Psalm 105

Calvin Seerveld, 1983

1. Trumpet the Name! Praise be to our LORD!
   Cry out the good news of his great deeds.
   Sing from your hearts, play songs for him.
   Chant through the world God’s acts of might.
   Let all who seek the LORD rejoice,
   Give thanks to God with heart and voice.
   
2. Look to the LORD’s almighty power;
   Remember his sure testimonies.
   Think on surprising wonders done,
   His miracles, his judgments won,
   All followers of Abraham
   Are children of the great “I AM.”
   
3. The LORD our God rules all creation
   As covenant LORD, forever faithful,
   Keeping his word to Abraham,
   Isaac and Jacob-Israel
   And generations yet to come:
   “I’ll lead you to a promised home.”
   
4. When Abraham searched for the new place
   Which God had said he would inherit,
   He wandered far, tossed back and forth
   Threatened with wrong, yet never hurt.
   God ordered kings to do no harm,
   Kept all his children in his arm.
   
5. All Jacob’s family lodged in Canaan;
   God changed their lives there with a famine.
   Joseph had been sold off, a slave,
   Jailed falsely maligned, lost for years,
   Until God providentially
   Made Pharaoh set poor Joseph free.
   
6. The king of Egypt leaned on God’s slave,
   Made Joseph chief lord of his nation!
   Princes were bound by his decree,
   Wise men agreed-what irony!
   God’s people lived as welcomed guests,
   Thrived better than their gentile hosts.
   
7. * But unleashed hate pressed down the LORD’s folk;
   Moses and Aaron then were chosen
   To execute most fearful plagues,
   Pitch dark, and water turned to blood,
   Fish dead and frogs in Pharaoh’s bed.
   God spoke, and horseflies swarmed ahead!
   Hail raining down instead of bread,
   Grasshoppers hopped, increasing dread;
   God killed their firstborn sons all dead;
   God rescued Israel from the foe;
   Egypt was glad to see them go.
   
8. God hung a cloud to lead them safely;
   His fiery pillar guided nightly.
   When they complained, he dropped them quail,
   Water gushed out from solid rock!
   His manna answered desert prayers:
   God kept his oath to faithful heirs.
   
9. Exodus meant pure celebration:
   The LORD’s elect gained liberation!
   God gave his folk rich heathen lands,
   Put treasures in his people’s hands,
   That they might demonstrate God’s grace
   Alive before his steadfast face.
   
   *Stanza 7 may be sung either with or without the list of plagues.
   When singing the entire text, repeat the fourth melodic phrase six times.