Psalm 82

Dear Jennie:

- vs. 1: Apparently God has a congregation. Us?

- vs. 2: Selah. I know it's thought to mean "pause and think about it" but I wonder if the Psalmists ever meant it toward God. Like asking God to pause and think about it?

- vs. 3-4: When we do these things it is considered "true religion" James 1:27

- vs. 5: Are we talking about the wicked here?

- vs. 6-7: "gods" and rulers on the earth will die away just like any other man.

- vs. 8: God possesses all the nations. Even in the midst of the terror attack in Manchester last night. Who ultimately possesses all the nations? The Lord! We can identify with the Psalmist here: judge them God - why are you waiting?

Love!

Psalm 81

Dear Jennie:

Hi! I guess this Psalm is associated with the festival of Booths. Which from Lev. 23 we know was in the 7th month and lasted 7 (or maybe 8?) days. The people built and lived in huts during that time and there were sacrifices and rules about not working. All to commemorate God leading his people out of Egypt and providing for them in the wilderness.

- vs. 1-4: Praises with song and music

- vs. 5-7: A "language they did not know" must be the language of freedom. God relieves their hands from burdens and rescues them from forced labor.

- vs. 8-10: Worship only the Lord!

- vs. 11-14: I feel for the people. Because all their lives (I mean 400 years means NO ONE would have remembered what life was like before Egypt) they've been surrounded by foreign gods and foreign ways. So of course they'd go back to what felt familiar to them, if they didn't think God was going to come through for them. Not an excuse but helps me understand it and convicts me - that I would likely would have done the same.

- vs. 15: Interesting that God said if his people would only listen to him, he would make their enemies pretend obedience to the Lord. This is sort of off topic but it strikes me because I'm sure you've heard the argument for believing in God: well if there is no God then nothing happens at death but if there is God then you go to heaven so you might as well believe in God "in case". As if "pretending" to believe is something God wouldn't notice.

- vs. 16: How God would prosper his people if they would walk in his ways!

Love!

Psalm 80

Dear Jennie:

My notes say Shoshannim means lilies and probably indicates a wedding tune. But this Psalm doesn't really seem like something you'd put to a wedding tune. My notes also say the setting of this Psalm is the northern tribes being taken captive by Assyria. So the choir of Asaph in Jerusalem cry out to God.

- vs. 1-3: Asking God to: listen, lead, stir up his power, save them, restore them, cause his face to shine upon them.

-vs. 5: The people eat and drink tears (as opposed to the mana from heaven when they were saved out of Egypt)

- vs. 8-11: God removed his people from Egypt and caused them to grow all over the promised land.

- vs. 15: The Lord himself planted his people

- vs. 17: My notes say "son of man" here refers to Israel.

- vs. 19: Must be the chorus as we've heard this repeated several times now. We know that Judah didn't go into captivity by the Babylonians until sometime after the northern tribes where taken captive. But eventually Judah was punished too, for the wicked ways of its king and the people following right along.

Love!

Psalm 79

Dear Jennie:

- vs. 1-3: description of the cruelties Babylon inflicted on Jerusalem.

- vs. 5: The anger and the jealousy of God

- vs. 8: Sounds like Asaph (or whoever the author is) is part of the generation that didn't commit the sins against God but are still paying the price.

- vs. 9-10: I think it's a recurring theme in the OT that when God's people cry out for him to rescue them from the consequences of their own iniquity, the argument isn't ever about why they deserve another chance... it's for the sake of His name, for His glory, and that the other nations would see the true living God.

- vs. 12: God may use other nations to bring down judgement on his people, but these nations aren't blameless and God will hold them accountable for the ways they despise the Lord.

- vs. 11-12: Asaph asks God to act on behalf of the his people, his sheep, that they may give him thanks and tell all generations of his praise.

Love!

Psalm 78 part 2

Dear Jennie:

- vs. 41: The NASB says the people "pained" the Holy One of Israel. It strikes me that God can feel pain, obviously Jesus felt pain. But this seems to say God felt emotional pain because of the rebellion of his people. But I wonder if once God establishes his kingdom and we don't feel pain anymore if He will still feel pain?

- vs. 43-50: The plagues upon Egypt: Rivers to blood, flies, frogs, grasshoppers, locust, hailstones, frost, lightning, burning anger: the angel of death against the first born.

- vs. 51: Is this saying that Egyptians are descendants of Ham (one of Noah's sons)

- vs. 58: With their high places: so they're worshiping idols right? I assume the idols of Egypt. It's easy for me to judge the people ... but how often do I turn to some other worldly answer when I feel like God isn't showing up?

- vs. 61: My notes say this refers to the capture of the ark by the Philistines (as in the time of Saul right... ? I feel like we skipped ahead in history quite a bit)

- vs. 68: Must be referring to choosing David as king in place of Saul's descendants.

- vs. 72: I wonder when is history Asaph is writing this Psalm. It seems to indicate maybe David's "failures"haven't quite happened yet?

Love!  

Psalm 78 part 1

Dear Jennie:

Long chapter so I'll split this one up. From our western world mindset of all love and grace and mercy this is a rough one...

- vs. 1-4: I wonder when in history Asaph is instructing the people to tell their children about the Lord? It's interesting that he mentions "dark sayings of old" but then also the praises of the Lord, his strength and his wondrous works.

- vs. 5-7: Even to those not yet born and to their children: warnings to not be like their fathers who were unfaithful to God (I assume given the context of the next verses he's talking about the people who complained in the wilderness and worship idols after God had delivered them from Egypt).

- vs. 12-16: What amazing displays of God's power and presence!

- vs. 17-29: God provides food for his people via these miracles. I guess I didn't remember the people complained about not having food - I'm sure I would too.

