What does Psalm chapter 105 mean?

This psalm credits God with faithfulness and trust. God made promises to Abraham—those were fulfilled as recorded in the early books of Scripture. The psalmist summarizes how Israel grew and came to be in the Promised Land of Canaan. This constancy is a reason to worship and praise the Lord. Because of all He has done for Israel, the people should be confident in His love and generous with their appreciation. This psalm ends with the unique Hebrew term hallelujah, which only appears in the book of Psalms and in Revelation chapter 19.

In difficult times, it is easy to despair. We may not see a way in which God can resolve our problems. This is why Scripture so often encourages believers to remember what the Lord has already done (Psalm 103:2; Deuteronomy 7:18; Nehemiah 4:14). Psalm 105 looks back over God's incredible faithfulness towards Israel as a reason for continued worship and praise. This encouragement is explicitly directed at the nation of Israel (Psalm 105:1–6).

God's nature is one of truthfulness. He cannot fail to remember His own promises. When the Lord guarantees something, He will see it through. God promised Abraham that his descendants would possess the Promised Land of Canaan (Genesis 17:7–8). That promise was passed down to Isaac, then to Jacob, who was later renamed "Israel" (Genesis 32:28). What follows in this psalm is a summarized account of the Lord making good on His promises to Israel (Psalm 105:7–11).

Early in God's relationship with Israel, He protected the families of the patriarchs. Despite sins and errors of their own, the Lord continued to be faithful. That even included warning pagan kingdoms not to harm them (Genesis 12:17; 20:3). Despite roaming without a homeland, the people were always under the Lord's protection (Psalm 105:12–15).

Abraham's descendants included Jacob—Israel—and Jacob's son, Joseph. Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. But Joseph's impeccable character and God-given ability eventually led him to become second-in-command over the entire nation of Egypt (Genesis 41:38–45). The Lord planned this so that Egypt would survive a devastating famine, all under Joseph's brilliant guidance (Genesis 50:20). The same catastrophe brought the rest of Israel's sons to settle in Egypt (Genesis 47:11–12). The nation was prosperous and successful in Egypt (Exodus 1:7–10). This led to resentment and then open hostility. Eventually, Egypt enslaved the people (Psalm 105:16–25).

To free Israel from Egyptian slavery, God sent Moses and Aaron as messengers (Exodus 3:20). The Lord displayed His power in a series of miraculous, devastating plagues (Exodus 7—12). These included water becoming blood, invasive animals and insects, darkness, fiery hail, and even the death of Egypt's firstborn children. Egypt was so desperate to be free of these plagues (Exodus 12:33–36) that they sent their former slaves away with great wealth (Psalm 105:26–38).

As Israel moved out of Egypt, the Lord continued to provide. He led them as a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21–22). When the people complained, God provided them with bread, meat, and pure water (Exodus 16:13–15; 17:5–6). All these interventions were part of the Lord keeping His promise to Abraham (Psalm 105:39–42).

One of the great triumphs of Israel's history was the escape from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 12:41). Through men like Joshua, the Lord brough the people to the very land which had been promised to them (Joshua 1:1–3). God's intent was that His chosen people would look back on these events in reverence. He gave them the means to conquer the wicked nations of Canaan—with the intent they would honor Him there. The books of Joshua and Judges show that Israel often failed on their part (Judges 2:16–19). Yet this long, unbroken history of the Lord's faithful intervention is more than enough reason to give Him praise (Psalm 105:43–45).