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Commentary on Psalms 105 verses 25–45
After the history of the patriarchs follows here the history of the people of Israel, when they grew into a nation.
I. Their affliction in Egypt (Psa 105:25): He turned the heart of the Egyptians, who had protected them, to hate them and deal subtilely with them. God's goodness to his people exasperated the Egyptians against them; and, though their old antipathy to the Hebrews (which we read of Gen 43:32; Gen 46:34) was laid asleep for a while, yet now it revived with more violence than ever: formerly they hated them because they despised them, now because they feared them. They dealt subtilely with them, set all their politics on work to find out ways and means to weaken them, and waste them, and prevent their growth; they made their burdens heavy and their lives bitter, and slew their male children as soon as they were born. Malice is crafty to destroy: Satan has the serpent's subtlety, with his venom. It was God that turned the hearts of the Egyptians against them; for every creature is that to us that he makes it to be, a friend or an enemy. Though God is not the author of the sins of men, yet he serves his own purposes by them.
II. Their deliverance out of Egypt, that work of wonder, which, that it might never be forgotten, is put into the preface to the ten commandments. Observe,
1.The instruments employed in that deliverance (Psa 105:26): He sent Moses his servant on this errand and joined Aaron in commission with him. Moses was designed to be their lawgiver and chief magistrate, Aaron to be their chief priest; and therefore, that they might respect them the more and submit to them the more cheerfully, God made use of them as their deliverers.
2.The means of accomplishing that deliverance; these were the plagues of Egypt. Moses and Aaron observed their orders, in summoning them just as God appointed them, and they rebelled not against his word (Psa 105:28) as Jonah did, who, when he was sent to denounce God's judgments against Nineveh, went to Tarshish. Moses and Aaron were not moved, either with a foolish fear of Pharaoh's wrath or a foolish pity of Egypt's misery, to relax or retard any of the plagues which God ordered them to inflict on the Egyptians, but stretched forth their hand to inflict them as God appointed. Those that are instructed to execute judgment will find their remissness construed as a rebellion against God's word. The plagues of Egypt are here called God's signs, and his wonders (Psa 105:27); they were not only proofs of his power, but tokens of his wrath, and to be looked upon with admiration and holy awe. They showed the words of his signs (so it is in the original), for every plague had an exposition going along with it; they were not, as the common works of creation and providence, silent signs, but speaking ones, and they spoke aloud. They are all or most of them here specified, though not in the order in which they were inflicted. (1.) The plague of darkness, Psa 105:28. This was one of the last, though here mentioned first. God sent darkness, and, coming with commission, it came with efficacy; his command made it dark. And then they (that is, the people of Israel) rebelled not against God's word, namely, a command which some think was given them to circumcise all among them that had not been circumcised, in doing which the three days' darkness would be a protection to them. The old translation follows the Septuagint, and reads it, They were not obedient to his word, which may be applied to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who, notwithstanding the terror of this plague, would not let the people go; but there is no ground for it in the Hebrew. (2.) The turning of the river Nilus (which they idolized) into blood, and all their other waters, which slew their fish (Psa 105:29), and so they were deprived, not only of their drink, but of the daintiest of their meat, Num 11:5. (3.) The frogs, shoals of which their land brought forth, which poured in upon them, not only in such numbers, but with such fury, that they could not keep them out of the chambers of their kings and great men, whose hearts had been full of vermin, more nauseous and more noxious-contempt of, and enmity to, both God and his Israel. (4.) Flies of divers sorts swarmed in their air, and lice in their clothes, Psa 105:31; Exo 8:17, Exo 8:24. Note, God can make use of the meanest, and weakest, and most despicable animals, for the punishing and humbling of proud oppressors, to whom the impotency of the instrument cannot but be a great mortification, as well as an undeniable conviction of the divine omnipotence. (5.) Hail-stones shattered their trees, even the strongest timber-trees in their coasts, and killed their vines, and their other fruit-trees, Psa 105:32, Psa 105:33. Instead of rain to cherish their trees, he gave them hail to crush them, and with it thunder and lightning, to such a degree that the fire ran along upon the ground, as if it had been a stream of kindled brimstone, Exo 9:23. (6.) Locusts and caterpillars destroyed all the herbs which were made for the service of man and ate the bread out of their mouths, Psa 105:34, Psa 105:35. See what variety of judgments God has, wherewith to plague proud oppressors, that will not let his people go. God did not bring the same plague twice, but, when there was occasion for another, it was still a new one; for he has many arrows in his quiver. Locusts and caterpillars are God's armies; and, how weak soever they are singly, he can raise such numbers of them as to make them formidable, Joe 1:4, Joe 1:6. (7.) Having mentioned all the plagues but those of the murrain and boils, he concludes with that which gave the conquering stroke, and that was the death of the first-born, Psa 105:36. In the dead of the night the joys and hopes of their families, the chief of their strength and flower of their land, were all struck dead by the destroying angel. They would not release God's first-born, and therefore God seized theirs by way of reprisal, and thereby forced them to dismiss his too, when it was too late to retrieve their own; for when God judges he will overcome, and those will certainly sit down losers at last that contend with him.