- vs. 30-33: Verses like these are why the old testament is a challenge for me. It makes God seem like he somehow can't control his anger and he just lashes out and kills people some times.

- vs. 34-35: I guess this sort of punishment is just what the people needed though to turn back to God.

- vs. 36-37: The people again are unfaithful.

- vs. 38: I guess this sort of answers my issues with vs. 30-33; He often restrained his anger and didn't arouse his wrath but had compassion and forgave them. And didn't destroy his people though he could have (maybe even should have if I'm thinking correctly about the kinds of things they did)

- vs. 39: Describes us all!

to be continued...   :)

Psalm 77

Dear Jennie:

- vs. 1-2: Asaph cries out to God in the day and stretches out his hand to God all night.

- vs. 3-9: I think the summary here is that when Asaph ponders in his mind and soul about God he is questioning Him: Is God rejecting him? Will God not keep him promises? Will God not be gracious? Is He angry and without compassion?

- vs. 10: Do you think this means that God didn't change Asaph's circumstances but He did comfort his grief by reminding him of the history of God's faithfulness?

- vs. 11-15: God's wonders, work, deeds, way, strength and power. This is what Asaph will choose to meditate on (Psalm 19:14). I tend to think of God's wonders and works summed up as 1. Creation 2. Salvation. He is the author of both.

- vs. 16-20: My notes say Asaph is describing the displays of God's power in delivering his people from slavery in Egypt.

Love!

Psalm 76

Dear Jennie:

- Again my notes say this Psalm would have been written by a descendant of Asaph or a choir guild bearing his name

- vs. 1-3: Since this is a song the repetition and poetry make sense. I guess Salem and Zion both mean Jerusalem

- vs. 4-6: Do you think this is describing actual events?

- vs. 7: Thankfully we can claim Jesus blood over us and not have to face the wrath of God

- vs. 9: Interesting that when God arose to judgement he "saves the humble of the earth" ... I would expect it to say he destroys the wicked.

- vs. 10: Any insights here?

- vs. 11: I feel like the only gift I really have to bring is my heart and my empty hands. What else do we really have to offer?

- vs 12: He is king of kings and our prince of peace.

Love!

Psalm 75

Dear Jennie:

- vs. 1: Asaph is giving thanks and declaring that God is near

- vs. 2-3: God speaks: He will judge at His selected time. God firmly sets the earths pillars and yet can melt it down to nothing. (Selah)

- vs. 4-5: Is this still God speaking?

- vs. 6: My notes say that "north" isn't mentioned because Assyrians approach from that direction so no one could look to the north for help anyway, only invasion.

- vs. 7: makes me think of Daniel's time and how the Persians came and overthrew the Babylonian empire.

- vs. 8: Again, in the time of Daniel some king, I forget which one, was throwing a big party and was drinking wine out of the golden cups that really belonged to the temple treasury. And that's when the hand came and wrote on the wall and declared their destruction.

- vs. 9-10: Let us declare the Lord God forever and sing his praises. Do you think "horn" means like the instrument?

Love!

Psalm 74

Dear Jennie:

My notes say that this Psalm is against the backdrop of the Babylonian captivity. And that Asaph lived long before this Psalm was written so it was either written by one of his descendants or by a choir guild that took on his name.

- vs. 1: we know God doesn't reject his people forever but I'm sure it felt like it. Like maybe sometimes we feel like God is rejecting us.

- vs. 2-9: The destruction that God allowed on the land, on the people, and in His dwelling place.

- vs. 10: I think there was eventually a prophet that told the people how long the exile would last?

- vs. 12-17: Mighty acts of the Lord (deeds of deliverance)
- divided the sea by his strength
- broke the heads of the sea monsters (my notes say this and point below are poetic descriptions of God's victory over the Egyptians)
- crushed the heads of Leviathan
- broke open springs and torrents
- dried up streams
- His is the day and the night
- He prepared the light and the sun
- established boundaries on the earth
- made summer and winter

- vs. 18-23: I seem to remember other places in the Psalms or maybe in the OT where God is called upon to remember his own covenant. To rescue his people not because they deserve it but because of his own name and his own promise that he made with them.

Love!

Psalm 73

Dear Jennie:

- vs. 1-3: Asaph is the author and it sounds like he can acknowledged with his head that God is good to the pure in heart but what's tripping him up is the evidence he sees with his eyes that actually the wicked prosper.

- vs. 4-16: The wicked:
     - wear pride as a necklace
    - the garment of violence covers them
    - the imaginations of their heart run riot
     - they mock oppression
     - they set their mouths against heaven
    - they don't think God knows or sees

Yet Asaph perceives that they prosper, they have no pain, they increase in wealth, they are fat. Meanwhile Asaph is keeping himself pure, and it's hard, he is continually disciplined ... so is it all in vain?

- vs. 17: The turning point: Asaph realizes the truth when he came into the sanctuary of God. What in our lives do we need to go to the sanctuary of God and find truth?

- The wicked will:
    - be set in slippery places
    - be cast down to destruction
    - be destroyed in a moment
    - be utterly swept away by sudden terrors
    - be despised by God
    - perish
   
- vs. 21-24: I like the imagery here: Asaph embittered by the apparent prospering of the wicked but that was senseless and ignorant. Yet God took hold of his hand and guided him gently to the truth. Like a good Father.

- vs. 25: Do you think when Asaph says: who have I in heaven but you? That he means God is the most important to him, not that there literally isn't anyone else in heaven?

- vs. 28: Asaph's last line is to tell of all God's works

- I struggle a little bit here with "wicked". I mean don't we all want to be good? Is there anyone that is truly wicked? Ok maybe Hitler and child molesters and people who sell other human beings as slaves but aren't even they not beyond the reach of grace?

Love!
Stephanie