Psalm 78: The Power of God’s Inspired Word! 1. God’s Plea to ‘His People’ Psalm 78:1-3

Text: “Give ear, O My people, to My law: incline your ears to the words of My mouth.”

Psalm 78:1.

          “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit (Capital S!) saith unto the churches.”

Revelation 2:29.

Good morning, Spiritually listening Christian!  You, like the author, have been blessed by the Lord God with what I call ‘ears on the heart’, the gift of being able to listen to what we read in our Bibles, or hear from pulpits of Bible-believing churches, and Spiritually discern the content – looking for the Lord Jesus in every sermon and reading of His Word, Old Testament and New, and glorying in the wonder of the ‘mind of Christ’ we have received. 

 God’s Word does not, therefore, go in one ear and out the other, but remains within our hearts, ready to be brought to remembrance by God the Holy Ghost, living within each true and regenerate Christian believer.  What a blessing it is to have a discerning ear to hear!

 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit (Capital S!) saith unto the churches.”  (Revelation 3:22) 

However, not all blessed with natural hearing abilities actually hear with the heart, and receive God’s precious gift of saving faith; faith to hear and believe, and receive faith to trust in Christ for Salvation; to know the exceeding sinfulness of our sin; Christ’s absolute righteousness; and the certainly of the fearful judgement to come upon all unbelievers! 

God, here in Psalm 78, is speaking to a particular people, ‘His people’, whom He has called by His grace, and promised to save from our sins, and grant us Christ’s Eternal Salvation.  He cries out, “Give ear, O My people…”

“And thou (Mary) shall bring forth a son, and thou (Joseph) shalt call His Name Jesus: for he shall save HIS PEOPLE from their sins.”  (Matthew 1:21)

This concept, general doctrine, is clearly taught and manifest for all Bible-believers to read in God’s inspired Word.  The Gospel message of Salvation from sin through the blessed Sacrifice of Christ upon that cruel Cross, is preached throughout the nations for all to audibly hear. 

However, the Word preached only profits those to whom the Lord God Almighty has elected to receive faith with which to truly believe, and receive Salvation in Christ alone, and for His glory alone.  Check it out, Reader!  Be a Berean!  Check everything for yourself from the written Word to see if it is indeed true.

“For unto us (those that would be saved) was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them (those who would never be saved): but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed (united by) faith in them that heard it.”  (Hebrews 4:2)

God’s gracious gift of believing faith is not imparted unto all, only those to whom He, in His Sovereign will has pre-ordained to receive such faith, and be gloriously saved from our sins. 

A GIFT is only given to those the GIVER personally decides to give it.  God is the Divine Giver of His gift of saving faith – He is completely Sovereign in His choice of recipients. “…Salvation is of the Lord!”  (Jonah 2:9b)

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from Above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  With His own will begat He us with the Word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.” (James 1:17-18)

“For by grace are ye saved though faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we (the saved) are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained (pre-ordained) that we should walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:8-10)

If this Bible truth has caused your heart to throb with love for the risen Christ Jesus – rest assured that Psalm 78 was written with YOU in mind, dear Christian friend.  Psalm 78 is our God’s plea to us, His chosen children.  Let’s you and I seek to listen with Spiritual ears.

Verse 1. “Give ear, O My people, to My law: incline your ears to the words of My mouth. When God gives His truth a tongue and sends forth His messengers trained to declare His Word with power, it is the least we can do to give them our ears and the earnest obedience of our hearts.  As the officer of an army commences his drill by calling for ‘attention’, even so every trained soldier of Christ is called to give ear to His words. Men lend their ears to music; more then should they listen to the harmonies of the Gospel; they sit enthralled in the Presence of an orator; how much rather should they yield to the eloquence of Heaven!” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 332)

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier o Jesus Christ.  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him Who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4)

“Inclining the ears does not denote any ordinary sort of hearing, but such as a disciple renders to the words of his master, with submission and reverence of mind, silent and earnest, that whatever is enunciated for the purpose of instruction may be heard and properly understood, and nothing be allowed to escape.”  (Wolfgang Musculus 1497-1563)

Thought: “Take My (Christ Jesus) yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and my burden (load) is light.”  (Matthew 11:29-30)

4. Seeing God’s Power brings Divine Joy Psalm 77:16-20

Text: “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old.  I will meditate (think a lot deeper and consider) also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings.”      Psalm 77:11-12.                                                                                     

 Good morning, heavy-hearted Christian!  At this point in time, as you go through whatever negative experience you are going through just now, you feel that your faith in God is to some degree faltering, unable to uphold you; threatening to desert you altogether!  The very fact that you are feeling this way, and thinking this way – only serves as yet another deep depression of your human soul; and you wish you could just flee from this particular fierce part of the Spiritual Battle, and find some respite from the inner and very real conflict.

