PSALMS LESSON 106
In the last lesson, we were studying about Joseph being sold into
Egypt by his brothers, winding up in jail, and becoming second to the
Pharaoh as part of God's plan to get the family of Jacob into Egypt.
We will pick up now in Psalms 105:20 "The king sent and loosed him;
[even] the ruler of the people, and let him go free."
This is saying that Pharaoh, himself let Joseph out of jail.
Psalms 105:21 "He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all
his substance:"
When Joseph interpreted the dream of the Pharaoh with a plan to
save their land, Pharaoh made Joseph, second only to himself.
Psalms 105:22 "To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his
senators wisdom."
This is speaking of Joseph's brothers who came for food during
the great famine. Joseph could have arrested them and put them in
jail, but instead he forgave them. All of this taught them a very good
lesson.
Psalms 105:23 "Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned
in the land of Ham."
As we studied in the lessons on Genesis, we know that some of
Ham's descendents settled in the land of Egypt. Specifically, they
dwelled in the land of Goshen.
Psalms 105:24 "And he increased his people greatly; and made them
stronger than their enemies."
In just over 400 years, the small group of 70 and the family of
Joseph grew into a nation somewhere between 2 and 3 million. All of a
sudden the Pharaoh in the land began to be worried, because there was
so many of them. He was afraid they would rise up and fight against
Egypt.
Psalms 105:25 "He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal
subtilly with his servants."
This is speaking of the time that Jacob's family were under
bondage to these Egyptians.
Psalms 105:26 "He sent Moses his servant; [and] Aaron whom he had
chosen."
When Moses was 80 years old, God called him to go to Egypt and
obtain the release of the Hebrews. Moses' brother, Aaron, was given to
Moses as a helper.
Psalms 105:27 "They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in
the land of Ham."
Moses was endowed with power from God to do mighty wonders before
the Pharaoh to get him to let the people go. One of these wonders was
turning the Nile River {which the Egyptians worshipped} into blood. I
believe the statement about Ham here is speaking of the plagues coming
on Egypt, but not on Goshen where Jacob's family dwelled.
Here is a list of some of the plagues that God sent upon Pharaoh
and Egypt to get him to let the people of God go. Most of these
plagues attacked one of the things worshipped by the Egyptians. Not
only were these plagues to get the release of the people, but they
were to discredit the gods of Egypt.
Psalms 105:28 "He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they
rebelled not against his word." Psalms 105:29 "He turned their waters
into blood, and slew their fish." Psalms 105:30 "Their land brought
forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings." Psalms
105:31 "He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, [and] lice in
all their coasts." Psalms 105:32 "He gave them hail for rain, [and]
flaming fire in their land." Psalms 105:33 "He smote their vines also
and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts." Psalms
105:34 "He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillars, and that
without number," Psalms 105:35 "And did eat up all the herbs in their
land, and devoured the fruit of their ground."
These are not exact replicas of 9 of the 10 plagues that came,
but they are the same plagues. Notice, all of the things in this that
are in control of God. This is just another time when we see that
everything in this earth is under direct command of God. The last
plague in the next verse was, of course, the worst. The Egyptians had
killed the first born of the Hebrews, now God will kill their
firstborn.
Psalms 105:36 "He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the
chief of all their strength."
No home in Egypt, except the Hebrew families who had the blood of
the lamb over the door, were spared. Pharaoh's own son died. This was
the plague that set them free. Pharaoh told them to go.
Psalms 105:37 "He brought them forth also with silver and gold:
and [there was] not one feeble [person] among their tribes."
They spoiled the Egyptians and took silver and gold into the
wilderness with them. The joy of being released from the hard bondage
was enough to renew their strength, but I believe, this goes even
further than that. God restored them so there was no feeble.
Psalms 105:38 "Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of
them fell upon them."
This is truly an understatement. The Egyptians had become
terribly afraid of the God of these Israelites. This fear of Israel's
God spread to countries nearby, as well.
Psalms 105:39 "He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give
light in the night."
This cloud and fire was the presence of God in their midst that
led them across the wilderness. When the cloud by day and the fire by
night stopped, they stopped and rested, until the fire or cloud moved
again.
Psalms 105:40 "The people] asked, and he brought quails, and
satisfied them with the bread of heaven."
The Bread from heaven that fed them was the Manna that God
miraculously fed them each day. They tired of the Manna and insisted
on meat, and God rained quails on them knee deep. This group murmured
against God, and God killed a large number of them on the way to the
promised land.
Psalms 105:41 "He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out;
they ran in the dry places [like] a river."
This is speaking of them running out of water. Moses prayed, and
God told Moses to strike the Rock. He did and water gushed forth from
the Rock. This Rock, of course, is Jesus Christ. He is the fountain
that never runs dry.
Psalms 105:42 "For he remembered his holy promise, [and] Abraham
his servant."
At times these people greatly troubled the Lord, but He did not
forget His promise to Abraham. He brought them to the land He had
promised Abraham. There was very little opposition to the Israelites
taking their promised land. God fought their battles for them.
Psalms 105:43 "And he brought forth his people with joy, [and]
his chosen with gladness:"
Such joy to receive the land of milk and honey that had been
promised to Abraham! These were God's chosen people that were to live
above the world and live in a pleasing manner to God.
Psalms 105:44 "And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they
inherited the labour of the people;"
This seems as if God was unfair to the heathen, but that is not
so. He gave them ample time to repent of their ways, and when they did
not, God took the land for His chosen.
Psalms 105:45 "That they might observe his statutes, and keep his
laws. Praise ye the LORD."
They were chosen of all people to keep the law that God had given
them in the wilderness. The Levitical law was to be kept forever.
Questions 106
1. Who let Joseph out of jail?
2. What position did the Pharaoh give Joseph?
3. What is verse 22 saying about Joseph's brothers?
4. What two names was Joseph's father called in verse 23?
5. Where did they dwell?
6. What caused Pharaoh to be worried about the Hebrews?
7. Verse 25 is speaking of what?
8. Who did God call, when he was 80 years old, to go and get freedom
for the Israelites?
9. Who did God send to help him?
10. What unusual powers had God given Moses?
11. Did all of the plagues affect everyone in Egypt?
12. Who were the plagues sent by God directed against?
13. Name some of the plagues that God sent?
14. How many plagues did God send?
15. Why did God kill the firstborn of Egypt?
16. What method did God have of telling who were the Hebrews?
17. Which plague set them free?
18. Where did the Hebrews get the silver and gold they took in the
wilderness?
19. What did God do specifically for the feeble?
20. Why was Egypt glad when they departed?
21. What 2 things showed the presence of God with them on their
journey?
22. What was their main food on their journey?
23. When they asked for quail, what did God do?
24. Who is the Rock?
25. What promise did God remember that caused Him to bring them to
their land of promise?
26. Who owned the land that God gave Israel?
27. What were they chosen to do?
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