March 2012 – Page 3 – Old Testament Survey

Psalm 78

We need to take into consideration the God who is actively involved in our history. We need to record His work and use that material to remember Him, to praise Him, and to have a foundation for greater faith as we move forward in our history. Do you journal?

Psalm 78

This historical psalm was written by Asaph to remind the Israelites of their heritage and God’s faithfulness. It is a Maskil or a teaching brought before the people on an annual basis. It is good to regularly remember what God has done for us, through us, and to us whether in discipline or blessing.

This psalm provides facts that enable us to learn from the God who created history. When we recall 1 Samuel 4, the nation of Israel was spiritually and politically dead after Eli died. This is evidence in this psalm, verses 59-64.

This psalm also covers other periods in the life of Israel:

Moses (78.5–54)
Joshua (78.55)
the judges (78.56–64)
the kings (78.65–72)

People have not changed over the years. We still rebel against God. As the opening of this Psalm remind us, we need to be faithful to God’s Word in our households (1–8) and our leaders need to be faithful (70–72). We may not be able to do much about the leaders except pray. But, we can be faithful in our home. How are you helping you family remain faithful?

Psalm 77

Will God leave me?
Will God never grant His goodness to men?
Will God cease to show His mercy?
Will God fail to keep His promises?
Will God forsake grace?
Will God, in anger, refuse to bless His chosen?

Psalm 77

This is another psalm of Asaph with a secondary ascription provided, it is according to Jeduthun (Psalm 39, 62, and 89). It can be divided into four parts: sighing (1–3), sinking (4–9), singing (10–15), and soaring (16–20).

Verses 1-3-Asaph is in distress. He is crying out to God with outstretched hand seeing direction and help.

Selah-In your troubles, where do you go? To whom do you turn?

Verses 4-9-God will use sleepless nights to draw us closer to Him, to have us contemplate our purpose and worldview, even to have us struggle with sin both known and unknown. During these times we scream out to God and wonder if He has forgotten His promises to us (2 Peter 3.8-9). When we are in these circumstances we need to remember what He has done or else we will begin to think He is who He is not. Remember, one felt need not met will distort our view of all other needs being met. When we ponder Him, we bring our understanding of Him back to what the Scripture states about Him. In this chapter, He is holy and great (13).

Asaph provides six questions whose answers are ridiculous when the nature of God is known. However, these questions are always on the minds of those who do not know the God presented in the Bible.

Will God leave me?
Will God never grant His goodness to men?
Will God cease to show His mercy?
Will God fail to keep His promises?
Will God forsake grace?
Will God, in anger, refuse to bless His chosen?

Selah-Ponder those times when God creates restlessness for you. When you are awakened at night, do you fight it off and go back to bed or do you wrestle with what God is doing?

Verses 10-15-Asaph remembers to recall the goodness of God in a situation such as these. When we are struggling, it is good to recall what God has done in prior years. In this Psalm, it is what God did during the Exodus (a thousand years prior).

It is in verse ten that Asaph answers the questions from verses 7-9. He realizes that God does not change! It was Asaph’s false perspective of the circumstances that brought this line of questioning. All the answers to these questions and the questions themselves are found to be absurd in light of the truth of whom God is. This is Isaiah’s argument too (Isaiah 55.7-9).

Selah-Asaph made a conscious choice to remember. Journaling is a conscious choice to do something to recall. It is a wonderful method of being able to recall what God has done in your life. Knowing what He has done through your ancestors is also a means of remembering God’s continual faithfulness to you. Why not pick up this habit today?

Verses 16-20-The recalling of Exodus 14 is poetic. God’s work is unseen for a moment then it rushes through and we see He was there all the time. When these verses are read in connection with the previous verses, we gather the idea that God’s ways are not thwarted by man’s interventions. God is God.

My testimony from the late 1980s into the early 1990s is reflected in these verses. In days to come, I may add this to these posts.

Psalm 73

The wealthy and those who are at ease in this life are living on a slippery slope leading to destruction. The condition of the United States in this era (post 2008) is evidence of this truth. In a moment of time the nation went from apparent wealth and ease to devastation and poverty.

Psalm 73

A psalm written by Asaph. This Psalm is quite like Psalm 37 and Psalm 49 (see comments on Psalm 49).

The psalm is written as a teaching poem. It begins with temptation (1-3), description of the wicked (4-14), the wicked will perish (15-20), uncertainty (21-24), victory (25-26), destruction of the wicked (27), and trust in God (28).

