Psalms In My Palms - Book 1 - Wisdom

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Psalms 78:1-72

We must let God order our steps! We must let the Holy Spirit speak to us as we read God's Word! We must obey His Voice! We need His divine WISDOM to know how to "rightly divide" the Word of God. (2 Timothy 2:15-KJV-"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.")

The Bible shows us treasures money cannot buy that bring us life everlasting. We can can receive some of the benefits now! Do we appreciate the God who gave us promises as the Psalmists did? They believed God's promises because they knew God!

This Psalm is a WISDOM meditation Psalm written as a hymn (Hebrew-Tahilla) to proclaim the glory and greatness of God revealed in the history of Israel. It begins with the Exodus account of Israel and continues through the kingship of David. This was a new beginning leading to mercy and grace of Salvation through David's descendant, Jesus Christ! This Psalm was written for our edification as children of God to teach us to be faithful to "Him who has called us out of darkness into His glorious light!"

Psalms 78 is a long Psalm of 72 verses but we will divide it into 13 divisions to cover the whole Psalm. Verses 1-3 -(TEV)- begin with the voice of WISDOM's school, the Law (Torah) -"Listen, my people, to my teaching and pay attention to what I say. I am going to speak to you, and tell you mysteries from the past, things we have heard and know, that our ancestors (Fathers) have told us." NKJV SAYS, "I will open my mouth in a parable." (Dark sayings, or riddles with deeper meaning.) Proverbs 1:6-(NEB) tell us how "to understand a proverb and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise WISDOM and instruction." This is why Asaph begins with (NKJV) "Give ear, oh my people, to the law..."

Next the author reminds them not to (NKJV) "hide them (what God has done) from their children and generations to come". He explains why they must pass the knowledge on. The law of Israel was, (NKJV)-"He (God) commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children." The psalmist reminds them that it must then be passed from generation to generation continually. This way the hope and remembrance will continue. (This should be a great lesson to us. We must pass it on to the next generation so they will not displease God by their rebellious attitude as their past generation but be faithful to God as believers.)

Asaph, who is the author of this Psalm, also relates in verses 9-16 the previous actions of rebellion in Israel. He reminds them that Ephraim rejected God. ( Judges 12:1-7 could be the account Asaph refers to. You may read it for enlightenment.) God had shown their ancestors great miracles but somehow they had not remembered what He had done. The record includes the Israelite History beginning with the parting of the Red Sea for their deliverance from Egypt, (Exodus 14); Signs of His presence among them, (Exodus 21); and the marvelous way (TEV) " He split the rock open in the desert" to give them water (NKJV) "in abundance" and (TEV) "caused it to flow like a river."

In verses 17-20 we find the people (NKJV) "sinned even more against Him by rebelling...in the wilderness." They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?...Can He give us bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?" They mocked the God who sustained them as they traveled toward the promised land which He was giving them! (Wow! How blatantly bold sin becomes!)

In verses 21-25 we read that God grew angry (and, no wonder!) Against Jacob and all Israel (NKJV) "because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation." He had covered them with a cloud by day, given them fire by night, (NKJV) "rained down manna on them to eat," and enough "angel's food...to the full." Then continuing in verses 26-31, as if the rest was not enough, He had sent them (NKJV) "feathered fowl like the sands of the sea," which fell down right where they were so they could catch and eat them. "He gave them their own desire." (People of true faith will seek God's will and respond with grateful praise. These self-centered Israelites simply complained and God responded with his wrath. (They got what they deserved for their rebellion-His Judgment!).

The next verses 32-39, show how they returned to their sin, no matter how merciful God was. They (NKJV) " did not believe in His wondrous works." They were feeling futile and fearful. God saw this and realized their weaknesses so He came again as the "Most High God their Redeemer." He was the "ROCK" who had provided them with water. He saw their unfaithfulness but had "compassion and forgave their iniquity", for He knew they were "but flesh."

(Verses 40-55). In spite of their disobedience, He was faithful to them. (NKJV)"Again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." It was as though they forgotten each miracle soon after it happened! Egypt's slavery, and the Plagues that released theme rom slavery: a river of blood, swarms of flies, frogs of destruction, locusts destroying crops, hail flattening wheat, trees frosted to death, flocks destroyed by lightening, and finally the angel of death among them when all the Firstborn were killed except for those in homes covered with the blood. (Exodus 7-12)

But through it all God led them like a shepherd (Psalms 23). (NKJV)- " He made His own people go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock." He gave them safety through the Red Sea, which drown their enemies; He brought them to the Holy Mountain; He "drove out the nations before them"; and they were given an allotment of land for their inheritance. (What a miraculous accomplishment!)

Yet, (oh dear always the Buts and Yets), Israel still (NKJV) "tested and provoked The Most High God," "turned aside", "provoked Him to anger" and jealousy by idol worship ("carved images"). God 's presence which was represented by the Ark of the Covenant was stolen by the Philistines. (1 Samuel 4:1-11). He allowed the essence of His presence to leave them and it become captive of their enemy. The results were horrendous, such as, many were (TEV)- "killed by their enemy, young men were killed in war, and young women had no one to marry, the priests were killed by swords, and their widows could not mourn for them." What a mess they had made for themselves! (We still do this today by our disobedience and disbelief in the power of God to redeem us and free us from the slavery of sin!)

In verses 65-72 we find, BUT GOD showed His mercy as (TEV) "He drove His enemies back,...rejected the descendants of Joseph;...chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion...built His temple, like His home in Heaven. He made it firm like the earth, secure for all time." (NKJV) "He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes that had young. He brought him, to shepherd, Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hand." All that He accomplished from a disaster and mess that they had created in spite of His faithfulness and care. (Only God can move the chaos we make of our lives into the Glorious and Praiseworthy condition of a Child of God!)

I love the Shepherd symbol of our Savior, Jesus Christ as King of our lives, and the Good Shepherd who leads, guides, and protects us, when we are redeemed by Him from our stubborn, chaotic lives and renewed in His Spirit to life eternal with Him in glory! HALLELUJAH! PRAISE HIS NAME FOREVER!!!

Nexttime...b