Psa 105:1-45 “O give thanks unto the LORD”

PART I (Aim High) Psa 105:1-8
PART II (Get the big picture) Psa 105:9-15
PART III (Keep your eyes moving) Psa 105:16-22
PART IV (Always have an out) Psa 105:23-37

PART V (Make sure people see you Psa 105:38-45)

Psa 105:38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.
Psa 105:39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.
Psa 105:40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
Psa 105:41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
Psa 105:42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
Psa 105:43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
Psa 105:44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;
Psa 105:45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.

If you haven’t already noticed in this five-part study, I’ve been using five common safety rules for driving a car to draw an analogy for us of how we can be admonished by God’s word as we are directed by our Lord into still waters in this life. This directing of our life is what Christ is causing or working in us both to will and to do, as he leads His little flock that he loves and is shepherding unto perfection on the third day visa vie the grace and faith by which we are saved (Php 2:13, Luk 13:32, Eph 2:8) through our good shepherd (Joh 10:11-18).

Rules for the road:

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.[another way of saying “come out her my people” [Rev 18:4], and as we overcome the spiritual delusion and congestion of this age-the following verses in this part of [Psa 1:2-6] explains how we can do that!]
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.[these verses reminds us that we must possess our souls in patience as God is longsuffering toward us in this process of bringing forth fruit in due season Luk 21:19, Jas 5:7]
Psa 1:4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Psa 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment [1Jn 4:17, 1Pe 4:17], nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
Psa 1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous [Jer 29:11-13]: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.[“the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous”]
Luk 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms [Gal 6:10]; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luk 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luk 12:35 Let your loins be girded about [Eph 6:14], and your lights burning [Mat 5:14-16];
Luk 12:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord [Psa 27:14], when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

We are being admonished to trim our lamps today (Rev 3:18, Mat 25:2-9) while it is called today, and seek the Lord and lay up treasure in heaven, knowing there will be one last climatic trimming of our lamps [that] they [God’s elect] may open unto him immediately]. If we are faithful in the little day-to-day events of dying daily, then we will have laid up store for the day of adversity being able to go unto perfection on the third day through Christ (Luk 16:10).

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

The treasure of God’s word, which is likened unto oil and is able to quicken us and be a light unto our path in the day of the Lord, is what God’s elect are blessed to lay up in store in our heavens today, and it is with that oil that we can ‘make sure people see you’ as we glorify God with the life of Christ as we “fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church” (Zec 4:6-12, Joh 6:63, Psa 119:105).

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:  

Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  [praise him for being blessed to die daily, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church].

A foundation of works in the Lord is what witnesses to the fact that God is working in our heavens and a tree is known by its fruits.

A foundation of works to ‘make sure people see you’

Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin [Mat 24:12].
Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. [our treasure is understanding the thoughts of God’s love toward us, his mercy, and abundant pardoning of our sins, and that it is God’s goodness that leads us to that mercy that we are not to despise (Rom 2:4)]
Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day [the day of the Lord] shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  [God’s elect are promised to receive this reward because He makes it possible for us to drink the cup Mat 20:23]

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

1Ti 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Luk 6:44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
Luk 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

These verses we just read are very instructive in helping us know how the foundation is being built in each of our heavens as the body of Christ so that we can be the light of the world as Christ was, and in so doing we can glorify our Father as Christ did and let our lights, the light of Christ shine before all men (Col 1:28-29).

We must be making sure that people see us, and that we are ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us (1Pe 3:15). Christ is going to shepherd us into this purpose of being his two witnesses which is what we have been called unto and given power to accomplish through Christ (Rev 11:3). The good shepherd has taken us away from the wanting to be known of all men, spirit of the Pharisees, to wanting to make ourselves of no reputation as our Lord demonstrated His whole life (Mat 6:2, Php 2:7, Luk 17:10). So when I say ‘make sure people see you’, I am saying, “Make sure people see Christ in you, even if they don’t know what they are just looking at today (1Pe 2:12).”

Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

We are called to do this for one another, to give our life for one another and help each other by being shepherds to one another who are being judged by our Lord and giving our life to one another as He did for us – The process of judgment through which we are going is what makes it possible for us to give our lives to one another (1Jn 4:17, 1Pe 4:17, 1Pe 4:12). So all the following verses in John apply to us as the body of Christ and are how we witness our discipleship in Christ to one another (Joh 13:35).