3.The mercies that accompanied this deliverance. In their bondage, (1.) They had been impoverished, and yet they came out rich and wealthy. God not only brought them forth, but he brought them forth with silver and gold, Psa 105:37. God empowered them to ask and collect the contributions of their neighbours (which were indeed but part of payment for the service they had done them) and inclined the Egyptians to furnish them with what they asked. Their wealth was his, and therefore he might, their hearts were in his hand, and therefore he could, give it to the Israelites. (2.) Their lives had been made bitter to them, and their bodies and spirits broken by their bondage; and yet, when God brought them forth, there was not one feeble person, none sick, none so much as sickly, among their tribes. They went out that very night that the plague swept away all the first-born of Egypt, and yet they went out all in good health, and brought not with them any of the diseases of Egypt. Surely never was the like, that among so many thousands there was not one sick! So false was the representation which the enemies of the Jews, in after-ages, gave of this matter, that they were all sick of a leprosy, or some loathsome disease, and that therefore the Egyptians thrust them out of their land. (3.) They had been trampled upon and insulted over; and yet they were brought out with honour (Psa 105:38): Egypt was glad when they departed; for God had so wonderfully owned them, and pleaded their cause, that the fear of Israel fell upon them, and they owned themselves baffled and overcome. God can and will make his church a burdensome stone to all that heave at it and seek to displace it, so that those shall think themselves happy that get out of its way, Zac 12:3. When God judges, he will overcome. (4.) They had spent their days in sorrow and in sighing, by reason of their bondage; but now he brought them forth with joy and gladness, Psa 105:43. When Egypt's cry for grief was loud, their first-born being all slain, Israel's shouts for joy were as loud, both when they looked back upon the land of slavery out of which they were rescued and when they looked forward to the pleasant land to which they were hastening. God now put a new song into their mouth.
4.The special care God took of them in the wilderness. (1.) For their shelter. Besides the canopy of heaven, he provided them another heavenly canopy: He spread a cloud for a covering (Psa 105:39), which was to them not only a screen and umbrella, but a cloth of state. A cloud was often God's pavilion (Psa 18:11) and now it was Israel's; for they also were his hidden ones. (2.) For their guidance and refreshment in the dark. He appointed a pillar of fire to give light in the night, that they might never be at a loss. Note, God graciously provides against all the grievances of his people, and furnishes them with convenient succours for every condition, for day and night, till they come to heaven, where it will be all day to eternity. (3.) He fed them both with necessaries and dainties. Sometimes he furnished their tables with wild fowl (Psa 105:40): The people asked, and he brought quails; and, when they were not thus feasted, yet they were abundantly satisfied with the bread of heaven. Those are curious and covetous indeed who will not be so satisfied. Man did eat angels' food, and that constantly and on free-cost. And, as every bit they ate had miracle in it, so had every drop they drank: He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out, Psa 105:41. Common providence fetches waters from heaven, and bread out of the earth; but for Israel the divine power brings bread from the clouds and water from the rocks: so far is the God of nature from being tied to the laws and courses of nature. The water did not only gush out once, but it ran like a river, plentifully and constantly, and attended their camp in all their removes; hence they are said to have the rock follow them (Co1 10:4), and, which increased the miracle, this river of God (so it might be truly called) ran in dry places, and yet was not drunk in and lost, as one would have expected it to be, by the sands of the desert of Arabia. To this that promise alludes, I will give rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen, Isa 43:19, Isa 43:20.
5.Their entrance, at length, into Canaan (Psa 105:44): He gave them the lands of the heathen, put them in possession of that which they had long been put in hopes of; and what the Canaanites had taken pains for God's Israel had the enjoyment of: They inherited the labour of the people; and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. The Egyptians had long inherited their labours, and now they inherited the labours of the Canaanites. Thus sometimes one enemy of the church is made to pay another's scores.
