Psalm 105: The Way We Worship

Compartments of Life

Your ever think about how many drawers you have in your house?

Likely you have lots of them, and they are likely pretty packed full of stuff.

There are some drawers in your house that you likely open everyday, maybe even multiple times a day because the stuff in them is important for your everyday life.

Then there are other drawers, the junk drawers, that are full of stuff that you rarely, if ever, actually need.

You likely don’t open those drawers very often, only on the occasion you need something that is buried deep in that drawer.

We organize and compartmentalize our lives much like we do our stuff, into drawers.

Paul Tripp argues that most Christians have 2 drawers: Our “Real Life” Drawer and our “Spiritual Life” drawer.

In our Real Life drawer is all the stuff of everyday life, like our job, physical health, friends and family, leisure, money, possessions, and daily routine.

This drawer dominates our thinking and our doing.

It’s where we expend most of our emotional and physical energy, and where most dreams will be realized or dashed.

The contents of this drawer are the location of our highs and lows, our joys and sorrows.

In our Spiritual Life drawer is all the “God” stuff.

It’s the drawer for Sunday worship, small group, tithes and offerings, missions projects, and evangelistic conversations with neighbors , fiends, or family members.

“Yes, they believe in Jesus, his forgiveness, and the eternity to come, but these beliefs don’t have a radical impact on the way they think about themselves and life in general. Their faith is an aspect of their life, but not something that shapes everything in their life.” — Paul David Tripp

Psalm 105 is a Psalm about Worship, but not just the hour or so we come to a building on Sunday mornings, or the time we spend studying throughout the week.

Psalm 105 is a Psalm about Worship being a way of life.

READ Psalm 105

We want to look at Psalm 105 today in order to answer 2 questions:

Why do we worship God?

How do we worship God?

1) Why do we worship God?

Ps 105 is a Psalm of praise, but it is also a historical Psalm as it reflect on the history of the Jewish people.

Verse 9-45 is a reflection on the history of Israel from the Patriarchs (Abraham, Issac, and Jacob) through the Exodus and the 40 years in the wilderness recorded in Exodus.

The Psalmist has a purpose in recording this summary of their story.

It cause those reading it to reflect on the greatness and wonder of who God is.

It is a prompting to praise and worship the one who is both PROVIDENTIAL and FAITHFUL.

God is PROVIDENTIAL

God is in all things, working all things out in the way He sees fit.

He works in our lives, not just in moments, but in everything.

Psalm 105:7–8 ESV

7 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,

The providence of God is the way in which He governs everything wisely, first for the glory of His own Name, and second for the ultimate blessing of His children. — Sinclair Ferguson

This is a glorious truth, an empowering truth, and a comforting truth.

The Christian believes that God is greater than our “if onlys.” His providential hand encompasses the whole of our lives, not just the good days but the “bad” days too. We have the word accident in our vocabulary; He does not. — Erwin Lutzer

Surveying the history of the Jewish people with the gift of hindsight allows us to see the hand of God working all things out according to His plan, for His glory, and for the good of His people.

In the middle of ups and the downs of life, it is hard to see, but we must believe God is not distant, He is working in all things.

That is a reason to worship

But God’s providence isn’t just limited to the things we place in our “real life” drawer, and for that reason, our worship (making a big deal about God) doesn’t just happen in the “Spiritual” places of our lives.

God is FAITHFUL

Psalm 105:8–11 ESV

8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, 9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, 10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”

God doesn’t forget or turn back from His promises.

500 years had passed from the promise He made Abraham to the time in the wilderness.

500 more years had passed by the time we get to the events that are commonly understood to be the context of Ps 105

The Arch of the Covenant being brought into Jerusalem.

God’s faithfulness true that even when there weren’t many Israelites, He sustained them and protected the from powerful nations.

Psalm 105:13–15 ESV

13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, 14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, 15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”

It proves true when Joseph is enslaved, arrested and then brought into Egypt and into Pharaoh’s court.

Psalm 105:16–22 ESV

16 When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, 17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; 19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. 20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; 21 he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, 22 to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.

His faithfulness proved true as He brings the people out of Egyptian slavery. (Verses 23-36)

Psalm 105:41–45 ESV

41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river. 42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. 43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. 44 And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil, 45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the Lord!

God’s faithfulness was toward people who were often disloyal, indifferent, unreliable, and uncommitted.

Yet He remained faithful.

We worship because God love His people unconditionally and without fail.

The couple of God’s good providence with is unwavering faithfulness motivates our worship.

He is BIG, MIGHTY, GOOD, LOVING, and WORTHY.

2) How do we worship God?

(9 Ways we worship God)

The Psalmist

1) Give Thanks

One of the clearest and most necessary ways to worship the Lord is to cultivate a heart for and practice of thanksgiving.

The Psalmist has highlighted how God has provided for, protected, and cared for His people.

We know how easy it is though to start looking around, saying things like, “Man I wish I could have had that though.” or “What I have is good and all, but it would be better if...” or “Why don’t I get the opportunities and cool stuff those others get?”