Joh 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Joh 10:13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life [Rom 12:1] for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life [Rom 12:1], that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself [Rom 12:1]. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

The author of those five points of safe driving at which we are looking, “Harold Smith”, declared that approximately 80% of all accidents could be avoided if we follow these rules, which tell us that we don’t naturally obey even the physical laws which are there for our good. Only 20% lay hold of these laws.

The law is good if it is used lawfully (1Ti 1:8-9), but we also know that obedience to any law does not change the heart of man. Knowing God is sovereign and in total control (Eph 1:11) changes our entire outlook on this discourse of what people do whether under the law or subject unto Christ. God is bringing all of His creation, starting with the elect, to know that what pleases Him is a humble and contrite heart, that He alone can form so that we become blameless in the spirit (2Pe 1:3-10).

Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

We are giving Christ over to the wheel of our vehicles so to speak, and as we go through the judgment and fiery trials of this age which bring us to no longer have need to control our fleshly situations, we find ourselves blessed to commit our lives to our faithful High Priest who knows how to deliver us from all our temptations, as we witness the life of Christ which we now live by the faith of Christ (2Co 1:9, 1Co 10:13, Gal 2:20).

What a glorious prospect to know that God is able to bring us to be attentive to His word, that He becomes wakeful over within us as we stumble less and less as the Lord works in our heavens to bring about the right results which glorify God who is giving that increase in each of our lives (Jer 1:12, 1Co 3:6).

Our goal is to trust the Lord with all our hearts, leaning not unto our own understanding (Pro 3:1-7), and when we are blessed to do so, the fruit of Christ’s righteousness will manifest as we grow in being circumspect and wise as described in this part of Peter’s writing which explains that process that is leading unto perfection unto the third day but must be accompanied with a mind that leans “not unto thine own understanding”.

Pro 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Pro 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Pro 3:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

We will look at our the last part of our five-part study entitled “Oh give thanks unto the LORD” with the subtitle “Make sure people see you”, and we will also discuss one other final driving tip that also has a very clear spiritual point which, Lord willing, we will apply at all times in our sojourn in the Lord. God is faithful to finish what He has started in us (Php 1:6), and His purposes for His little flock will ultimately result in wiping away all the tears of this world (Rev 21:4). The thought of this gives us great reason to say “Oh give thanks unto the LORD”.

Psa 105:38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

When we are “warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:  Whereunto I [we] also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me [us] mightily”(Col 1:28-29), we will be hated by all men for His name’s sake on the outside (Mat 10:22). Inwardly, the war will rage on until our last breath, and the flesh symbolized by Egypt and all that is in the world within me, will be conquered through a process of judgment (the #3) upon every man within me (1Jn 2:16). That “fear of them fell upon them” is knowing that the old man within me is going to be destroyed, and the new creation is going to be formed out of darkness, and the anti-Christ or man of perdition within me is going to be destroyed by the brightness of His coming (2Th 2:8, 1Jn 2:17-18). We are naked on the cross through this process, and the Lord will make sure that this witness is seen of all men in time (Act 26:26, 1Jn 4:17).

Psa 105:39  He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

The pillar in the wilderness represents Christ and His Christ whom God uses to give light to each other (Mat 5:14-16, Exo 13:21), but as we just read, that light offends the outside world and keeps them in darkness because God has not given them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God as He has with us (Mat 13:11).

‘Spreading a cloud for a covering’ is speaking of the elect who are that great cloud of witness to the world (Heb 12:1), to the world (Israel), and also in the positive sense a cloud of witness to one another as the Israel of God (Gal 6:16). Having that light in our life brings peace and enables us to be a light unto the world as well.

Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

We also are the light of the world and “give light in the night” in this dark world in which we live. We see and perceive that light with Christ in us (Joh 8:12) while the world cannot understand that light which enters into their cities within (Joh 3:19, Isa 9:2).

Clearly, if men are going to ‘make sure that men see you’, we want them to see Christ in us, and the only way that will happen is if we are dragged to our Lord (Joh 6:44) and are blessed to “have the light of life” as we follow Christ, and each others’ example of Christ in us (1Co 11:1).

Psa 105:40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

You have not because you ask not, right? Well, that was the case with Israel, but they asked amiss to consume these things upon their own lusts (Jas 4:2-3) leaving us an example of what not to do in regard to the quail and the manna both of which represent the nourishing words of Christ.

