This Psalm, made up of 45 verses, contains a summary of God’s history with the nation of Israel, from His sovereign chosing of them out of all the peoples of the earth to their entrance into the Promised Land. Here is a brief outline of this wonderful Psalm:

Verses 1-6…The Psalmist’s PRAISE to God for His wonderful works and for choosing Israel

Verses 7-11…The Lord’s COVENANT with Abraham

Verses 12-15…Israel in her early days

Verses 16-36…Israel in Egypt (the FAMINE, the DELIVERANCE by Joseph, the DELIVERANCE by Moses)

Verses 37-45…Israel’s EXODUS, their JOURNEY through the wilderness, their INHERITANCE in Canaan

We will now quote verses 1-6 (from the New King James Version) and then offer a few comments: “Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing Psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!”

As you can see, the Psalmist’s heart is FILLED WITH PRAISE and it is his desire for his brethren, the “seed of Abraham” and the “children of Jacob” to give glory to the Lord by doing the following:

1) Give THANKS to the Lord and CALL upon His name

2) MAKE HIS DEEDS KNOWN among the nations

3) SING to Him and TALK of His wondrous works

4) GLORY in His name and SEEK the Lord and His strength

5) REMEMBER all the works that He has done

We learn here that Israel was be a PRAYING people, a WITNESSING people, a WORSHIPING people, a SEEKING people, and a REMEMBERING people. In all these things the Lord Himself was to be the object of their hearts. His “people” were His “chosen ones” and today we (those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for our eternal salvation) are “His chosen ones” and all these things should be true of us too.

Now we will quote verses 7-11: “He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the COVENANT WHICH HE MADE WITH ABRAHAM, and HIS OATH TO ISAAC, and CONFIRMED TO JACOB for a statue, to ISRAEL AS AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance.”

I love what one has said about this passage, “The nation should remember Him (verse 5) because HE REMEMBERS THEM!”  The Lord made a COVENANT (a PROMISE) to Abraham and later confirmed the covenant to Isaac, Jacob and the whole nation of Israel. In this COVENANT He promised to “give them the land of Canaan.” This was an unconditional promise, which means it wasn’t based on “what they would do” (in other words, it was “NOT OF WORKS”); it was an UNCONDITIONAL PROMISE BASED solely ON GOD’S precious GRACE! Later, the nation lost sight of God’s grace and His unconditional promise and the “COVENANT of Law” was given to them which put them on the footing of responsibility. We know they failed miserably in keeping the Ten Commandments and they “reaped what they had sown” by being cursed by God in the wilderness. But God’s grace overruled, and He faithfully brought them into the land to inherit it (see Joshua 1:1-6). We know Israel continued “under the Law” and failed to possess the land but the day is coming when God will fulfill His COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM for His “unconditional promises” can never fail! This truth (of God making good on His promises to Israel) is beautifully expressed in Romans 11:26-29, “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’ Concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

I can’t close without reminding believers today (who are also God’s “chosen people”…see Ephesians 1:3-4) that God has PROMISED US a “heavenly inheritance” and just as He will fulfill His promises to Israel He will surely bring us to heaven where we will be blessed through eternal ages. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to AN INHERITANCE INCORRUPTIBLE and undefiled and that does not fade away, RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR YOU, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1st Peter 1:3-5). Praise be to God for His UNCONDITIONAL PROMISE to us!  (434.3)  (DO)