BIG IDEA:
THE LESSONS OF HISTORY CAN HELP US ESCAPE THE FUTILITY OF CYCLES OF DISOBEDIENCE AND DISCIPLINE
(:1-8) INTRODUCTION - LESSONS OF HISTORY NEED TO BE SHARED WITH THE NEXT GENERATION
A. (:1-4) Lessons of History Communicate a Positive Message
1. It is important to listen closely to the Lessons of History
a. To understand the message
"instruction"
"the words of my mouth"
b. To understand the hidden nature of the format
"parables"
"dark sayings"
2. It is important to communicate faithfully the Lessons of History
a. Requires faithfully receiving the message from our fathers
b. Requires faithfully passing it along to our children
3. The Positive Message involves Praising the Lord for:
a. "His strength"
b. "His wonderful works that He has done"
B. (:5-8) Lessons of History Compel Faith and Obedience
1. It is important to listen closely to the Lessons of History
Based on God’s ordained revelation - so we need to take it seriously and pay attention
"established a testimony"
"appointed a law"
2. It is important to communicate faithfully the Lessons of History
a. Commanded by God to do so
b. the only way the next generation will know
3. Lessons of History Compel Faith
they help us to "put our confidence in God"
they help us "not to forget the works of God"
4. Lessons of History Compel Obedience = "keep His commandments"
Obstacles to Obedience:
stubborness
rebellion
unprepared heart
unfaithfulness
Obedience frees us from the futility of cycles of Disobedience and Discipline
I. (:9-22) FIRST LESSON OF HISTORY:
MIRACLE OF DELIVERANCE FROM BONDAGE IN EGYPT
A. (:9-11) Question: Are we willing to fight the battle for which God has equipped us?
The sons of Ephraim were not willing
despite being equipped with bows
Prescription for Defeat:
1. "turned back in the day of battle"
2. "did not keep the covenant of God"
3. "refused to walk in His law"
4. "forgot His deeds and His miracles"
B. (:12-16) Miracles of Deliverance
1. Miracles in the land of Egypt (to force Pharoah to let the people go)
these are described in more detail in vs. 42-53
2. Miracle in dividing the Red Sea
3. Miracle of leading them
with the cloud by day
with a light of fire by night
4. Miracle of providing water from a rock
C. (:17-20) Failure to Trust and Obey
Has God just delivered us to leave us out in the wilderness to die?
Putting God to the test: "by asking food according to their (selfish) desire"
Challenging God to provide bread and meat just as He had provided water
D. (:21-22) Anger of God Kindled
II. (:23-) SECOND LESSON OF HISTORY:
MIRACLE OF PROVISION IN THE WILDERNESS WANDERINGS
A. Question: How can a window of God’s blessing also be a rod of God’s discipline?
B. Miracles of Abundant Provision
1. Bread from heaven: manna = "bread of angels"
2. Meat from heaven: winged fowl
God gave them what they wanted until they were sick of it
C. Failure to Trust and Obey
"they still sinned"
"they did not believe in His wonderful works"
D. Anger of God Kindled
killed some of their best people
(:34-39) ASIDE: GOD’S DISCIPLINE ALWAYS TEMPERED BY COMPASSION
A. (:34-35) Hard Times bring about Repentance
B. (:36-37) Repentance was never Complete or Lasting
C. (:38-39) God’s Compassion saved His people from Total Destruction
"remembered that they were but flesh"
(:40-53) EXPANDED DETAILS ABOUT THE MIRACLES SURROUNDING REDEMPTION FROM EGYPT
A. (:40-41) Overview
Israel’s repeated failures are even more painful to God in light of the abundance of miracles He performed on their behalf
What is it that Israel failed to remember?
B. (:42-53) Further Details about the Miracles of Deliverance from Egypt
III. (:54-64) THIRD LESSON OF HISTORY:
MIRACLE OF CONQUERING THE PROMISED LAND OFFSET BY
THE FUTILITY OF THE CAPTURING OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
A. Question: How could a nation not remain loyal to a God who had done so much for them?
B. (:54-55) Miracle of Conquering the Promised Land
1. God brought them to the land He had set aside for them
2. God drove out the other nations who were living in the land
3. God divided up the land as a permanent inheritance for the 12 tribes
C. (:56-58) Failure to Trust and Obey - especially surprising in light of all that God had done for them
1. Disobedience
"they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God"
"they did not keep His testimonies"
2. Unfaithfulness
"they turned back and acted treacherously"
"they turned aside like a treacherous bow"
3. Idolatry
"they provoked Him with their high places"
"aroused His jealousy with their graven images"
D. (:59-64) God’s Anger Kindled.(:65-72)
CONCLUSION: FUTURE HOPE RESTS ON THE SHEPHERDING
LEGACY OF KING DAVID
* * * * * * * * * *
DEVOTIONAL QUESTIONS:
1) Do you consider the historical portions of God’s revelation to be dry and difficult to digest? Do you know how to look for analogies between the experiences of the OT saints and the temptations and difficulties that face us today?
2) Remember the importance of oral tradition for a people that did not have the type of access to books that we have. Have we been faithfully passing down the record of God’s dealings in history to our children (the next generation)? Certainly it is valuable to read
the stories aloud; but it is also valuable to retell the stories in our own words as vividly as possible – making the applications and highlighting the points that we feel would be most helpful.
3) What is the difference, if any, between the stubbornness shown by Pharoah in refusing to submit to God despite the power of the plagues and our own stubbornness in continuing to fall into cycles of disobedience and need for discipline?
4) What attributes of God are featured in this psalm? Note the intensity with which these attributes are portrayed.
Download the entire Psalms commentary in pdf format
(including notes on each psalm from other commentators)
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