I’ve mentioned this in the past that “the bread of heaven” is manna that represents Christ, and men in John’s day were no different than the Israelites in the wilderness, or the world today, who ask the same question of the manna, which means “what is it” or of Christ who asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am” (Mar 8:27, Joh 6:51).

The bread and the light are both not recognized as being Christ, and the quail, as we know, was given to the murmuring Israelites who were not content with what God had provided for them, and therefore they were judged (Num 11:4, Num 11:20). The same disobedient and ungrateful spirit manifested in regard to the manna which was not properly consumed or picked up in the manner that God had intended Israel to do (Exo 16:22, Exo 16:27). These things were written for our admonition, to be thankful, whether we have a little or a lot, and this is a learning process (Php 4:12).

Psa 105:41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

It’s interesting to note that again there was a rebellious spirit connected to this event as well (Num 20:11). God allowed all these incidents to unfold to teach us today the need for our hearts which are initially like stone (Exo 36:26), that we need to be change through the bruising which we experience and can only bear with Christ in us, who is typified by the rock which Moses smote in disobedience, and yet it pleased the Father to bruise this rock (Act 4:27-28).

The waters can only run “in the dry places like a river” after we have been bruised and learn obedience by the things which we suffer (Heb 5:8, Act 5:32).

Psa 105:42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.

Abraham represents Christ, and God remembers His promises and keeps them (2Pe 3:9-11, 2Th 2:8). These promises to Abraham we know represent the new covenant promises which are given to us through Christ (Heb 8:6, Gal 3:16).

Psa 105:43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:

If Abraham represents Christ, then “his people”, “his chosen” whom he is bringing forth with “gladness” must represent the elect of God (Mat 22:14).

We enter into God’s joy today when we are obedient and doing those things that are pleasing in His sight (Mat 25:21).

Psa 105:44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

Giving us the “lands of the heathen” is just another way of saying that we are granted through Christ to be more than conquerors and to rule over sin within our members (Rom 8:37, Joh 8:36).

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

We inherit the works when we are no longer children, just like the parable of the story of the child who is an heir but cannot inherit “the labour of the people within” until he matures. The child has those works within him, but he does not acknowledge them as being solely the work of the Lord, and until that is burned out of him or us, we are yet under “tutors and governors”.

Gal 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Psa 105:45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.

When we are those mature sons, we can “keep his laws” and “observe his statutes”, and that is how we can be a light to the world when God will want us to ‘make sure that people see us’.

Unless the Lord builds the house and judges us in this age, there will be no witness and true praise to the Lord for those wonderful works unto the children of men. This story in Joshua 4:1-7 reminds us that we must have a “stone on our shoulder”, which is a metaphor to remind us to carry our cross (Mat 10:38). When we carry our cross and mortify the deeds of our flesh through Christ as we die daily (Gal 2:20), we are letting our light shine before the world and blessed of God to ‘make sure that people see us’. We want people to see us for this reason, and this reason alone, “That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever”.

Jos 4:1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
Jos 4:2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,  (types of God’s elect Gen 49:28, Rev 14:4)
Jos 4:3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
Jos 4:4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
Jos 4:5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
Jos 4:6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Jos 4:7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

Jos 4:23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
Jos 4:24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.

The last few very important rules that I want to mention that are critical to keep in mind both when we drive our physical cars, and much more importantly when we live each moment of our life in Christ is to remember to “always make space” between yourselves and other vehicles so as to have time to react to unforeseen events and to avoid an accident or what is called a secondary accident and remember to make as few lane changes as possible in your vehicle so you don’t cut people off or run into someone because you didn’t check your blind spot. The verses that I think of when I remember these physical laws for driving are these spiritual laws for Christ’s body:

Make space:

Rom 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
Rom 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Rom 14:15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
Rom 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Don’t change your lane too often:

Pro 24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
Pro 24:22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

Check your blind spot:

2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
2Co 13:6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

These are instructive admonitions which we can follow as the Lord leads us and does lead us so that God can be glorified in our lives as the light of the world He has called us to be. “Make sure people see you”, Christ in you, and “O give thanks unto the LORD” for all these wonderful works unto the children of men.

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  [Gal 4:6]
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.