Verses 1-3-Asaph recognizes that God is good both in the opening and closing verses. He begins and ends with the goodness of God. However, in-between he reminds us of ourselves. We are tempted to be envious of those who have more than us. We see the grass as always greener in someone else’s house. We covet, envy, and forget that God is indeed good. When we see a desire or a felt need not being met, it is quite easy to forget all the blessings we have due to the focus on the one thing that is missing. Most cases of adultery begin this way.

Verses 4-14-Although Asaph sees the wicked, he is still envious of them. He sees their life of ease and his harsh life and seeks their existence (cf. Malachi 3.13-15). Verses 11-12 show the perversity of their minds. They presume they can hide their sin from God, if there is such a being.

These verses depict not merely the corrupt but those who laud them as celebrity. The people praise the very ones who cause them grief. This is the United States today.

Verses 15-20-Asaph regains focus, not on what he does not have but on who has him. When we are perplexed over the issues of life and its seeming injustice, we need to spend time in God’s presence in order to regain an understanding of who He is and who we are in Him.

Verses 21-28-When we are embittered by the successes of those around us, we need to be reminded of who God is in this world. As we draw near to Him, we gain a better perspective on this life. James 4.8 promises that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.

Chris Tomlin’s song “I Will Rise” is good to listen to (it contains verse 26).

1 Chronicles 5

We need to remember that the battle is the Lord’s battle, not ours. We are to be prepared for war (Ephesians 6.10-17), we are to be actively involved in faith (1 John 4.4 and 5.4), but the victory is always His (cf. verse 22).

1 Chronicles 5 (Genesis 46.8-9)

This chapter is a continuation of the genealogies from chapters one, two, three, and four (read these short accounts to gain a perspective on these lists). This list contains the descendants of Reuben (1-10), Gad (11-22), and the half-tribe of Manasseh (23-26). Joshua 13 informs us that these were the tribes who settled on the eastern shore of the Jordan River.

Although Reuben was the firstborn, he sinned against his father Jacob (Israel) by sleeping with Jacob’s concubine (Genesis 35.22 and 49.3-4). This was tantamount to desiring to take Jacob’s place. This will be shown in the study in 2 Samuel 1. Since Joseph was the firstborn of the wife Jacob loved (Rachel), he was given the place of firstborn. Verse ten reminds us that God did take care of the descendants of Hagar as God promised to do (Genesis 25.12-18). See verses 18-22 in this chapter for a reference to the Hagarites.

Because of Manasseh’s exposure to and allowance of the idolatry of the nations that surrounded them, they gave into idolatry. Because of this, God judged them through the nation of Assyria and they were carried away into captivity by Tiglath-Pileser (745-727). The Assyrian Captivity will be developed in a later post (2 Kings 15.29).

This needs more research and it will be done at a later time.

1 Chronicles 4

This is a continuation of the genealogies from chapters one, two, and three (read these short accounts to gain a perspective on these lists). This list contains the descendants of Judah (1-23) and the descendants of Simeon (24-43).

1 Chronicles 4

This list contains one name with narrative, Jabez (whose name means Sorrow). Bruce Wilkinson wrote a short treatise on prayer from these verses (9-10). Dr. William E. Arp wrote “The Prayer of Jabez: The Bible and the Book” as an analysis of the book.

The list also contains a reference to the mixing of blood between Egyptians and Israelites (17). Genesis reminds us that this was sin (Genesis 35.22 and 49.3-4).

The tribe of Simeon was so small that it was enveloped by Judah’s territory.

This needs more research and it will be done at a later time. Need to place a map of the twelve tribes.

1 Chronicles 3

This chapter is the genealogy of David (1-9) through Solomon (10-24). It can also be looked at as a list of the kings from David’s family before the exile (1-16) and after the exile (17-24). This short list suggests that the Chronicles were written shortly after the exiles returned from Babylon.

1 Chronicles 3 (Matthew 1.6-12)

As with 1 Chronicles 1 and 1 Chronicles 2, we find this to be a normal list of people who set the stage for the greater people in the list. We might not be the great people of history, but without us the great people of history would not be the great people of history. However God has placed you in this world (Acts 17.26), rejoice in it for it is to fulfill His purpose and is for His glory.

One of the oddities of this chapter is the last name, Anani. He was considered to be the coming Messiah according to the Targum. Another oddity, which displays God’s creativity, is Jeconiah. His line is cursed and Jeremiah 22.24-30 prophesies that no man from him will reign. Yet, Jesus is from the house of David. How does God work this out? Updates will come.

This needs more research and it will be done at a later time.

