[1]NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.
Bible Passages: Psalm 105:1-11, 42-45
Discussion Questions:
- If a friend asked you to describe ways God has been faithful to you, how would you respond?
- How does an understanding of God’s sovereignty influence your faith?
- What opportunities do you have this week to proclaim God’s deeds among people who do not yet know Him?
Food for thought:
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” has been a favorite hymn of believers for over a century. It was written in 1923 by Thomas Chisholm, a pastor in Kentucky. The title comes from Lamentations 3:23, but throughout the Bible it is evident that the people of God recognized the faithfulness of God.
Psalm 105 not only demonstrates that we need to remember God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises, but we also need to recognize He deserves our worship because He is faithful to keep His promises.
Psalm 105 is a hymn. In the psalms, hymns typically include a call to praise God in song. They also describe the reasons for praising God. The psalmist called on his readers to “give thanks to the LORD” (v. 6). This call to give thanks lays the foundation for the rest of the psalm, which recounts God’s faithfulness to Israel across time.
Calling on God’s name involves magnifying Him in praise. Proclaiming His deeds reminds believers that there is a missional aspect to praising God. People are prone to boast in themselves, but His name should be the focus of our boasting. The Lord is above everything; He is transcendent. The psalmist emphasized the need to remember the wondrous things God has done as an essential part of both seeking the Lord and praising Him. Through the patriarchs like Abraham and Jacob, God graciously chose Israel to be His holy people. They needed to reflect on Him and His covenant regularly.
In verses 7-11, the psalmist recognized that the Lord is not a national deity who only held authority over Israel. Rather, He holds all authority and governs the whole earth. Wherever the people of God are, they are under God’s rule. What’s more, He is always near to them.
In the Old Testament, a covenant established a relationship between two parties. The agreement to establish a covenant usually involved responsibilities required by both parties for the covenant to stand. God initiated His covenant with Abraham, which included promises that would bless the entire world. God pledged Himself to fulfilling His covenant promises and centuries later, the apostle Paul would recognize Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises through Abraham.
In verse 11, the psalmist highlighted God’s promise to give Abraham’s descendants the land of Canaan. The rest of the psalm highlights God’s faithfulness to keep this promise.
Psalm 105:12-45 recounts the ways God protected and provided for Israel through the wilderness to the promised land. He “remembered” His covenant with Abraham and was faithful to do everything He had promised. As a result, the people rejoiced and praised Him for His faithfulness. The psalmist concluded by emphasizing that God’s people should “keep his statutes and obey his instructions” (v. 45) in response to His faithfulness to them. In addition, “Hallelujah” (which means “praise God”) is an imperative that challenges believers toward gratitude and worship.
The writer of Psalm 105 is not identified, but the entire psalm recounts God’s faithfulness and power. It opens with thanksgiving to God for His deeds on behalf of His people and wraps up with a declaration of praise. God is worthy of our worship because of His faithfulness toward us. Take time this week to give thanks, call on God, proclaim His deeds and sing praises.
Explore the Bible
Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/ExploreTheBible [2].
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