Psalm 105 provides an overview (or a review) of major highlights from Israel’s history, previously recorded at length in the Pentateuch.

An Overview of Israel’s Early History

Verses 7-15 review his covenant with and guidance of the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Verses 16-22 remind of his providential oversight of Joseph’s personal trials in Egypt. Together, these verses summarize the highlights of Israel’s history from Genesis. Verse 7 may allude to the prehistory of Israel, namely God as creator and the one who judged sin in the Garden of Eden, judged the peoples of the earth through the Flood and at Babel, and judged the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Verses 23-38 rehearse his judgments on Egypt and deliverance of Israel from slavery, reminiscent of Exodus. Verses 39-41 recap God’s guidance and provision for Israel in the wilderness, reminiscent of Exodus and Numbers. Then verses 42-44 recall Israel’s entrance into and possession of the land of Canaan, reminiscent of Joshua, the book which follows the Pentateuch. This psalm concludes with a summary of Deuteronomy, a reminder to live according to the commands of Yahweh their God (v. 45; cf. Deut 4:1, 40).

Altogether, the only major elements missing from this historical summary are references to Sinai, the tabernacle, and the priesthood – and especially Leviticus.

A Record of the Faithfulness of God

What is the purpose for this recap of Israel’s early history? For centuries after these events had transpired, it reminded the people of Israel that God faithfully works out his promises over time. In fact, it seems that his normal approach to fulfilling promises takes longer than one generation or an individual person’s lifetime.

This song reminded the people of Israel that God faithfully works out his promises over time.

It is also important to note that the primary emphasis throughout this psalm is not Israel’s history, but Israel’s God. The history of Israel is a history of hisworks, not theirs (v. 2). He is named in verses 1, 3, 4, 7, 19, and 45 and is referred to as a third-person personal pronoun in nearly every verse.

About five centuries had passed from the time that God had made a covenant with Abraham and the time that Israel took possession of the land under Joshua. From the outset of the covenant until its fulfillment, many years had passed, marked by far more “ordinary” years and difficult circumstances than revelatory and miraculous events. Despite this relative silence and normalcy, God had abandoned neither his promises nor his people.

Israel’s Right Response to God’s Past Works

How was Israel to respond to this history filled with prolonged difficulty and normalcy, book-ended by extraordinary divine revelation and intervention? They were not to wish longingly for more immediate revelation and supernatural displays of power. Instead, they were to give thanks and speak about what God had done in the past and worship and obey his commands in the present (vv. 1-6, 45).

It’s worth noting that though God had given the land of Canaan to Israel at last through Joshua, they didn’t take full possession of everything God had promised, and they would later be dismissed and dispersed from the land yet again. What’s more, they would eventually possess land with borders as far south and west as the Nile delta region and as far north and east as the Euphrates river (Gen 15:18; Isa 27:12). This total fulfillment remains today as an outstanding, future expectation.

Our Right Response to God’s Past Works and Future Promises Today

How should we as New Testament believers respond to this Old Testament song of praise for God’s guidance throughout Israel’s history? At the very least, we should respond the same way that Israel was supposed to respond – with worship and thanksgiving. After all, we follow the same God as Israel and have been blessed through God’s promise to Abraham – not with real estate, but with Jesus as our Savior.

We should respond the same way that Israel was supposed to respond – with worship and thanksgiving.

We should also learn another important lesson from this song. When we study the history of Israel, we naturally wish for God to do amazing things for us today. We want him to give divine revelation, perform mighty miracles, and pour out judgments on the world. In wishing for these grandiose things, however, we become subtly discontent and deceptively impatient. We become discontent by feeling that what God has done in the past is not enough, and we become impatient by being unwilling to wait for God throughout our daily lives, whether our days are difficult or ordinary.

The Old Testament (and the New Testament book of Acts) tell us about amazing things that God has done in the past. What’s more, the Old Testament, the teaching of Jesus, and the forward-looking prophecies of the New Testament all give promises that God has yet to fulfill – promises of blessing and judgment, power and redemption.

Like Israel, we should be careful not to insist that God do similar things today.

How should we respond to these things? Like Israel, we should be careful not to insist that God do similar things today. As God, he can do whatever he wants at any time in history. Yet he normally focuses on nurturing close, trusting, obedient relationships with his people, not on delivering new revelation and intervening in the natural world in cataclysmic ways.

When you compare the instances in history when he has done these things in the past to the amount of time when he has not done such things, the contrast is enormous. As Paul told the believers in the church at Rome, “Whatever things were written before [i.e., in the Old Testament] were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom 15:4).

When you compare the instances in history when he has done these things in the past to the amount of time when he has not done such things, the contrast is enormous.

What God desires most of all is not for his people to seek for new revelation and extraordinary miracles. He desires for his people to cultivate patience, comfort, and hope instead. What God has done in the past he has done; this gives us comfort. What God has promised to do in the future he will do; this gives us hope. What God is doing right now requires patience, and patience proves our faith in God more than any wish for miracles may do.

We all want to see a Red Sea parting in our lifetime, but what about God’s daily providential guidance in our lives? We all want to see the walls of Jericho collapse before our very eyes, but what about God’s grace to endure the trials that last a lifetime?

Praise God for what he has done in the past. Look forward to what he will do in the future. Obey God in the present, no matter how difficult and how ordinary your days may prove to be.