Psalm 87

This psalm calls us to consider how blessed we are in being chosen by God to be the place He dwells. Have you thanked Him for doing that? Do so, now

Psalm 87

Another psalm of the Korahites possibly written after the exile (see Isaiah 4.3).

Verses 1-3-The writer proclaims God’s love for Jerusalem. He maintains that God loves the city because He was its founder (1 Kings 11.13). And because it is the home of the Temple where God’s glory is manifest.

Selah-We are called to pause in order to reflect on where God now dwells. As Christians, He dwells in us. He has made us into His Temple for all to see and hear our holy praise of Him (1 Corinthians 6.18-20). How are you doing? Have you spoken glorious things because of God? Have others spoken glorious things of God because of you?

Verses 4-6-The one born in and who lives in Jerusalem have been chosen and blest by God and noticed by others (see Isaiah 4.3). The Rahab mentioned here is not the harlot (Joshua 2.3-11) and ancestor of David and Jesus (Matthew 1) but represents Egypt (the Hebrew spelling is pointed differently and has different spelling [for Egypt-רַהַב and for the harlot- רָחָב] (Isaiah 30.7).

Selah-We are called to pause in order to reflect on where we are born. If we are believers, we have been born again into the Temple wherein He dwells. He records our name in His Book of Life. He had established this before the foundations of the world.

Verse 7-Springs represent salvation (Isaiah 12.3), which is only found in God.

This psalm calls us to consider how blessed we are in being chosen by God to be the place He dwells. Have you thanked Him for doing that? Do so, now.

Psalm 85

The writer wants us to pause and think about how God has restored us and has forgiven us of our sins. Pause, take a moment, and meditate on what God has done for you. As a Christian we have much to be thankful for; so, what are you thankful for in terms of what God has done for you?

Psalm 85

The origins of this psalm are unknown. What can be determined in context is that it was written after the Babylonian Captivity because the author refers to God’s wrath being removed (3), the desolation of the land (12), and the need for God to restore it for the people (13).

Again it is written by a Korahite (as mentioned in Psalm 44). It is played on the Gittith. This psalm of national lament can be divided into three parts.

Verses 1-3-The writer is expressing his thanks to God for delivering them from the Babylonian Captivity and forgiving their sins.

Selah-The writer wants us to pause and think about how God has restored us and has forgiven us of our sins. Pause, take a moment, and meditate on what God has done for you. As a Christian we have much to be thankful for; so, what are you thankful for in terms of what God has done for you?

The writer then continues with what God has done in terms of showing His mercy by removing His discipline.

Verses 4-7-The writer knows the sins of the nation brought God’s discipline on them. He knows that until God restores them to their land and brings normalcy, the effects of God’s wrath are still on them. Until they are back in the land, until they are “revived” (given new life), until they have experienced God’s salvation, they still feel the effects of God’s discipline. He desires that God’s name be proclaimed because of what God has done (Habakkuk 3.2) not because of the sins of the people.

Verses 8-13-The anticipation of God’s answer is evident in verses 8-9. It is based on His Word (repentant people calling to Him) and His character. Isaiah 32.17 describes that closeness that righteousness and peace have with each other. There is no peace unless righteousness comes.

When we turn to God in repentance for our known sins, He restores right fellowship with Him. In doing this, He brings peace. As we dwell on what He has required, He is present, which is peace (Philippians 4.8-9).

Psalm 49

When the harp is laid down, we must ask ourselves the question that the psalmist and countless others have: Do we desire riches more than God? Do we desire luxury and ease more than character? If we do, we are headed for the grave and hell. If we do not, we will find God.

Psalm 49

The origins of this psalm are unknown. What is know is that it was written more as a sermon than a praise or a prayer. This psalm deals with the seeming inequities in the world in terms of monies and is similar yet more thorough than Psalm 37 and Psalm 73. Again it is written by a Korahite (as mentioned in Psalm 44). According to the inscription, it was to be sung. This should remind us that we are to sing psalms, hymns, and teach one another with melodies (Colossians 3.15-17). This psalm is also quite similar to the book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in form.

This sermon can be divided into an introduction (1-4), three main points (5-9, 10-12, and 13-15), and a conclusion (16-20).

Verses 1-4-The writer calls for all people to listen to his words. He allows us to see that he has pondered his words and meditated on them a great deal. He has done so enough that he has been able to set them to music. He has been able to provide a solution to an enigma that has plagued the godly for generations. He is going to shed light on the darkness of the understanding of God’s people. He begins his sermon with a pluck of the harp.