Thankfulness is a way to worship because it fights our born-in, sinful desires toward discontentment, selfishness, and consumerism.

Thankfulness is the antithesis of grumbling and complaining.

Philippians 2:14 CSB

14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing,

2) Call on His Name

Literally “shout His name in order to make it known”

The connotation is for public worship.

The phrase is used elsewhere in the OT for the gathering together for worship.

When we use the word worship we most often mean this word in our reference, though for the Psalmist, the pubic assembly is only an aspect of a life of worship.

This is just one of the 9 not the whole of the 9.

“His name” is His identity, his reputation.

We are calling out the truths of who God is so that we together can

“Don’t neglect to gather together as is the habit of some...” Heb 10

The act of gathering is a way we worship.

3) Proclaim His Deeds

Make known/reveal to others, His great deeds (the great things He has done).

The act of missions is an act of worship.

The act of sharing the gospel is an act of worship.

When you are sharing the gospel with someone at work or in your neighborhood, you’re worshiping God in the process.

4) Sing to Him

I am not a good singer, like not at all a good singer.

I don’t understand pitch and harmony/melody...

But I sing loud and proud nonetheless because music has a unique and powerful way of connecting our emotions with the truth of God.

Singing to God isn’t all worship is, it is only a part of what it means to worship.

But it is an important part.

Colossians 3:16 ESV

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Psalm 96:1 ESV

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Singing songs about God and towards God connects our hearts and heads to the character of God.

5) Tell about His Works

Speak enthusiastically about the Lord as you reflect on His great an miraculous works.

This is different than proclaiming or announcing.

This is simply “talk about the Lord.”

In the compartments of life, God is often either low on the list of things to talk about or a topic to avoid in case it might not go well.

The reality is, what we talk about most is likely what is most important to us.

The implications here is not that we shouldn’t talk about anything except God, but rather that our conversations ought to be peppered with talk about the one we worship.

Romans 1:16 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

6) Boast/Glory in His Name

Admire, even eulogize (speak exceedingly well of) the Lord.

Similar to the last one, but a step further.

More than just talking about God in general terms, worship is Boasting about God.

Do you tell others how Faithful God is to answer prayer?

Do you tell about his never-stopping love for His children?

Do talk about God power to save, heal, and set people free from bondage?

7) Rejoice in the Lord

Be joyful and glad in the Lord as you seek Him.

Don’t seek the Lord out of obligation, that isn’t worship.

Seek Him with the belief that the more you know of Him and experience Him, the more you will be glad and satisfied in Him.

This requires more than an hour a week, or even an hour a day of duty-driven “quiet time”.

Actively reading, meditating, reflecting, repenting, and speaking to and about God are ways we seek Him and cultivate gladness and joy in our hearts.

Praying with others, talking with others, and, even, singing with others cultivates joy and gladness from the Lord in our hearts.

This whole thing we do on Sunday is something we ought to long for week to week as we seek gladness in the Lord.

8) Seek the Lord

This one should probably go before the last one.

Chase after the Lord, investigate intently.

Seek after His strength and His presence continually.

This is prayer.

The continual longing for God, asking for Him, listening for Him to speak.

As Paul was writing 1 Thessalonians 5:17 he may have had these words on his mind.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

17 pray without ceasing,

9) Remember His Work

Take account of, keep in front of your mind the great things God has done.

Remembering is such a vital aspect of worship.

It really is the central focus of this Psalm, because when we remember all that God has done in us, for us, around us, and in spite of us we are drawn to Worship.

Listen again to the Psalmist remembering God’s Work...

Verse 8 — “He remembers his covenant”;

verse 9 — “He made the covenant with Abraham”;

verse 10 — “He confirmed it to Jacob as a statute”;

verse 14 — “He allowed no one to oppress them”;

verse 14 – “He rebuked kings on their account”;

verse 16 — “He summoned a famine on the land”;

verse 25 — “He turned their hearts to hate His people…”

verse 26 — “He sent Moses”;

verse 28 — “He sent darkness”;

verse 29 — “He turned the waters into blood”;

verse 31 — “He spoke and there came flies and gnats”;

verse 32 — “He gave hail”;

verse 33 — “He struck down their vines”;

verse 34 — “He spoke and the locusts came”;

verse 36 — “He struck down all the firstborn”;

verse 37 — “He brought out Israel”;

verse 39 — “He spread a cloud”;

verse 41 — “He opened the rock”;

verse 42 — “He remembered His holy promise.”

Oh that we might be a people who remember the goodness, the mightiness, the graciousness, and the glory of our great God.

Right now as we prepare to sing one last song to God, take a moment to remember God’s goodness to you.

Has he healed you?

How has he blessed you?

How has he sustained you through hard times?

How has he forgiven you?

How has he worked in you to shape you an mold you into His image?

How has he loved you when you have felt unlovable?

How has he challenged you, encouraged you, rebuked you, and reshaped you through His word?

Take a moment to remember, to reflect, and to worship, and then we will sing.