17. Give Thanks Unto God
Hymns: RHC 134 Why Do I Sing About Jesus? 137 Thanks to God! 454 Make Me a Blessing
PSALM 105
1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. 3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. 5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. 7 He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth. 8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. 9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; 10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: 11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: 12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it. 13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people; 14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; 15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. 16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. 17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: 18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: 19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. 20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. 21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom. 23 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. 25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants. 26 He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. 27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. 28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word. 29 He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. 30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings. 31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts. 32 He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. 33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts. 34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, 35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground. 36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength. 37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. 38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night. 40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. 42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant. 43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness: 44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; 45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.
GIVE THANKS UNTO GOD
OUTLINE
(1) Thanksgiving (v 1-5 )
a. Prayer (v 1b )
b. Preach (v 1c ,2b )
c. Praise (v 2a )
d. Ponder on His works (v 2b )
e. Reverence Him (v 3a )
f. Protection sought (v 4 )
g. Remembering His works (v 5 )
(2) Rehearsing His Goodness (v 6-45a )
a. His Covenantal Promises (v 6-11 )
b. His Good Hand Leading (v 12 – 45a)
i. In Canaan (v 12-14 )
ii. In Egypt (v 15-25 )
iii. Out of Egypt (v 26-38 )
iv. In Wilderness (v 39-41 )
v. Into the Promised Land (v 42-45a )
(3) Thanksgiving (v 45b )
INTRODUCTION
This is a psalm of thanksgiving as the psalmist rehearsed the faithfulness of God to bless His people with an inheritance. It is a chronological account of the conquest of God for His people. The journey was fraught with danger yet God triumph through His people. God is true to His Word, faithful to His promises, worthy of our trust!
Spurgeon observed well, “This historical psalm was evidently composed by King David, for the first fifteen verses of it were used as a hymn at the carrying up of the ark from the house of Obededom, and we read in 1 Chronicles 16:7-12 “7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. 8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. 9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. 10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth…Such a song was suitable for the occasion, for it describes the movements of the LORD’S people and his guardian care over them in every place, and all this on account of the covenant of which the ark, then removing, was the symbol.”
Knowing God is good, what will be our response? This psalmist teaches us the sanctified responses of a grateful heart worthy of our emulation.
(1) Thanksgiving (v 1-5 )
a. Prayer (v 1b )
b. Preach (v 1c ,2b )
c. Praise (v 2a )
d. Ponder on His works (v 2b )
e. Reverence Him (v 3a )
f. Protection sought (v 4 )
g. Remember His works (v 5 )
The commands in these five verses provide for us the emphasis of the psalmist thanksgiving. These are summarized with 4 Ps and 3 Rs. This is how we can be grateful to our LORD.
For the psalmist, he thought through in his heart and mind and committed his devotion of thanksgiving in writing for posterity to learn. How about us?
“Think and Thank – It has often been pointed out that thinking precedes thanking. When we are presented with a gift, it is because we think of its significance and meaning that we are led to express our appreciation. What, then, are the thoughts that, entertained by the Christian, lead to thanksgiving?
Some where in our thinking there should be thoughts of God. Perhaps we should start there. God-what a train of thoughts should be started when we think of Him! Power, wisdom, goodness, grace, love, care: these are just some of the thoughts that cluster around the word God. When Paul traces the downward path of mankind, he begins by saying that men, “when they knew God…glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful” (Romans 1:21 ). Men were not thankful that they had a revelation of God; indeed, they sought to suppress that knowledge and to evade its power.
In addition to thoughts of God, there should thoughts of ourselves. We should see our own insignificance in the light of the facts we know of God. We should see the confess our own frailty and failures. We should admit our commitment to earthly things. But we should not stop there. We should think thoughts about our privileges in Christ. God has loved us and made us in the Beloved Son.
In the light of these thoughts, we should be led to think of our responsible to live for God’s glory. Redeemed we should seek to serve Him faithfully. We should recognize our responsibility to be thankful, and from our lips there should come a daily song of praise.
Why is it, then, that we are not more thankful? The truth probably is that we don’t stop to think. The cares and riches and pleasures of this life choke the plant of gratitude, and our lives become unfruitful.
Thanksgiving is thus really the product of careful cultivation. It is the fruit of a deliberate resolve to think about God, ourselves and our privileges and responsibilities. By giving thanks we make manifest the fact that our lives are not controlled by the imperious cares and concerns of this life. We give testimony to the fact that material things do not dictate the horizons of our soul.” (Prairie Overcomer Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, Paul Lee Tan)
(2) Rehearsing His Goodness (v 6-45a )
a. His Covenantal Promises (v 6-11 )
b. His Good Hand Leading (v 12 – 45a)
i. In Canaan (v 12-14 )
ii. In Egypt (v 15-25 )
iii. Out of Egypt (v 26-38 )
iv. In Wilderness (v 39-41 )
v. Into the Promised Land (v 42-45a )
The psalmist in this psalm tells us of the triumphs of God through His people and omitted to speak about their sins. It is for a purpose. You will see that psalm 106 is the opposite where the sins of God’s people are pointed out. He is highlighting to us how God does not change plan in spite of His people’s rebellion.
Not to encourage us to take God’s grace for granted, rather to value it even more, much as we do not deserve.
(3) Thanksgiving (v45b)
… Praise ye the LORD.
Thank God for His goodness toward His people.
CONCLUSION
May it cause His people to count our blessings and not forget His benefits. Amen.