely dependable.
Verse 43 says, “And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness.” Deliverance was not merely legal or logistical. It was joyful. Israel came out as God’s people and His chosen. The joy belonged to the redeemed people, and in a real sense it also pleased God to rescue those He had chosen.
Verse 44 says, “And gave them the lands of the heathen, and they inherited the labour of the people.” God brought Israel into Canaan and gave them an inheritance they did not build from scratch. They received cities, fields, vineyards, wells, and cultivated land. This fulfilled what Moses had said.
Deuteronomy 6:10, “And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,”
Deuteronomy 6:11, “And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not, when thou shalt have eaten and be full;”
Deuteronomy 6:12, “Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
Israel inherited the labor of the nations because God judged the wickedness of the Canaanites and fulfilled His covenant promise to Abraham. The land was grace to Israel and judgment upon the nations whose iniquity had become full.
Verse 45 gives the moral purpose of redemption, “That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws.” God did not redeem Israel so they could live in self indulgence. He redeemed them for obedience. Grace produces obligation. Deliverance demands faithfulness. The redeemed people are to live under the authority of the Redeemer.
This is the proper biblical relationship between grace and obedience. Obedience does not earn redemption. It flows from redemption. God brought Israel out first, then gave them His law. He saved them from bondage so they could serve Him.
The same pattern is seen in the New Testament. Grace does not produce lawlessness. Grace trains God’s people to live holy lives.
Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”
Titus 2:12, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”
Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
Titus 2:14, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.”
Psalm 105 ends, “Praise ye the LORD.” This is “Hallelujah.” After recounting God’s covenant faithfulness from Abraham to the land, no other conclusion is fitting. The LORD made the promise. The LORD protected the patriarchs. The LORD sent Joseph. The LORD preserved Israel in Egypt. The LORD sent Moses and Aaron. The LORD judged Egypt. The LORD brought Israel out. The LORD guided them. The LORD fed them. The LORD gave water. The LORD brought them into the land. The LORD redeemed them so they might obey.
Psalm 105 teaches that God’s people must remember His works, praise His name, seek His face, declare His deeds, trust His covenant, recognize His providence, and respond to grace with obedience. The history of Israel is not a record of human greatness. It is a record of divine faithfulness.
