Psalm 78 #1

I promised my dear cousin that I would write a blog on Psalm 78. I've been studying it for a few weeks now, and I'm starting with the first seven verses.

Now, we know that the Psalms are a collection of poetry and songs mostly written by David. This particular Psalm was written by Asaph and it was meant to teach the Israelites about the Law. Most Israelites didn't know how to read or have instant access to the Scriptures since reproducing parts of the Bible was expensive. This is how the Israelites could keep up with the Laws - they sang them!

"O My people, listen to My instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past - stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD; about His power and His mighty wonders. For He issued His laws to Jacob; He gave His instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them - even the children not yet born - and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting His glorious miracles and obeying His commands." - Psalm 78:1-7

There are a few repeated themes in here. First, it explains that we need to have open ears and that we need to pay attention. This is a vital characteristic of the growing Christian. Reverend Eppling once said that "the greatest judge of spiritual maturity is the time difference between hearing and doing what God wants you to do." That basically means when God tells you to do something, the longer you take to do it, the less spiritually mature you are. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's EASY to obey God. But it will make your life easier in the long run.

It also talks a lot about our ancestors and our children. (Obviously WE don't have children yet, but think about future generations.) We have to make sure that we're living godly lives, because the Christian life is lived in a fishbowl. People are watching you to see how you deal with hard situations and happy situations and basically, how you live your life. You need to be "in the world, not of it." (Romans 12:2)

Then it says how it makes it easier - we're not to forget God's glorious miracles. When you think about all that God has done for you, how can you NOT talk about it? How can you NOT want to tell everyone about it? I think that the main reason people don't talk about what God has done for them is because they're too focused on what He HASN'T done for them. And guys, that's selfish. The Christian life isn't living for yourself. In the Bible, it's clearly presented. "I am crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." - Galatians 2:20

So, our main points today? Have an open heart to what God's trying to teach you and make your response time nil. Make sure you live your life above reproach. Don't be selfish. Think about all that God has done for you, and let that be an outward expression of your love for Him.