If this gloomy aspect of life describes your position in personal circumstances this morning, have faith, beloved Christian friend – the Lord knows your plight and shall send His Divine comfort and strength to assist you real soon.  Wait assuredly for His Divine support.

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”  (Psalm 27:14)

Human sadness is the lot of each and every saint of God; each and every sinner blessed with Salvation in Christ Jesus; each and every soul that has been Eternally Redeemed by the precious Blood of the Lamb.  Fact.

In fact, if you and I are of the militant, continuously serving branch of Christianity – we are promised times of more profound suffering, for it is suffering for Christ’s dear sake, and thus, an integral aspect of the Spiritual Battle for souls and Christ’s Kingdom that we are called to undertake for His glory.

Remembering the works of the Lord God - denoted in Holy Scripture from Genesis to Revelation – and how He always grants His victory to ‘His people’, should soon lift us up from human sadness to Divine joy, even to realise that we are indeed, permitted to be soldiers in such a Spiritual and relentless conflict against Satan, the world, and the flesh.

Hear God’s Word to us this morning: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death (a loved one’s or are own!), nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:37-39)

This is God’s inspired (God-breathed) Word to us today – do we believe it?  Do we?

“God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent (say, and not do): hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?”  (Numbers 23:19

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  (Psalm 119:105)

After reading what I have above written, have you received this LIGHT?  Has it lightened the path of some of your sadness, bereavement, fear, dread, crippling anxieties?  It has mine in the writing of it!  I, too, get down.  I, too, get saddened.  I, too, become depressed from within.  I, too, receive oppressions from without!  No child of God escapes human sadness, if we are trying to live our redeemed lives for the risen Christ.  Human sadness is par for the course of Evangelical, Bible-believing, Christianity – and shall, I predict, become even worse as time goes on, and before the Appearing of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Toughen up, friend!  Lighten up, soldier!  The Battle is not ours but the Lords! Hallelujah!

Verse 16-17. “The waters saw Thee. But men do not see Thee.  The depths were troubled, but men say in their heart, “There is no God.”  The clouds poured out water, but men pour not out cries and tears unto God.  The skies send out a sound, but men say not, ‘Where is God, my Maker?”  (George Rogers, 1874)

Verse 20. “Thou leddest Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. What a transition for tempest to peace, from wrath to love!  Quietly as a flock, Israel was guided on, by human agency which veiled the excessive glory of the Divine Presence. The smiter of Egypt the Shepherd of Israel.  He drove His foes before Him but went before His people. Heaven and earth fought on His side against the sons of Ham, but they were equally subservient to the interests of the sons of Jacob. 

“Therefore, with devout joy and full of consolation we close this Psalm; the song of one who forgets how to speak and yet learned to sing far more sweetly than his fellows.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 331)

You see now, heavy-hearted Christian, how a new meditation on just Whom our Living Lord God is, and the Omnipotence of His Almighty power; and the sure promises He has made to us, ‘His people’ – should lift us up out of our human sadness, grief, bereavement, fear, dread, and trepidations, to rejoice once again in the joy of our Eternal Lord God and the Salvation He has given us, in His risen and holy, and glorious Son, Jesus Christ.

“Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His Holiness.  For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  (Psalm 30:4-5)

“The Psalmist has reached the climax of his strain, he has found relief from his sorrow by forcing his thoughts into another channel, by dwelling on all God’s mightiest wonders of old; and there he must end: in his present intensity of passion, he cannot trust himself to draw forth in detail any mere lessons of comfort. There are seasons when even the holiest faith cannot bear to listen to words of reasoning; though it can still find support whereon to rest, in the simple contemplation, in all their native grandeur, of the deeds that God hath wrought.” (Joseph Francis Thrupp,1826-1867)

Thought: Reminding ourselves often of the Almighty attributes of our Lord God and Saviour, can lift us up from all depths of human sadness, and grant us Divine joy.

