Psalms Lesson #06/P3

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PSALMS 77
Lesson #06/P3
THE VALUE OF THE SANCTUARY

• Memory Verse: Psa 77:13
• SUBTITLE: “TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN, TO JEDUTHUN, A PSALM OF ASAPH”
  • JEDUTHUN WAS THE CHIEF MUSICIAN IN THE TEMPLE WORSHIP. THIS SONG WAS WRITTEN FOR HIM TO EITHER SING OR TO PLAY.
• READ PSA 77:1-20
  • GOD’S LISTENING EAR: (1-2)
    • THROUGH THE BIBLE, GOD CONTINUALLY ENCOURAGES US TO TELLS US THAT HE LISTENS TO A BELIEVER’S PRAYERS AND ATTENDS TO HIS PETITIONS.
      • NOTICE THAT MAN USUALLY SEEKS GOD WHEN HE HAS PROBLEMS.
      • MANY PEOPLE WILL NEVER PAY ATTENTION TO GOD IN GOOD TIMES. THIS TELLS US WHY GOD OFTEN PERMITS PROBLEMS IN OUR LIVES.

 

• “…my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.”

 

(2)
• THE SORE ASAPH SPEAKS OF IS PROBABLY NOT A PHYSICAL WOUND BUT A WOUND TO HIS SOUL.

 

• “I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”

 

(3)
• SELAH:
  • IF WE STOP AND THINK ABOUT THE PREVIOUS STATEMENT, WE SEE A VERY HUMAN SITUATION. ASAPH WAS EXPERIENCING SITUATIONS IN HIS LIFE THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND. HE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT GOD WAS DOING IN HIS LIFE AND WAS LEFT TROUBLED. HE EXPRESSED HIS COMPLAINTS TO GOD, BUT THAT DID NOT SATISFY HIM.
  • AFTER THE SELAH, WE SEE THAT ASAPH SAYS HIS EYES ARE GLUED TO GOD EVEN THOUGH HE IS WEIGHED DOWN BY TROUBLE HE CANNOT SPEAK. (4)
    • IT IS TIMES LIKE THIS THAT WHERE WE NEED OUR FAITH TO STEP IN WHERE UNDERSTANDING IS LACKING TO FILL THE GAP.
• THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS:
  • ASAPH TELLS US WHERE HE SEEKS ANSWERS FOR HIS TROUBLED SPIRIT:

 

• “the days of old, the years of ancient times”

 

(5)
• HE SEARCHED THE WORD OF GOD TO DISCOVER HOW GOD DEALT WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THE PAST.
  • THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO DISCOVER WHAT GOD IS DOING IN YOUR LIFE FOR HUMAN NATURE HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE CREATION AND GOD’S PRINCIPLES HAVE NOT CHANGED.

 

• “my spirit made diligent search”

 

(6)
• ASAPH IS DETERMINED TO FIND ANSWERS IN HIS SPIRIT.
  • FOR THE BELIEVER, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS RESIDENT IN THE BELIEVER’S SPIRIT. IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT GUIDES THE BELIEVER INTO ALL TRUTH. (JOH 14:17 JOH 16:13)
• THE SONG IN THE NIGHT (6)
  • IT IS DURING THE NIGHT HOURS THAT PROBLEMS APPEAR TO BE THEIR BIGGEST, MOST HOPELESS, AND INSURMOUNTABLE. IT IS AT NIGHT THAT THE ENEMY DOES HIS DARKEST WORK IN OUR MINDS.
  • ASAPH’S SOLUTION WAS TO SING A SONG.
    • LIKE ASAPH, PERSONALLY I FIND THAT A MEMORIZED FAVORITE PSALM IS OF MUCH HELP DURING SLEEPLESS NIGHTS.
• PERIODS OF DOUBT (8-9)

 

• “Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.”

 

• IF WE STOP AND THINK ABOUT THE STATEMENT THAT PROCEEDS THE “SELAH”, WE MUST CONCLUDE BY FAITH THAT GOD’S MERCY AND GRACE WILL NEVER FAIL. EVEN WHEN SITUATIONS SEEM TO BE THEIR DARKEST, WE MUST NOT LET THE LIES OF THE ENEMY PERSUADE US THAT GOD IS NOT FAITHFUL.
• THE SOLUTION TO ASAPH’S PROBLEM: (10-12)

 

• “…but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”

 

(10-11)
• HERE IS FAITH AT WORK:
  • STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH BY REMEMBERING THE SPECIFIC TIMES WHEN THE LORD WORKED TO FAVOR YOU.
  • STRENGHTEN YOUR FAITH BY REMEMBERING THE MIRACLES THAT HE DID FOR YOU IN THE PAST.
  • TALK ABOUT THE MARVELLOUS THINGS GOD HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE.
    • THERE IS AN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH THAT OCCURS IN THE HEART WHEN A PERSON HEARS WORDS OF FAITH FROM HIS OWN MOUTH.
• OF WHAT VALUE IS THE CHURCH EXPERIENCE TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?

 

• “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?”

 

(13)
• ASAPH TELLS US TO STAY IN FELLOWSHIP IN THE CHURCH BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE WE FIND ANSWERS TO LIFE’S PROBLEMS AND THIS IS WHERE WE FIND ENCOURAGEMENT AND STRENGTH IN THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE.
  • OTHER BELIEVERS HAVE THEIR OWN TESTIMONIES OF GOD’S MARVELOUS WORKS, HIS MIRACLES, AND HIS FAITHFULNESS. IN THIS WAY, OTHER BELIEVERS CAN ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE WEAK. (14)
  • OFTEN WHEN PROBLEMS COME IN LIFE, THE FIRST REACTION OF A BELIEVER IS TO STAY AWAY FROM CHURCH. MANY PEOPLE ARE ASHAMED THAT THEIR FAITH IS WEAK AND THEY DON’T WANT OTHERS TO KNOW THEY HAVE PROBLEMS. THIS IS OPPOSITE OF WHAT A BELIEVER SHOULD DO IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
    • GOD;S TESTIMONY IS IN THE CHURCH. THIS IS WHERE WE MUST RUN FOR ENCOURAGEMENT.
      • READ HEB 10:24-25

 

• “Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.”

 

(15)
• ANOTHER “SELAH” TELLS US THAT IT IS AMONG THE REDEEMED PEOPLE OF GOD THAT THE WEAK BELIEVER WILL FIND TESTIMONIES OF GOD’S GREATEST MIRACLES.
  • THE NEW BIRTH EXPERIENCE IS GOD’S GREATEST MIRACLE. THE PROCESS OF REDEMPTION THAT FORGIVES SIN AND CHANGES A LIFE IS PROOF THAT CHRIST IS THE ALMIGHTY GOD AND PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN MAN’S LIFE.
  • VERSES 16 AND 19 REFER TO GOD’S MIRACLE AT THE RED SEA WHEN THE ISRAELITES PASSED OVER ON DRY GROUND.
    • GOD TOOK THEM THROUGH THE RED SEA OUT OF EGYPT BY THE DIRECTION OF MOSES AND AARON.

HOMEWORK
PSALMS 78
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF PSA 77
  • FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT IS YOUR FIRST REACTION WHEN PROBLEMS OVERWHELM YOU?
  • WHAT ADVICE FROM THIS PSALM WILL HELP YOU THE NEXT TIME YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A HOPELESS FRAME OF MIND?

 

• PRPARATION FOR PSA 78
• READ PSA 78:1-72
  • WHAT PRINCIPLES GIVE US INSTRUCTION IN DIRECTING OUR CHILDREN TO GOD?

 

• MEMORY VERSE: PSA 78:35