Although this Psalm has no title, we do have some clues as to when it was written due to the fact that the opening line of Psalm 105 is also in 1st Chronicles 16:8
[1] O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. [2] Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him: talk ye of all His wondrous works.
The Psalm opens with a request for us to give thanks to God, to call upon and make His name known to the nations. Let us consider the three requests made of the reader in verse 1: (1) give thanks to God, (2) call on His name, and (3) make His name known to the nation:
To give thanks to God is in effect to appreciate what He has done for our lives. We've covered that a lot in the past few lessons. The point here is that we should be grateful for what God has done in our lives as well as in history.
To "call upon His name" is far more than being grateful. It includes asking for His help when needs arise. It is about calling upon Him to remind ourselves that we do belong to Him and desire to use our lives to make a difference for Him. As I like to say, we don't pray for His sake, but for ours. Prayer is among other things a reminder to ourselves that we belong to Him and we desire to do His will.
Finally verse 1 says that we should make God’s name known among the nations. The point is that we should not keep knowledge of God to our self, but it should spread to others. This includes believers as well as nonbelievers. In effect, this final phrase is the "Great Commission" that Jesus stated in Matthew 28:19. The point is God wants us to share the knowledge of Him with others we encounter in our lives and spread the word about Him.
Verse 2 in effect is a commentary on verse 1. It is to "sing unto God" so that we can tell others of His works. To "sing out" implies a few things: First, it is that others will hear us. That is in effect a reminder to not be silent about our love of God. Second it is a reminder to tell God in our own way, both privately and corporately (i.e., with other believers) how much we appreciate what He has done for us.
[1] O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. [2] Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him: talk ye of all His wondrous works.
The Psalm opens with a request for us to give thanks to God, to call upon and make His name known to the nations. Let us consider the three requests made of the reader in verse 1: (1) give thanks to God, (2) call on His name, and (3) make His name known to the nation:
To give thanks to God is in effect to appreciate what He has done for our lives. We've covered that a lot in the past few lessons. The point here is that we should be grateful for what God has done in our lives as well as in history.
To "call upon His name" is far more than being grateful. It includes asking for His help when needs arise. It is about calling upon Him to remind ourselves that we do belong to Him and desire to use our lives to make a difference for Him. As I like to say, we don't pray for His sake, but for ours. Prayer is among other things a reminder to ourselves that we belong to Him and we desire to do His will.
Finally verse 1 says that we should make God’s name known among the nations. The point is that we should not keep knowledge of God to our self, but it should spread to others. This includes believers as well as nonbelievers. In effect, this final phrase is the "Great Commission" that Jesus stated in Matthew 28:19. The point is God wants us to share the knowledge of Him with others we encounter in our lives and spread the word about Him.
Verse 2 in effect is a commentary on verse 1. It is to "sing unto God" so that we can tell others of His works. To "sing out" implies a few things: First, it is that others will hear us. That is in effect a reminder to not be silent about our love of God. Second it is a reminder to tell God in our own way, both privately and corporately (i.e., with other believers) how much we appreciate what He has done for us.