REMEMBER-Psalm 78
Psalm 78 is the 2nd longest psalm with 72 verses. [Lest We Forget. Lessons from Israel’s History.] “My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable“ (Ps 78:1-2).
“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done” (Ps 78:4). “… so the next generation would know them” (Ps 78:6). “Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. They would not be like their ancestors—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him” (Ps 78:7-8).
The importance of obedience and the implications of disobedience (Ps 78:7, 22) is the main theme of Psalm 78. It retells Israel’s past, mainly the exodus and the wandering in the wilderness (Ps 105, 106, cf 136). It uses a narrative about the past to teach about the present. It addresses the public (Ps 78:1, also 1, 49, 105) rather than God. Its introduction encourages listeners to be obedient in contrast to previous generations, especially the exodus generation (Ps 78:6-7); its conclusion justifies the destruction of the Northern Kingdom (722 B.C.) and praise for Davidic kingship cenetered in the chosen city of Zion. The negative lesson is that this history not be repeated (Ps 78:8), but that believers learn from it (Ps 78:3-6) and truly trust and obey God (Ps 78:7). Like the parting song of Moses (Dt 32) it is meant to search the conscience and warm the heart, with its great miracles and grace that persists through all the judgments.- Who was Asaph (1 Ch 25:1; 2 Ch 29:30)?
- Why is it so important to hear and listen even to “parables” [riddles] and “hidden things” (Ps 89:1-2; Mt 13:35)?
- Might the past be like a hidden riddle (Ps 78:3-4)? What should we learn from our ancestors (Dt 32:7; Rom 15:4; Rev 18:4)?
- Why teach the next generation (Ps 78:5-7; Dt 6:6-9; 2 Tim 2:2)?
- What should you never become (Ps 78:8; Isa 29:13; Jer 4:4)?
- Why was well-equipped and skilled Ephraim [Israel] defeated (Ps 78:9-11)? What shold you never forget (2 Pet 1:9; Rom 2:4)?
- What did God do for the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt and wandering in the wilderness (Ps 78:12-16; Exo 20:2)? [Zoan (Ps 78:12, 43) is a city in the north-east of the Nile delta.]
- How did they respond (Ps 78:17-20)? Is this a proper response?
- Is God’s response to them appropriate (Ps 78:21-22, 23-25, 26-28)?
- How did they respond to God’s gracious provision (Ps 78:29; Num 11:18-20)? What did God do (Ps 78:31, 33; Num 11:33)?
- Did they truly repent (Ps 78:32, 34-35; Hos 5:15-6:3)?
- What was the problem with what they said (Ps 78:36-37; Jas 1:19, 22; 2:14)?
- How did God respond (Ps 78:38-39; Hos 6:4; 11:8)?
- What was the crux of their rebellion and testing God (Ps 78:40-41, 42-43)?
- What did God do to deliver them from slavery in Egypt (Ps 78:44-51, 52-53)?
- Did they forget that the wrath restrained for them (Ps 78:38) was let loose on their oppressors (Ps 78:49)? That they were shepherded (Ps 78:52-53) while others perished (Ps 78:50-51)?
- Despite God delivering them from slavery and providing them an inheritance (Ps 78:54-55), what did they do (Ps 78:56)?
- Did they learn from their ancestors (Ps 78:57, 3-6)? What did they become (Ps 78:58)? When we don’t worship God from our hearts, what do we default to? Why (Jer 17:9; Gal 5:19-21)?
- When did God abandon “the tabernacle of Shiloh” (Ps 78:59-64; 1 Sam 4:2-4, 10-11; Eze 11:23)? Why (Jer 7:11-15)?
- When Eli and his 2 sons died (Ps 78:64), what did Phineha’s widow name her son (1 Sam 4:19-22)? Why is there no greater tragedy than this (Mt 23:37-39)?
- When God awoke what did he do (Ps 78:65-66; 1 Sam 5:1-4, 6-7)?
- In the sovereignty of God who did God reject and choose instead (Ps 78:67-68, 9)? Why (2 Tim 1:9)? What is their [our] only hope and why (Ps 78:69-72; Rev 21:22, 27; Jn 2:19-21; 6:41; 7:37-39; 11:25-26)?
- How does Psalm 78:2, 15, 24 point to Christ?
- Jesus taught in parables (Ps 78:2). “So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world’” (Mt 13:35).
- Jesus is the Rock that supplied Israel in the wilderness (Ps 78:15). “..they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:4).
- Jesus is the bread from heaven (Ps 78:24). “I am the bread of life.” “I am the bread that came down from heaven” (Jn 6:35. 41).
