PSALM 106 Historical Precedent

HISTORICAL PRECEDENT

PSALM 106

v14    Your people became greedy.

v16    Everyone was jealous.

v19    they made and worshiped the statue.

v24    They would not trust you.

v25    They would not obey you.

v34    They disobeyed you.

v38    they poured out the blood
          of innocent children.

v41    You put them in the power
          of nations that hated them.

v43    their sins caused their downfall.

PSALM 105 Trust in God's Providence

Psalm 105  N.K.J.V.
1     Oh, give thanks to the LORD !  Call upon His name.
       Make known His deeds among the peoples.
2     Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him
       Talk of all His wonderous works.
4     seek His presence
5     Remember the wonderful works He has done

We have three calls to praise;-
give thanks,   sing psalms,   seek his presence.
Each immediately followed by;-
Make known His deeds,   Talk of His wonderous works
and remember the wonderful works
.
Three times we have it,
making known His deeds,
talking of His woderous works
and remembering the woderful works He has done.

Telling what God has done is the next thing
to actually praising the Lord our God.

Giving testimony of God's works in our own lives
flows naturally from a heart full of praise.

How do we relate to this psalm which draws our attention to
 The Eternal Faithfulness of the LORD
and invites us to
Remember the marvels that God has wrought

We acknowledge that the psalm is the word of God
and we earnestly want to take it to heart
and to be committed to the ongoing implementation
in our lives of all that the Holy Spirit is showing us.

With St Paul we can stand in faith because we have
 come to have faith in God's providence - in God,s 
ongoing influence throughout the trials of history.

Rom 8:28--we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are
called according to His purpose.

We stand in faith with Joseph, sold by his brothers into Egypt.
Psalm 105:17-18-19
God sent a man before them sold into slavery.
They humbled his feet with fetters , his soul was shackled
in iron. Until his word came to pass, the word of the Lord
seared through him.

Joseph was able to testify to God's providence.
God sent me before you to preserve life....
But as for you, you meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good.    Genesis 45:5,7  50:20

PSALM 105 God's Worshiping Community

As children of God, the people of faith
are pilgrim people who need the protection
which His Power brings to our situation.
God is on our side.
The same God who made a pact with Abraham
and Sarah, who gave the oath to Isaac
and Rebecca, who established by decree an
everlasting  covenant with Israel, speaks today.....
"Don't touch my people"
the God who has brought us "safe thus far"
has spoken over us.
"Whoever touches them touches me !"

Psalm 105 verses 2 and 6 NKJV
2   Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him
     Talk of all His wondrous works !
6   O seed of Abraham His servant
     You children of Jacob
     His chosen ones !

The designation of the worshiping community as
"Offspring of Abraham  God's servant
and sons of Jacob, his chosen ones....
underlines our privilege to be members of the
historical community of those who worship the Lord our God.
That forms part of our identity,
We are members of God's Worshiping Community.

PSALM 105 Confidence in God

Psalm 105: 15 RSV
"Touch not my anointed ones"

Psalm 105: 43 RSV
So he led forth his people with joy
his chosen ones with singing.

In God's own words we are his people,  his chosen ones.
We are the Lord's anointed.

Psalm 105: verse 8 and 42
8     He remembers his covenant forever,
       his covenant for a thousand generations.
42   for he remembered his holy word,
       which he gave to Abraham his servant.

Prayer is an act of confidence in God.

..with whom we have relationships, promises  and covenants.
We stand in His love as his created creatures.
we stand in His salvation as saved sinners.
we stand in His community as members of the body of Christ.
we stand in History as the people of God, His adopted sons.

PSALM 105 Testify

Psalm 105 from The Liturgical Psalter ASB 1980

4b    seek his face continually.
5a    Call to mind what wonders he has done.

What sort of prayer does this involve ?
"seeking his face" involves spending some time
being present to the Lord.
"calling to mind" means taking time to review
our own memories in prayer,
like getting the photographs out
while sitting with God.
Our memories of God's goodness put our heart and
mind in favourable dispositions to continue in prayer.

Psalm 105:4-5

4    Seek the Lord and his strength:
      O seek his face continually.
5    Call to mind what wonders he has done:
      his marvelous acts and the judgements of his mouth.

PSALM 105 God's People

Psalm 105 verse 3 and 25

3    Rejoice in his holy name
      let the heart of them rejoice that seek the lord

25 (enemies)  whose heart turned so, that they hated his people;
      and dealt untruly with his servants.

Those who are not "for" the Lord are frequently
"against" his people.
On T.V. and in various national governments
those who are motivated by love and good will
are easily discernible from those who promote
ungodly attitudes and behavior.

Animated by the Spirit of Christ
God's people today may be identified
by their (our) love.
Forces of evil have been attacking the fabric of
society and family life.
Open and violent persecution of Christians in parts
of the world, arise out of the spirit of darkness.
Abroad Christians are publicly persecuted ,
at home Christian values are attacked.
Hearts full of love and hearts full of hate
have very different effects and consequences.

The contrast is shown in verses 3 and 25.