3. God’s Attributes Confirms Our Faith Psalm 77:14-15

Text: “Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.  Thou hast with Thine arm redeemed Thy people the sons of Jacob and Joseph”

Psalm 77:14-15.

 Good morning, more fully confirmed Christian!  Our text-verse this morning reveals a threefold process that must always move our minds from human sadness to Divine joy.  We do well to consider this threefold declaration from God’s Word, and allow considerations and meditations of God’s attributes, to lift our regenerate, born again spirits, to a level of Spiritual joy most recognisable in fully confirmed, Bible-believing Christians. 

Our chosen text from Psalm 77: proceeds from an affirmation of Whom we are referring to at all times:  The Lord God Almighty, Jehovah, Creator of all things in Christ Jesus.

Verse 14. “Thou art the God that doest wonders.”:  The Lord God Almighty, Jehovah, is the Lord God that ‘…doest wonders…’, there is no other Lord God but Him.  His own Word declares this fact to all whom He, in His Divine Sovereignty, has chosen to have ears to hear, and to receive it into our hearts. 

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods (small g.) before Me.”  (Exodus 20:1-3)

It was the Lord God that quickened our dead spirits by His Holy Spiritual power, breathed life into our sin-sick souls; and granted us His gift of faith to believe and receive Christ Jesus as our Saviour and our blessed Lord.  The Lord God wrought the wonder of His quickening power, when He brought us from sin’s death, to Spiritual life in Christ.

“And you hath He quickened (made Spiritually alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins…Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:1;5)

There is no greater ‘wonder’ than to see a sinner, even a ‘chief among sinners’ like me, being transformed by the wonder of God’s miraculous grace in Christ Jesus.  All praise and honour and glory unto the Lord God Who alone doeth wonders to the children of men!  Hallelujah!

Verse 14. “Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people. When the Lord God called Moses to go into Egypt and confront the mighty Pharoah and demand that Pharoah let God’s people go free – Moses was filled with fear and unbelief at his own abilities to even contemplate such a confrontation.  However, the Lord God showed him clearly, that he would not go alone among the Hebrew slaves, or into the courts of the powerful and cruel Pharoah.  God’s wonders and strength would go with him.

“And Moses answered and said, But behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.”  (Read Exodus 4:1-17)

The Lord God, “…declared His strength among the people…”, and worked His wonderous works through His servants, Moses and Aaron, just like He works His wonderous works of Eternal Salvation through the preaching/teaching of His latter-day servants – thee and me.

“How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?  As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace (between sinful man and a Holy Lord God), and bring glad tidings of good things!”  (Romans 10:14-15)

God declares His strength in the preaching of His Word, His wonders in the quickening of sinful dead spirits; His power in regenerating His elect souls through trusting in the Cross of Christ Jesus and the full Atonement He made there for us, ‘His people’.  Glory to the Lamb!

Faith is the gift of this Sovereign Lord God, Jehovah, and it is imparted by the ‘foolishness’ of preaching/teaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as both Saviour and Lord.  We receive faith in one way only – it comes as the Lord God grants His gift of faith to us, ‘His people’, elected from before the foundation of the world to receive it in Christ.

“So then, faith cometh by hearing (reading), and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17) The Lord God declares His strength wondrously in His miracle of each sinner’s Salvation.

Verse 15. “Thou hast with Thine arm redeemed Thy people the sons of Jacob and Joseph.” The Bible doctrine of Redemption, as featured on my website/blog www.ulsterchristians.org  (Redemption: a change of Master - God Himself. (Joshua 24:14-24) (Luke 16:13), clearly reveals the power of God’s arm in the provision of His Lamb, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, being incarnated as a man, yet at all times remaining God; living an absolutely Holy life for thirty-three and a half years on earth; and going as a lamb to the slaughter on a Cross, to shed His Holy and sinless Blood as a Redemption for your sins and for mine. 

Wow!  The miracle of Redemption puts all scoffers to silence, as they contemplate, even for a moment, the profound depths of God’s love that would sacrifice His only begotten and Eternal Son on such a cruel Cross to pay the price to ransom sinners!

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar (the Cross of Christ) to make an Atonement (at-one-ment between a Holy God and sinful men/women) for the soul.”  (Leviticus 17:11)

“For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things…but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Thought: God’s attributes confirms our faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Redeemer.