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)