1Ch 16:8-13 | KingComments | STEP | These verses are about the unchanging and unconditional promises God in grace has made to the fathers. Psalm 105 consists of two parts. In the first part ( ) it is about the great deeds of God toward the fathers. The second part ( ) is about God’s ways with Israel and His care for them to give them the promised blessing. In this section the activities of God’s people are first sung ( ) and then the promises of God ( ). In , the people are called to various activities. The call is made to a people who have a special relationship with God. This relationship is given in two names, each with another addition. They are “seed of Israel”, to which is added “His servant” ( ). “Israel”, which means “prince of God”, is the name that points to their special position before God. The word “servant” is associated with this. Whoever knows His special position will be pleased to serve the Lord. They are also “sons of Jacob”, to which is added “His chosen ones” ( ). With “sons of Jacob” the emphasis is on the weakness of their dedication to God and the wrong ways the people have gone. That’s why it is so beautiful that it is precisely behind this name that there is the addition “His chosen ones”, which speaks of God having chosen them despite their weakness and wrong ways. When we read , we see the activities to which the people are called as descendants of Israel and Jacob. The activities, which fit in a book like 1 Chronicles, consist of praise, call upon, make known ( ), singing, singing praises, speaking ( ), glory, be glad, seek ( ), remember ( ). In all these activities the marvels of the LORD are made the object of the song and the deeds are displayed in which He reveals Himself, also in the sight of the nations ( ). We should remember that for us all this is far surpassed by the marvels of the Lord Jesus at His coming in the flesh, His work on the cross, His resurrection and His glorification. What a reason to ‘display’ all this in adoration before God. David points to the LORD as “our God” ( ), Whose judgments are in all the earth. Is it not more than justified to call for praise to Him? Additional reasons for this are given in the following verses ( ). In those verses it is about God’s covenant with and His promise to Abraham ( ), about His oath to Isaac ( ), about the statute confirmed to Jacob and the everlasting covenant for Israel ( ). In short, it is about God’s electing grace and unrepentant promises ( ), and all this in view of the land of Canaan as their inheritance. With so many blessings and security, the heart cannot remain unmoved, and the mouth cannot remain silent. In the last verses we have the history, but not the responsibility ( ). In these verses the past of the people is described, how weak and vulnerable it was. It shows how we too can live in the world. But then the people will be reminded how God stood up for them in the circumstances in which they seemed to be prey to hostile forces. What is said in is found in an event in Abraham’s life in which he has departed from the way of faith ( ).

‏ 1 Chronicles 16:8-13

First Part (Psalm 105:1-15)

These verses are about the unchanging and unconditional promises God in grace has made to the fathers. Psalm 105 consists of two parts. In the first part (Psa 105:1-15) it is about the great deeds of God toward the fathers. The second part (Psa 105:16-45) is about God’s ways with Israel and His care for them to give them the promised blessing.

In this section the activities of God’s people are first sung (1Chr 16:8-13) and then the promises of God (1Chr 16:14-22). In 1Chr 16:8-12, the people are called to various activities. The call is made to a people who have a special relationship with God. This relationship is given in two names, each with another addition. They are “seed of Israel”, to which is added “His servant” (1Chr 16:13a). “Israel”, which means “prince of God”, is the name that points to their special position before God. The word “servant” is associated with this. Whoever knows His special position will be pleased to serve the Lord.

They are also “sons of Jacob”, to which is added “His chosen ones” (1Chr 16:13b). With “sons of Jacob” the emphasis is on the weakness of their dedication to God and the wrong ways the people have gone. That’s why it is so beautiful that it is precisely behind this name that there is the addition “His chosen ones”, which speaks of God having chosen them despite their weakness and wrong ways.

When we read 1Chr 16:8-12, we see the activities to which the people are called as descendants of Israel and Jacob. The activities, which fit in a book like 1 Chronicles, consist of praise, call upon, make known (1Chr 16:8), singing, singing praises, speaking (1Chr 16:9), glory, be glad, seek (1Chr 16:10-11), remember (1Chr 16:12).

In all these activities the marvels of the LORD are made the object of the song and the deeds are displayed in which He reveals Himself, also in the sight of the nations (1Chr 16:8b). We should remember that for us all this is far surpassed by the marvels of the Lord Jesus at His coming in the flesh, His work on the cross, His resurrection and His glorification. What a reason to ‘display’ all this in adoration before God.

David points to the LORD as “our God” (1Chr 16:14), Whose judgments are in all the earth. Is it not more than justified to call for praise to Him? Additional reasons for this are given in the following verses (1Chr 16:15-18). In those verses it is about God’s covenant with and His promise to Abraham (Gen 17:7 ; 13 ; 19), about His oath to Isaac (Gen 26:2-5 ; 23-24), about the statute confirmed to Jacob and the everlasting covenant for Israel (Gen 28:13 ; 15 ; Gen 35:9-13). In short, it is about God’s electing grace and unrepentant promises (Rom 11:29), and all this in view of the land of Canaan as their inheritance. With so many blessings and security, the heart cannot remain unmoved, and the mouth cannot remain silent.

In the last verses we have the history, but not the responsibility (1Chr 16:19-22). In these verses the past of the people is described, how weak and vulnerable it was. It shows how we too can live in the world. But then the people will be reminded how God stood up for them in the circumstances in which they seemed to be prey to hostile forces. What is said in 1Chr 16:22 is found in an event in Abraham’s life in which he has departed from the way of faith (Gen 20:6b-7).