Verses 5-9-The writer tells us that wealth cannot save. This is the point of the message. It is also a matter of concern for Jesus. In Mark 10.23-24 and Matthew 16.24-27, He presents this truth to a perplexed group of disciples. We all will die, the rich and the poor, no one will live beyond the time given them by God.

Verses 10-12-These verses are reminiscent of Ecclesiastes as Solomon provides insight into death. All people will die. The fool and the wise, all men are mortal and all will perish like the animals. When we die, we will not be able to cling to our wealth. The grave becomes our home.

Verses 13-15-Jesus points the truth of verse 13 to his disciples as He taught them in Luke 12.20.

Selah -The writer wants us to pause and consider the truth of this and the previous verses. If we all perish, the rich and the poor, what good does it to envy the rich outside of temporary ease and luxury in this life?

The writer continues to describe what will happen to those who trust in wealth and those who trust in God (Matthew 6.24-34). He points out that death will consume those who trust in their riches and that God will ransom or resurrect those who trust in Him.

Selah -The writer wants us to pause and consider the truth of these two verses. It is here the doctrine of the resurrection is presented. It is not a well-known doctrine in the Old Testament. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection because it was not developed enough in the Torah for them to accept it. It is not full developed until Jesus is resurrected and Paul teaches it in 1 Corinthians 15. Depending on how you looked at the first pause above, this should be an eye-opener. The life we live on this earth is short and incomparable to the life we will live throughout eternity. If the momentary pleasures of this world are what you are seeking, you might just miss out on the eternal pleasures of the next world in God’s presence. If you seek God’s presence today, He may bless you with riches or not (see Matthew 6 above). But, He will bless you with eternity with Him. Then, these light and momentary afflictions we experience will seem trivial in light of what He has prepared for us (2 Corinthians 4.16-18).

Verses 16-20-The writer concludes his sermon with a reminder of all that was said. He wants us to ponder: Does it really matter if others become wealthy? When all has been said and done, will it matter that they had wealth for a moment in time? These verses should remind you of the passage from Luke (see above) and Ecclesiastes 3.19.

Psalm 84

Would you rather be in church than outside playing sports, watching sports, or making money? If so, you can understand the longings of the writer.

Psalm 84

The origins of this psalm are unknown. What is known is that it was written before the captivity because the author is in the Temple (verses 1-4, 10) and there is a king on the throne (verse 9). Again it is written by a Korahite (as mentioned in Psalm 44). However, the Syriac version of this Psalm points to David as its author. It is also quite similar to Psalm 63, which is known to have been penned by David. If David did write this Psalm, it could have been written when he was exiled from Jerusalem by his son Absalom and it was his longing to return to Jerusalem to partake in the worship in the Temple. It is played on the Gittith.

This psalm of blessings can be divided into three parts of four verses each with a pause at the end of the first two stanzas.

Verses 1-4-The first blessing is for those who live in the Temple. The Korahites were the gatekeepers of the Temple. They would have resided in the Temple. The phrasing implies that even though they lived there, it would never be enough. They would always desire more opportunity to praise God in His Temple. The sparrows were known for building their nests around this area and would be found in the Temple too. If the sparrows built around God’s altar, it seems more appropriate for believers to do so.

Selah -The writer wants us to pause and consider the truth of this and the previous verses. Is it your desire to be in His presence all day long? Jesus tells us it is possible in John 4.23-24 and Matthew 28.18-20. Do you live life as a worship to Him (Romans 12.1-2).

Verses 5-8-The second blessing is for those who come to the Temple. It is not merely enough to go to the Temple (or attend church), it is necessary to trust in God in order to have strength. It is here that we are reminded of the truth given by Jesus in Matthew 16.24-27. If we seek Him, all else is cared for by Him.

The Valley of Baca is translated as Gehenna in the Targum, which is a ravine just outside of Jerusalem (Valley of Hinom-1 and Valley of Hinom-2). It is a desolate place and is referred to by Jesus as equal to Hell (Mark 9.42-48).

Selah-The writer wants us to pause and consider the truth of this and the previous verses. Is it your desire to be in His presence all day long to gain strength and blessings because you decided to be with Him? We are to do this even though life might be hard.

Verses 9-12-The third blessing is for those who trust in the Lord of the Temple. God is the protector, the shield to those who seek Him. When we seek Him, our longings are filled (verses 1-2 are fulfilled in verses 10-12).

Would you rather be in church than outside playing sports, watching sports, or making money? If so, you can understand the longings of the writer.

The psalm ends the way it began: O Lord of Hosts. YHWH.

Before you leave, listen to “Better is One Day” by Kutless. Or, “Better is One Day in Your Courts” by Chris Tomlin.