Sunday, July 3, 2011 pm
STUDIES IN PSALMS
“In the day of my trouble, I sought the Lord”
PSALM 77
a.
Typical of the majority
of psalms, this one opens as a prayer to God.
It fact it is a crying out loudly to God.
This is descriptive of a time of serious trouble.
As you consider, even if you are alone, you open your mouth and
cry out to God for help.
b.
He gave ear to me.
(NASU), “He will hear me.”
Remember always that God hears the prayers of His people.
NOTE that his world is falling apart around him.
It is not that he has personally done wrong, but he is still
concerned about the wellbeing of his environment
As we consider the plight of the world paying for the
consequences of its greed and ungodliness, does it move us to spiritual
grief. As we are suffering
personal consequences because of the world, what is our spiritual
attitude?
c.
Vs. 2 describes this as
a disturbing thought that he is dwelling on and cannot seem to let it
go.
i.
IT bothers him night and
day. It disturbs his sleep
and comfort.
ii.
In fact, it says his
soul refused to be comforted – we face those times when we want to vent
a little and we want to consider our plight.
Something is on our minds and we cannot seem to get it out.
Perhaps its anger or extreme distress.
You want the troubles you are considering to sink in.
You WANT to be angry or bitter (if but for a few moments)
Usually, such is not a good thing.
Consider Jonah, who after Nineveh repented was bitter (Jonah
4:1). OR Rachel, refusing to
be comforted (a prophecy anticipating Herod’s slaughter of innocent male
infants – Jer. 31:15, Matt. 2:18) OR Job, whose physical ailments made
it virtually impossible to rest – we find some words of bitterness
throughout that book.
iii.
BE CAREFUL in such times
that you don’t blame God OR reject His comfort offered to you.
d.
NOTE whom he turns to –
“In the day of my trouble, I sought the Lord…” (vs. 2a)
i.
Vs. 3 – he thinks of God
and is troubled (disturbed) and complains (sighs).
ii.
In this psalm we will
see one who remembers God.
a.
Vs. 4 describes how he
cannot sleep as he contemplates whatever it is.
He is at a loss for words.
NOTE: Thankfully at times like this, we have one who knows exactly what
to say (Rom. 826)
b.
Vs. 5-6 “I have
considered the days of old…I call to remembrance.”
His recall of the past will lead to his turn around in attitude.
His recall included similar times of distress (apparently he got
through them).
Years ago, Spurgeon recorded the following outline for obtaining comfort
in times of affliction
1) The consideration of God’s
goodness to his people of old.
History can be a great source of comfort, especially when it is
God’s history.
2) Remembrance of our own past
experience
3) Self-examination
4) The diligent study of the
word.[1]
LESSON: Consider the
benefit of scriptural history.
IT is one of the legitimate uses of the Old Testament. Rom. 15:4,
“Whatever things were written before were written for our learning…”
1 Cor. 10:11, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and
they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages
have come.”
c.
Vs. 7-9 - Questions of
contemplation. Here we find
a series of questions about the permanence of what the author is seeing.
He is asking if this is the end for Israel.
As he asks these questions he is either 1) thinking that this is the end
or 2) contemplating how God in times past had dealt with His people.
I choose to believe it is the latter because vs. 6 says he is
meditating on these things and his spirit is diligently searching for
answers. PLUS, when you
examine the rest of this psalm, he answers it for himself.
The answer to each of these questions is NO!
BUT, consider this.
IF this is an inquiry as Jerusalem is being invaded by Babylon, what
does Judah deserve? Who is
the one at fault?
a.
VS. 10-15 – General
observations of the greatness of God.
i.
This is my anguish,
(grief or infirmity) – he is troubled and needs to come to grips with
his troubles. NOTE that he
acknowledges WHERE the problem is – him, NOT God!
ii.
How does he come to
grips?
1.
I will remember the
years of the right hand of the Most High.
The mention of years means a thorough history of God’s right hand
at work – not just a single event. Sometimes our assessment of the
overall picture is clouded by a single event.
We base our entire outlook on a single battle rather than the
whole war. The
direction we choose to take is greatly influenced by knowing the
difference. In other words,
you can’t give up just because you lost the battle.
Look at the BIG picture.
Like Paul at the end of his life, (2 Tim. 3:11, “Out of them all
the Lord delivered me.”)
2.
I will remember the
works of the Lord and His wonders of old.
Israel had a rich history of God’s hand at work – from the
plagues in Egypt, the Red Sea, Mt. Sinai, the Jordan, Jericho, the
Midianites (Gideon), David and Goliath, the miracles of Elijah, etc.
3.
I will MEDITATE on ALL
His works and TALK of His deeds.
Will we by faith consider the reality of these things when faced
with discouragments?
Here is one who says, “I’ll never forsake my Lord.”
4.
“Your way, O God, is in
the sanctuary. FRIENDS, this
is where the answers are – in His presence!
Israel needed to worship God according to His dictates.
It was in the sanctuary that Israel met with God to deal with
their sins. IT was here that
judgments and statutes were enforced and taught.
We NEED to go where God is for answers – His word, His church, His
people, His presence (in prayer).
WE have visited this theme in times past:
Psa. 27:4, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek; That
I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold
the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”
Psa. 63:2, “So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power
and Your glory.”
Psa. 73:17, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood
their end.”
5.
There is none as great
as He is. AMEN!
6.
HE has done (and will
do) wonders and declared His strength among the people
7.
He has with power
redeemed his people, the children of Israel (Jacob and Joseph).
In summary, the author notes God’s salvation in times past.
He will appeal to one
of the greatest examples of this in the concluding verses of this psalm.
b.
Vs. 16-20 – God’s
deliverance of Israel from Egypt
i.
In these verses, Asaph
remembers the Red Sea crossing.
It represented so much.
IT was such a powerful event, that “the whole earth” heard of it.
In Joshua 2:10 where Rahab tells the two spies, “For we have
heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you
came out of Egypt…” we see this confirmed.
ii.
Note how this marvelous
event is recorded (and perhaps others alluded to).
1.
Waters trembled at the
sight of Him – what a powerful, divine description of what happened!
2.
Vs. 17-18 are
interesting because these details are not mentioned in Exodus 14 or
elsewhere concerning the Red Sea crossing.
But that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
I can picture the tempest as the seas closed upon the Egyptians
as they pursued Israel through that sea.
I can see a sudden and powerful storm with lightening and wind
and terrible crushing waves (but I can’t prove it).
We know His greatness was also demonstrated in the flood (clouds pouring
out water), and at Mt. Sinai (thunderings and lightenings), and His
voice like thunder (Ex. 20:18-20, 19:16-18).
3.
His ways were in the sea
– ONLY God could do this! It
was certainly “the hand of God” at work.
4.
“Your footsteps were not
known.” Who can know the way
of the Lord? Who can control
Him or question Him?
Rom 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding
out!”
5.
Israel was led as a
flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
God protected his people in the wilderness and beyond.
EXCEPT those who rejected Him.
And could that not also be descriptive of the occasion upon which
our psalmist speaks?
[1] THE
TREASURY OF DAVID PC
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