6.The reasons why God did all this for them. (1.) Because he would himself perform the promises of the word, Psa 105:42. They were unworthy and unthankful, yet he did those great things in their favour because he remembered the word of his holiness (that is, his covenant) with Abraham his servant, and he would not suffer one iota or tittle of that to fall to the ground. See Deu 7:8. (2.) Because he would have them to perform the precepts of the word, to bind them to which was the greatest kindness he could put upon them. He put them in possession of Canaan, not that they might live in plenty and pleasure, in ease and honour, and might make a figure among the nations, but that they might observe his statutes and keep his laws, - that, being formed into a people, they might be under God's immediate government, and revealed religion might be the basis of their national constitution, - that, having a good land given them, they might out of the profits of it bring sacrifices to God's altar, - and that, God having thus done them good, they might the more cheerfully receive his law, concluding that also designed for their good, and might be sensible of their obligations in gratitude to live in obedience to him. We are therefore made, maintained, and redeemed, that we may live in obedience to the will of God; and the hallelujah with which the psalm concludes may be taken both as a thankful acknowledgment of God's favours and as a cheerful concurrence with this great intention of them. Has God done so much for us, and yet does he expect so little from us? Praise you the Lord.
The following verses, which are sung in praise of Him when Allelujah is chanted, show how He used this hatred of theirs, both for the trial of His own people, and for the glory of His Name, which is profitable for us. "He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen him" [Psalm 105:26]. "Whom He had chosen," would be sufficient; but there is no difficulty in the addition of "him." It is a phrase of Scripture, as, "The land in which they shall dwell in it:" a phrase which the divine pages are full of.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 105:26 powerfully encapsulates God's sovereign and decisive action in initiating the Exodus, a pivotal moment in Israel's history. The verse highlights the divine appointment of Moses, designated as God's "servant," and Aaron, specifically "chosen" by the Lord, as the indispensable instruments through whom He would execute His plan of deliverance for His people from Egyptian bondage. This concise declaration sets the stage for the miraculous signs and wonders that follow, underscoring God's faithfulness to His covenant promises and His active involvement in human affairs.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalm 105 functions as a historical hymn, a liturgical recounting of Yahweh's faithful and wondrous deeds on behalf of Israel, from the covenant with Abraham to the settlement in Canaan. The psalm commences with an exhortation for the people to remember and proclaim God's mighty acts, then systematically traces His providential intervention throughout their history. Verses 8-25 meticulously recall the covenant established with the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and the subsequent descent into Egypt, emphasizing God's unwavering care even amidst periods of hardship and oppression. Verse 26 serves as a critical narrative transition, marking the shift from the era of sojourning and growing oppression to the dramatic, direct intervention of God through His divinely appointed leaders, Moses and Aaron. This verse thus prefaces the detailed account of the plagues and the Exodus narrative that dominates the subsequent verses of the psalm, from Psalms 105:27 through Psalms 105:38, functioning as the divine introduction to these mighty acts of deliverance.
Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop for Psalms 105:26 is the Israelites' prolonged and severe enslavement in Egypt, a period of intense oppression under a pharaoh who "dealt craftily with his servants" (Psalms 105:25). In the ancient Near East, the concept of a king or deity "sending" a messenger or agent was a common practice, signifying the delegation of immense authority and the expectation that the agent would act with the full backing of the sender. The title "servant" (Hebrew: 'eved) of God carried profound honor and responsibility, denoting a deep, obedient, and often intimate relationship with the divine. This designation was reserved for figures of exceptional standing and trust, such as Abraham, Jacob, David, and preeminently, Moses. The specific "choosing" of Aaron was equally significant, foreshadowing his unique and foundational role as the first high priest, establishing the sacred lineage and cultic practices essential for Israel's worship and their covenant relationship with Yahweh. This dual divine appointment was crucial for legitimizing their leadership in the eyes of both the enslaved Israelites and the powerful Egyptian empire.