PSALM 104 Continual Dialogue

When we look at creation we marvel that there is
such order and such harmony.  In the air, on the
 ground and in the sea, things live and breathe,
they form part of the food chain, some pollinate
flowers and all fulfill their own purpose in the
great scheme of things while fitting in their own place.
     It would be like the Garden of Eden ,  but for ;-
loveless self interest,  exploitation, oppression,
violence, injustice, cruelty, greed and envy.
Sin is every act which is not done in love,
and is therefore not right with God.
Sin has no place in the bliss to come.

The psalmists prayer from Psalms Anew  Ps.104:35
"May sinners vanish from the earth,
  and the wicked exist no more.

We can see in Psalm 104 that our praise
is part of our continual dialogue of prayer.
The LORD is calling each of us and our believing
community into ongoing fellowship and conversation.

Verse 1   Bless the LORD , O my soul
Verse 35 Bless the LORD , O my soul
                Praise the LORD !

PSALM 104 Meditation

Psalm 104:34 ESV   May my meditation be pleasing to him,
                                   for I rejoice in the Lord

The thoughts and prayers of the psalmist are with the LORD.
It is the desire of the psalmist that his thoughts and prayers
would be acceptable and pleasing to the Lord.

Psalm 19:14 ESV   Let the words  of my mouth and the 
                                 meditation of my heart
                                 be acceptable in your sight
                                 O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

It is clear that the psalmist is talking about communication
from his heart, via his own mouth, to please the heart
 of the Lord his God.
                                I rejoice in the LORD                from verse 34 ESV
                                I will be glad in the LORD        from verse 34 KJV
                                I shall delight in the LORD       from verse 34 REB

This heart to heart personal relationship
gives the psalmist great joy.

PSALM 104 A Perpetual Vow

Psalm 104:33 ESV
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath.

The psalmist addresses the Lord  as " my God"
in verses 1 ans 33.

Verse 33 is a perpetual vow
to praise the Lord,
in keeping with Israelite belief
that praise must follow deliverance.

Praise involved thank offering
and celebrating God's saving deed
in the presence of others in the temple.

Psalm 65:1 KJV
Praise awaits you, O God in Zion,
and to you
the vow shall be fulfilled.

PSALM 104 Rejoice

Psalm 104:31  Tree of Life Version

May Adonai rejoice in His works !   

Our creator has been rejoicing for thousands
of years in the beauty and wonder of the galaxies
which the Kepler space telescope has recently
been revealing.

Psalm 104:31 New Living Translation
May the glory of the LORD continue forever!
The LORD takes pleasure in all he has made!

We can make verse 31 our prayer for all men
Since He made them  (us), every one...
We can pray in the knowledge that 
the LORD takes pleasure in every one of us,
and we can pray that the LORD will rejoice
in each and every one of us.

When we think of nations where there is trouble,....
   May the LORD rejoice in his works.

When we think of the world wide church in our day,...
   May the LORD rejoice in His works. 

PSALM 104 Creating and Renewing Spirit

In the Jewish liturgy, Psalm 104 is the Psalm
for Rosh Hodesh--- for the new month
Psalm 104 captures the sense of newness and renewal.

                            A Verse to Pray

Psalm 104:30 KJV
            Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created:
             and thou renewest the face of the earth.

Psalm 104:30 NJB
            Send out your breath and life begins;
            you renew the face of the earth.

note the Spirit of God is the same for all being and life.

"Lord send forth thy Spirit
 and renew the face of the earth"

surely a prayer for all men  ( first pray for all men)

Your  Spirit, (Strongs numbering 7307) , breath, Ruach.
Creating and Renewing Spirit
verse 10-26  The order God brought out of chaos is marvelous
verse 27-30  God's continued creative presence
                     prevents a return to chaos.

PSALM 104 Living Presence

All living things on earth and in the sea,
whether wild or domesticated, birds, sea creatures
and human beings, have some idea of the
Living Presence by which they exist.
   see Psalm 145:15f   and 147:9
Psalm 104:27   All of them look to you
       to give them their food at appropriate times.
28   When you provide it for them, they gather it up
       when you open your hand, they are filled with good things
29   When you turn your face away, they are dismayed
       when you take away their breath, they die and return to dust.

Psalm 145
15   The eyes of all look hopefully to you
       and you give them their food at the right time
16   You open your hand
       and satisfy the needs of every living creature.

Psalm 147:9
       He provides food for the animals
       and for the young ravens when they call.

PSALM 104 Wonder and Power

Psalm104:24 ESV
O LORD, how manifold are your works!
in wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Isaiah 28:29 KJV  for all things
Come forth from the LORD of hosts,
who is wonderful in counsel and
excellent in working.

The psalmist gives an account of the goodness
and wisdom of God in psalm 104.

A testimony to the wonder and power of God,
Psalm 104 lays out the "works" God has wrought
in creation.
How often are my prayers
a testimony to the wonder and power of God ?

