BIG IDEA:
GOD GUIDES HIS COVENANT PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THEIR
PILGRIMAGE TO POSSESS HIS PROMISES
I. (:1-7) THE HEART SONG OF GOD’S COVENANT PEOPLE
Who is addressed here as God’s covenant people?
"seed of Abraham" = "His servant"
"O sons of Jacob" = "His chosen ones"
What should be their Heart Song?
A. Praise Him with a Spirit of Thanksgiving
"give thanks to the Lord"
"Sing to Him, sing praises to Him "
B. Seek the Lord with a Spirit of Gladness
"call upon His name"
"Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad"
"Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually"
C. Testify to His Deeds and Character
"Make known His deeds among the peoples"
"Speak of all His wonders"
"Glory in His holy name"
"Remember His wonders which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth"
Why is God deserving of this type of recognition"
"He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth"
II. (:8-15) THE SOLID FOUNDATION OF GOD’S COVENANT PROMISES = THE BIRTH OF GOD’S COVENANT PEOPLE
A. The Covenant Made with Abraham
"To you I will give the land of Canaan As the portion of your inheritance"
1. "To you" -- privilege of being the chosen children of God
2. "give" -- privilege of receiving a gracious gift
3. "the land of Canaan" -- the goodness of the gift
4. "inheritance" -- privilege of inheritance
B. The Nature of the Covenant = Promise
"the word" of God
"commanded" by God
"His oath"
"a statute" of God
C. The Covenant Confirmed to Isaac and Jacob/Israel
D. The Covenant Not Time Restricted
"He has remembered His covenant forever"
"The word which He commanded to a thousand generations"
"To Israel as an everlasting covenant"
E. The Covenant Ambitious in its Scope
How could a great nation come from one man (Abraham), or from "a few men in number"? "Very few"!
How could they end up possessing a land to which they did not even have squatter’s rights? "strangers in it "
How could they end up as possessing and inheriting this land when they had no home to call their own? "they wandered about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people"
F. The Covenant People Protected by the King of Kings
"He permitted no man to oppress them"
"He reproved kings for their sakes"
"Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm "
III. (:16-24) THE INCUBATOR STAGE IN THE STRENGTHENING OF GOD’S COVENANT PEOPLE
God uses seemingly hopeless circumstances to test and refine His people for
greater fruitfulness and strength
A. The Problem of the Famine
"And He called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread"
B. The Problems Faced by Joseph
1. "sold as a slave" by his own brothers
2. falsely imprisoned and seemingly forgotten -- Situation looked Hopeless
the Lord’s timetable = the key
Key phrase: "the word of the Lord tested him".C. The Opportunities Granted to Joseph
"made him lord of his house"
"and ruler over all his possessions"
became the wise man over the king’s wise men
became the refuge for the children of Israel in the time of famine
D. The Results = Fruitfulness and Strength
1. Fruitfulness: "He caused His people to be very fruitful"
2. Strength: "And made them stronger than their adversaries"
IV. (:25-38) THE DELIVERANCE OF GOD’S COVENANT PEOPLE REQUIRED PLAGUES ON THEIR ENEMIES
A. Opposition from Enemies
1. Motivated by Hatred
2. Cloaked in Craftiness
B. Deliverance thru God’s Appointed Leaders
1. The Leaders
Moses = "His servant"
Aaron = "whom He had chosen"
2. The Method
"performed wondrous acts"
"miracles"
C. Deliverance thru The Plagues (not a complete listing)
1. Darkness
2. Blood
"turned their waters into blood, And caused their fish to die"
3. Frogs
"their land swarmed with frogs even in the chambers of their kings"
4. Flies / Gnats
5. Hail / Flaming Fire
"struck down their vines also and their fig trees,
and shattered the trees of their territory"
6. Locusts
"ate up all vegetation in their land,
And ate up the fruit of their ground"
7. First-born
"struck down all the first-born in their land,
the first fruits of all their vigor"
D. Deliverance Accompanied with Material Prosperity
"He brought them out with silver and gold"
V. (:39-44) THE COMPLETION OF THE PILGRIMAGE TO POSSESS THE COVENANT PROMISES
A. Guidance and Protection Thru the Wilderness Journey
1. "spread a cloud for a covering"
2. "fire to illumine by night "
B. Provision of Food and Water
1. Food
quail
manna = "the bread of heaven"
2. Water
"He opened the rock, and water flowed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river"
C. Faithfulness to His Promises
"He remembered His holy word with Abraham His servant"
D. Heart Song of Joy
"He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful shout"
E. Gift of the Promised Land
"He gave them also the lands of the nations,
That they might take possession of the fruit of the peoples’ labor"
(:45) CONCLUSION:
"So that they might keep His statutes, And observe His laws.
Praise the Lord!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
DEVOTIONAL QUESTIONS:
1) We are told to sing to the Lord and tell about all His miracles. Is there a benefit to others or to yourself, when you sing about what the Lord has done?
2) The sovereignty of God is evident in His control of people and their actions as well as His control over nature. When God allows you to suffer, do you take comfort in the fact of His sovereignty, or do you resent God for not being merciful towards you? Is it sinful to have feelings of doubt, despair and resentment when you are oppressed?
3) It seems God is no respector of persons in that he can choose the young to instruct the old and the prisoner to rule alongside a king. Are you hesitant to counsel an older and more experienced person? What would allow your counsel to be recognized as wise and
accepted?
4) Note the ultimate goal of obedience expressed at the end of the psalm. What is our response to deliverance and to prosperity and to the enjoyment of covenant blessings? Do we become complacent and sloppy in our walk with God or are we motivated to
higher levels of obedience?
Download the entire Psalms commentary in pdf format
(including notes on each psalm from other commentators)
from:
http://www.bibleoutlines.com
