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Speaker 1: I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Psalm seventy eight
Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the English Standard version, a
Speaker 1: mass skill of asaff Give ear, o, my people, to
Speaker 1: my teaching. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
Speaker 1: I will open my mouth in a parable I will
Speaker 1: utter dark sayings from of old things that we have
Speaker 1: heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We
Speaker 1: will not hide them from their children, but tell to
Speaker 1: the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord and
Speaker 1: his might, and the wonders that he has done. He
Speaker 1: established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in
Speaker 1: Israel which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,
Speaker 1: that the next generation might know them the children yet
Speaker 1: unborn and arise, and tell them to their children, so
Speaker 1: that they should set their hope in God, and not
Speaker 1: forget the works of God, but keep his commandments, and
Speaker 1: that they should not be like their fathers. A stubborn
Speaker 1: and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast
Speaker 1: whose spirit was not faithful to God. The Ephriamites, armed
Speaker 1: with the beau, turned back on the day of battle.
Speaker 1: They did not keep God's covenant, but refused to walk
Speaker 1: according to his law. They forgot his works and the
Speaker 1: wonders that he had shown them in the sight of
Speaker 1: their fathers. He performed wonders in the land of Egypt.
Speaker 1: In the fields of Zoan. He divided the sea and
Speaker 1: let them pass through it, and made the waters stand
Speaker 1: like a heap. In the daytime he led them with
Speaker 1: a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light.
Speaker 1: He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink
Speaker 1: abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out
Speaker 1: of the rock, and caused waters to flow down like rivers.
Speaker 1: Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the
Speaker 1: most high in the desert. They tested God in their
Speaker 1: heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying,
Speaker 1: can God spread a table in the wilderness He struck
Speaker 1: the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed.
Speaker 1: Can He also give bread or provide meat for his people? Therefore,
Speaker 1: when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath, A
Speaker 1: fire was kindled against Jacob. His anger rose against Israel
Speaker 1: because they did not believe in God and did not
Speaker 1: trust his saving power. Yet he commanded the skies above
Speaker 1: and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down
Speaker 1: on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain
Speaker 1: of heaven, man ate of the bread of the angels.
Speaker 1: He sent them food in abundance. He caused the east
Speaker 1: wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power
Speaker 1: he led out the south wind. He rained meat on
Speaker 1: them like dust winged birds, like the sand of the seas.
Speaker 1: He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
Speaker 1: all around their dwellings, and they ate and were filled,
Speaker 1: for he gave them what they craved. But before they
Speaker 1: had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in
Speaker 1: their mouths, the anger of God rose against them, and
Speaker 1: he killed the strongest of them, and laid low the
Speaker 1: young men of Israel. In spite of all this, they
Speaker 1: still sinned. Despite his wonders, they did not believe. So
Speaker 1: he made their days vanish like a breath, and their
Speaker 1: years in terror. When he killed them, they sought him.
Speaker 1: They repented and sought God earnestly. They remembered that God
Speaker 1: was their rock, the most High God, their redeemer. But
Speaker 1: they flattered him with their mouths. They lied to him
Speaker 1: with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him.
Speaker 1: They were not faithful to his covenant. Yet He, being compassionate,
Speaker 1: atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them. He
Speaker 1: restrained his anger often and did not stir up all
Speaker 1: his wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a
Speaker 1: wind that passes and comes not again. How often they
Speaker 1: rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in
Speaker 1: the desert. They tested God again and again, and provoked
Speaker 1: the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his
Speaker 1: power or the day when He redeemed them from the foe.
Speaker 1: When He performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels
Speaker 1: in the fields of Zoan. He turned their rivers to blood,
Speaker 1: so that they could not drink of their streams. He
Speaker 1: sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs,
Speaker 1: which destroyed them. He gave their crops to the destroying locust,
Speaker 1: and the fruit of their labor to the locust. He
Speaker 1: destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.
Speaker 1: He gave over their cattle to the hail, and their
Speaker 1: flocks to thunderbolts. He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation,
Speaker 1: and distress. A company of destroying angels, he made a
Speaker 1: path for his anger. He did not spare them from death,
Speaker 1: but gave their lives over to the plague. He struck
Speaker 1: down every first born in Egypt, the first fruits of
Speaker 1: their strength in the tents of Ham. He led out
Speaker 1: his people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness
Speaker 1: like a flock. He led them in safety, so that
Speaker 1: they were not afraid. But the sea overwhelmed their enemies,
Speaker 1: and he brought them to his holy land, to the
Speaker 1: mountain which his right hand had won. He drove out
Speaker 1: nations before them. He appointed them for a possession, and
Speaker 1: settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. Yet they
Speaker 1: tested and rebelled against the Most High God, and did
Speaker 1: not keep his testimonies, but turned away and acted treacherously.
Speaker 1: Like their fathers. They twisted like a deceitful bow. For
Speaker 1: they provoked him to anger with their high places. They
Speaker 1: moved him to jealousy with their idols. When God heard
Speaker 1: he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel.
Speaker 1: He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he
Speaker 1: dwelt among mankind, and delivered his power to captivity, his
Speaker 1: glory to the hand of the foe. He gave his
Speaker 1: people over to the sword and vented his wrath on
Speaker 1: his heritage. Fire devoured their young men, and their young
Speaker 1: women had no marriage song. Their priests fell by the sword,
Speaker 1: and their widows made no lamentation. Then the Lord awoke
Speaker 1: as from sleep like a strong man, shouting because of wine,
Speaker 1: and he put his adversaries to route. He put them
Speaker 1: to everlasting shame. He rejected the tent of Joseph. He
Speaker 1: did not choose the tribes of Ephrium, but he chose
Speaker 1: the tribe of Judah Mount Zion, which he loves. He
Speaker 1: built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth,
Speaker 1: which he has founded forever. He chose David his servant,
Speaker 1: and took him from the sheepfolds from following the nursing ewes.
Speaker 1: He brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel, his inheritance.
Speaker 1: With upright heart. He shepherded them and god them with
Speaker 1: his skillful hand. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for
Speaker 1: your word, and we thank you for the privilege of
Speaker 1: looking at this longer psalm today. Lord, we're grateful for
Speaker 1: its content and for the summary that it gives of
Speaker 1: what took place during the days of ancient Israel. How
Speaker 1: you rescued and redeemed your people, but how they chose
Speaker 1: to reject you and worship idols. And we're not walking
Speaker 1: by faith. But Lord, in time, you chose your servant David.
Speaker 1: You raised him up, and you allowed him to lead
Speaker 1: the people of Israel, and he did so with an
Speaker 1: eye toward you, and with a heart filled with faith,
Speaker 1: and you showed mercy on your people, and you blessed
Speaker 1: them with great leadership through David. There's a greater David
Speaker 1: to come. Lord, your son, Jesus Christ is the greater David.
Speaker 1: Your son Jesus Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah,
Speaker 1: is the one who rescues and redeems anyone who tried him.
Speaker 1: So we're grateful for that reality. And we are grateful
Speaker 1: Lord that we have the privilege to look forward to
Speaker 1: the day when your son Jesus Christ will fully rule
Speaker 1: and reign on this earth, just as your word promises.
Speaker 1: We're grateful, Lord that we have the privilege to be
Speaker 1: part of your kingdom through faith in Jesus. And we
Speaker 1: pray that throughout the course of today and every day
Speaker 1: that you give to us, that we would be people
Speaker 1: who do not reject you for idols, but rather walk
Speaker 1: with you by faith. Thank you, Lord for your love,
Speaker 1: and thank you for your presence with us today. We
Speaker 1: pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.