When we acknowledge God as our "Creator"
we acknowledge that we are his "creatures"
He is our "Maker"
We can never be other than "His creatures"
"The work of His Hand"

PSALM 104 Signs and Seasons

Psalm 104:19 invites the reader, the singer,
and the one meditating on Psalm 104:19
to reflect on the wonders of creation.

Psalm 104:19  ESV  He made the moon to mark the seasons
                         The sun knows its time for setting.

Genesis 1:14 ESV
And God said let there be lights in the expanse of the 
heavens to separate the day from the night.
And let them be signs and for seasons and 
for days and for years.

We still use the moon to calculate liturgical seasons.
Easter Sunday is the first Sunday
after the 1st full moon after  the 21st of March.
The stars may still be used for navigation.

The fine balance of life on earth is maintained
by various forms of energy emitted by the sun;-
Gamma rays, x-rays,  infra red, and ultra violet
which promotes vitamin D in human skin.
The Moon causes the ocean tides.
Light and warmth are the most obvious benefits
of the Sun, Moon and Stars, but that is the start
of a long list.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

PSALM 104 Take Refuge

In practice, people who take refuge in the Lord

are those who really trust in the Lord

Those who don't take refuge in the Lord

have put their trust elsewhere.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

                                                                 Proverbs 3:5 KJV

God is our refuge and strength            Psalm 46:1 Scottish Psalter

My safety cometh from the Lord

 who heaven and earth doth make.

                                                                Psalm 121;2 Scottish Psalter

And in God's house for evermore, my dwelling place shall be.

                                                                Psalm 23:6 Scottish Psalter

O blessed is the man whose trust

                 upon the Lord relies.           Psalm 40:4 Scottish Psalter.

God also will a refuge be

      for those that are oppress'd;

A refuge will he be in times

      of trouble to distress'd                    Psalm 9:9 Scottish Psalter

PSALM 104 Place of Refuge

Psalm 104:17-18 Scottish Metric Version

17 Birds of the air upon their boughs

        do chuse their nests to make

     As for the stork,  the fir tree she

        doth for her dwelling take.

18 The lofty mountains for wild goats

         a place of refuge be;

     The conies also to the rocks

         do for their safety flee.

These verses describe the Lord's loving provision

for His own creatures.

In verse 17-18 the creatures;- build their nests,

                                                make their dwelling place

                                                and find refuge and safety.

a fundamental characteristic of the righteous

is that they depend on God, they trust in the Lord.

Psalm 2:12 Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 118:8-9  It is better to take refuge in the Lord

                                  than to trust in man

                          It is  better to take refuge in the Lord

                                  than to trust in princes.

                                            

PSALM 104 Gladdening our Hearts

Psalm 104 14-15 NIV
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for men to cultivate-
bringing forth food from the earth;
wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine, 
and bread that sustains his heart.

God's provision for us includes ;-
          gladdening our hearts
                 making our face shine
                       and sustaining our hearts.

Psalm 104 affirms that God's character is made evident
in the natural world.
All creation is a demonstration of God,s wisdom,  power
 and benevolence.

PSALM 104 Blessing upon Blessing

Psalm 104:10-14 ESV
You make the springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkey quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth.

The creation of springs in the valley
and grass on the hills, is part of God's
thoughtful generous provision of land and
fruitful yields for our needs.
As it is done in love with wisdom it is also a blessing.
In our need we can see it as part of God's saving work.

In psalm 147 we acknowledge our Lord as;-
"The one who heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds
and "the one who lifts up the downtrodden"
So we can see that the tremendously loving, thoughtful actions
of the Lord, are blessing upon blessing for us.

PSALM 104 Exiles

Saint Augustine  from "De Trinitate"

So let us apply the point to the heavenly country
"Far, far beyond the stars"
from which we, at the moment,
are exiles.
There the will of God presides, as in his house or temple,
over the spirits who are joined together
in highest concord and friendship,
fused indeed into one will by a kind of spiritual fire,
of charity; as it is written;-

"He makes spirits his angel-messengers,
and a burning fire his ministers,                Psalm 104:4

Fused together in the fire of divine love
His love rests on our shoulders.
Our concordance in the will of God
fuses us into one spiritual body,
the body of Christ.

PSALM 104 Experience of Redemption.

Psalms 103, 104, 105, 106,  and 107 recount the deeds of God

in creation and salvation.

The psalmist praises God for what He has done 

in the redemption of His people.

The psalmist recounts something of the covenant history

of the people and their national experience of redemption.

Our national experience of redemption in Britain

must include the effects on the nation of people who have

lead whole communities from spiritual darkness

into the light of faith.

We would have to include people from;-

St. Alban. and St. Cuthbert through to General Booth and John Wesley

and then from Billy Graham through to Nicky Gumble.

and everyone moved by the Spirit.. 

Like the psalmist we should be grateful 

and our gratitude should prompt our gladness and praise.

Psalm 104:1-3 New Catholic Translation

You are clothed in majesty and splendor,

wrapped in light as a robe

You have stretched out the heavens  like a tent 

You have established Your place upon the waters,

You make the clouds serve as your chariot;

You ride forth on the wings of the wind.