Key Themes: This verse profoundly contributes to several overarching themes within Psalm 105 and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it powerfully underscores Divine Sovereignty and Initiative, demonstrating that God is not a passive observer but an active orchestrator of history, meticulously raising up specific individuals to fulfill His redemptive purposes. Secondly, it highlights Covenant Faithfulness, as God's sending of Moses and Aaron is a direct and dramatic fulfillment of His solemn promises to the patriarchs to multiply their descendants and deliver them from bondage, as explicitly foretold in God's prophecy to Abraham. Thirdly, the verse emphasizes Divine Appointment and Calling, illustrating that true leadership in God's unfolding plan is never self-appointed but divinely commissioned, as God explicitly "sent" Moses and "chosen" Aaron for their respective, yet complementary, roles in Israel's redemption. Finally, it introduces the profound theme of Servanthood, particularly through Moses' designation, emphasizing that obedience, dedication, and a deep relational commitment to God's will are the hallmarks of authentic, divinely sanctioned leadership.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 105:26 employs several effective literary techniques. It utilizes Conciseness to deliver a profound theological statement with remarkable brevity, focusing the reader's attention directly on the divine agents and their commissioning. There is a clear implicit Parallelism between the two clauses, linking Moses and Aaron through their shared divine appointment, despite their distinct yet complementary roles. The use of specific titles and declarations, such as "his servant" for Moses and "whom he had chosen" for Aaron, serves as a powerful form of Emphasis, highlighting the divine authority, unique status, and sacred nature of these individuals' callings. Furthermore, this succinct declaration functions as a crucial Narrative Transition, signaling the dramatic shift in the historical account from the period of the patriarchs and oppression to the momentous events of the Exodus, thereby setting the stage for the detailed descriptions of the plagues and the miraculous deliverance that immediately follow in the psalm.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 105:26 serves as a profound reminder of God's active, personal involvement in human history, particularly His unwavering commitment to His covenant people. It powerfully illustrates the theological principle that God sovereignly raises up, equips, and empowers individuals for His specific, redemptive purposes, thereby demonstrating His absolute control over historical events and His unwavering faithfulness to His promises. The divine appointment of both Moses and Aaron underscores that true authority and effective leadership in God's kingdom stem directly from His choosing and empowering, rather than from human ambition, self-appointment, or inherent merit. This consistent pattern of divine calling and sending is a recurring motif throughout Scripture, evident from the commissioning of the prophets to the apostles, all serving as indispensable instruments in God's unfolding plan of salvation and revelation.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This verse offers profound encouragement and a significant challenge for believers today. Just as God sovereignly appointed Moses and Aaron for a specific, world-changing mission of deliverance, so too does He continue to call, equip, and position individuals for His divine purposes in every generation. Whether in grand public roles that impact many or in quiet, faithful service within one's sphere of influence, every believer is an instrument in God's hands, uniquely gifted and strategically positioned to contribute to the advancement of His kingdom. This truth calls us to cultivate a posture of humility, availability, and eager anticipation, recognizing that our abilities, opportunities, and indeed, our very lives, are part of a larger, divine tapestry. It encourages us to prayerfully discern and courageously embrace our unique calling, trusting that the God who sends also empowers, and that our greatest fulfillment and purpose are found in being His obedient servants, chosen for His glory and the good of His people.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why are both Moses and Aaron mentioned together in this verse, and what do their distinct roles signify?
Answer: Moses and Aaron are mentioned together in Psalms 105:26 because, while Moses was the primary leader, prophet, and lawgiver, Aaron was his indispensable partner, particularly serving as his spokesman and the divinely appointed high priest. God's comprehensive plan for the deliverance of Israel and the subsequent establishment of the Mosaic covenant required both of their unique, complementary roles. Moses mediated God's word and power directly to Pharaoh and to the nation of Israel, leading them out of bondage. Aaron, on the other hand, facilitated communication as Moses' voice and, critically, established the sacrificial system and the priesthood, which were absolutely necessary for Israel's worship, atonement for sin, and the maintenance of their covenant relationship with God. Their combined and distinct roles were essential for the success of the Exodus and the formation of Israel as a holy nation under God's covenant, as detailed in passages like Exodus 4:14-16 and Exodus 28:1.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 105:26, with its profound emphasis on God's sovereign sending and choosing of Moses and Aaron for the miraculous deliverance of His people, serves as a powerful and direct foreshadowing of the ultimate divine agent of salvation: Jesus Christ. Moses, designated as God's "servant" and the great deliverer who led Israel out of physical bondage and mediated the Old Covenant at Sinai, functions as a significant type of Christ, the greater Prophet whom God would raise up, as prophesied in Deuteronomy 18:15. Similarly, Aaron, "chosen" by God to be the high priest who made atonement for the people through sacrificial offerings, powerfully points forward to Jesus, our ultimate and perfect High Priest. Jesus offered Himself as the once-for-all, perfect sacrifice for sin, thereby entering the true heavenly sanctuary and securing eternal redemption (Hebrews 4:14 and Hebrews 9:11-12). Just as God meticulously "sent" Moses and Aaron to fulfill His covenant promises to Israel, so He "sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9). Jesus is the divinely appointed and eternally "chosen" Servant of the Lord who perfectly accomplishes God's will, not merely leading an exodus from physical slavery, but delivering humanity from the far greater bondage of sin and death, establishing a new and infinitely better covenant through the shedding of His precious blood (Hebrews 8:6).