What historical events might Psalm 105:5 be referencing for the Israelites? Text and Immediate Context “Remember the wonders He has done, His marvels, and the judgments He has pronounced” (Psalm 105:5). Psalm 105 is a historical psalm. Verses 8–11 recall the Abrahamic covenant; vv. 12–15 the patriarchal wanderings; vv. 16–22 Joseph in Egypt; vv. 23–38 the Exodus; vv. 39–41 the desert miracles; vv. 42–45 the conquest and settlement. Verse 5 therefore calls Israel to recall the full sweep of those acts. Patriarchal Wonders (Genesis 12 – 50) • Abram’s call and God’s oath of land and blessing (Genesis 12:1-7; 15:1-21). • Isaac’s miraculous birth to the barren Sarah at ninety (Genesis 17:17-19; 21:1-7). • Protection of the patriarchs from foreign kings (Genesis 12:17; 20:3-7; 26:11). • Jacob’s vision at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22) and the wrestling theophany (Genesis 32:24-30). • Joseph’s prophetic dreams (Genesis 37) and divinely guided rise to power (Genesis 41:38-44). Archaeological note: Second-millennium tablets from Mari and Nuzi detail adoption and birthright customs matching those in Genesis, corroborating the milieu of the patriarchal narratives. Joseph’s Preservation of Israel (Genesis 37 – 50) Famine “He called down upon the land” (Psalm 105:16) refers to the seven-year famine. Extra-biblical: Nile flood failure records at Egypt’s Semna Dispatches (12th Dynasty) document repeated famines in this era. The Exodus Plagues and Passover (Exodus 1 – 12) Marvels and judgments climax in the ten plagues (Psalm 105:27-36). – Blood (Exodus 7:20) mirrored in the Ipuwer Papyrus Leiden 344 2:10-13 (“the river is blood”). – Frogs, gnats, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness—each an assault on specific Egyptian deities. – Death of the firstborn and the institution of Passover (Exodus 12). Merneptah Stele (1210 BC) lines 26-28 lists “Israel is laid waste,” showing an established people in Canaan shortly after the Exodus timeframe. Red Sea Crossing (Exodus 13 – 15) “He split the sea and they passed through; He held the waters like a wall” (Psalm 78:13; cf. 105:37). Proposed site at the Gulf of Aqaba/Nuweiba features an under-sea land bridge, sonar-mapped by Swedish geologist Lennart Möller (1998), consistent with the depth profile needed for a mass crossing. Wilderness Miracles (Exodus 15 – Numbers 21) • Bitter water made sweet at Marah (Exodus 15:22-25). • Manna and quail (Exodus 16; Psalm 78:24-27; 105:40). • Water from the rock at Rephidim and Kadesh (Exodus 17:5-6; Numbers 20:8-11; Psalm 105:41). • Pillar of cloud by day, fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22; Psalm 105:39). Modern parallel: The Sinai “pillars of cloud” text is echoed in Bedouin oral tradition collected by Israeli ethnographers (Al-Naggar, 1989), preserving memory of luminous phenomena. Mount Sinai—Law and Judgments (Exodus 19 – Numbers 10) Thunder, flame, and trumpet blast (Exodus 19:16-19). The “judgments He pronounced” include the Decalogue (Exodus 20) and covenant sanctions (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). God’s immediate judgment on idolatry (golden calf, Exodus 32) and rebellion (Korah, Numbers 16) are further referents. Victories Over Kings and Nations (Numbers 21; Deuteronomy 2 – 3; Joshua 6 – 12) • Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan (Numbers 21:21-35; Psalm 135:10-12; 136:19-20). • Crossing the Jordan at flood stage (Joshua 3-4). • Jericho’s collapsed walls (Joshua 6). Archaeologist John Garstang (1930s) found City IV walls fallen outward, creating ramps—unique among siege layers. Carbon-14 of charred grain (P. Bienkowski, 1990) clusters in late 15th century BC, fitting an early Exodus chronology. • Sun standing still at Gibeon (Joshua 10:12-14)—a “marvel” of cosmic scope. Settlement and Covenant Fulfillment (Joshua 21:43-45; Psalm 105:44-45) Yahweh “gave them the lands of the nations” and “they inherited the labor of peoples.” The altar on Mount Ebal discovered by Adam Zertal (1980s) matches the covenant ceremony site of Joshua 8:30-35, containing ash layers and scarabs datable to Iron IA (ca. 1200 BC). Summary of “Wonders, Marvels, Judgments” 1. Covenant miracles (Abraham-Isaac). 2. Protection of patriarchs. 3. Joseph’s rise and famine deliverance. 4. Ten plagues. 5. Passover and firstborn judgment. 6. Red Sea opening and Egyptian army destruction. 7. Pillar, manna, water from rock. 8. Sinai revelation and legal judgments. 9. Desert discipline (fiery serpents, Korah, etc.). 10. Victories over Sihon, Og, and Canaanite coalitions. 11. Land grant and rest. Archaeological and Documentary Corroborations • Ebla & Mari tablets—patriarchal names and customs. • Ipuwer Papyrus—plagues imagery. • Brook of Egypt stelae showing Semitic slave quotas (Tomb of Rekhmire, TT100). • Merneptah Stele—Israel in Canaan by late 13th century BC. • Khirbet el-Maqatir (candidate for Ai) and Jericho City IV destruction layer. • Mount Ebal altar. • Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls (7th c. BC) with Priestly Blessing, affirming textual stability. Theological Significance Psalm 105:5 summons every generation to active remembrance. The historical markers anchor faith in real space-time acts, prefiguring the ultimate marvel—Christ’s resurrection (Acts 2:24-36), which the apostle Paul treats as God’s climactic “wondrous work” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Remembering fuels worship (“that they might keep His statutes,” Psalm 105:45) and assures believers that the same covenant-keeping God still intervenes. Invitation The psalmist’s imperative—“Remember”—extends beyond Israel to all nations (Psalm 105:1). The catalog of wonders finds its fulfillment in the empty tomb, offering forgiveness and new life to any who, by grace, will trust the risen Lord. |
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