KNOWING GOD – THE GOD OF MIRACLES || Lesson 28 

KNOWING GOD – THE GOD OF MIRACLES – Lesson Twenty-eight

TEXT:  Psalm 78 (Cont’d.) – V.32-39

[We continue to “consider the marvelous works” listed in this psalm, in keeping with I Samuel 12:24 – But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

Be sure to fear the LORD – Proverbs 19:23 – The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.]

V.32 – In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.

In spite of all this – Note V.31 – God’s anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.

V.33 – So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.  See Numbers 13 and 14.  Moses lamented this in Psalm 90:7-10.

Psalm 90 – Title: A prayer of Moses the man of God.  [The Halley’s Bible Handbook states:  “… Rabbinic tradition assigns the ten following psalms, 91-100, to Moses. …”]

V.1-2 – ¹Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. ²Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Moses is here acknowledging that the Lord, the Creator, is God.

V.3 – You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.”  [Note Genesis 3:19 – By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”]

V.4 – For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.  [Parallel passage:  2 Peter 3:8 – But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.]

V.5-6 – ⁵You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning– ⁶though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.  [Note: Psalm 103:15-16 – ¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; ¹⁶the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

Isaiah 40:6-8 – ⁶A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. ⁷The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. ⁸The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”]

V.7-10 – ⁷We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. ⁸You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. ⁹All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. ¹⁰The length of our days is seventy years– or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.  [Note that the “70 to 80 years life-span” was due to what was declared in Numbers 14:26-35 and that Moses lived to 120 years (Deuteronomy 34:7) and Aaron to 123 years (Numbers 33:39).  The 70 to 80 years was not a declaration of the human life-span.]

V.11 – Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

See V.12-17 – Note that after acknowledging the justice of the Lord, Moses, in these verses, appealed for mercy.

V.34-39 – ³⁴Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again.  ³⁵They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.  ³⁶But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; ³⁷their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. ³⁸Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.  ³⁹He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. [Note Psalm 103:13-14 – ¹³As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; ¹⁴for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.]

Application:  Let us thank the GOD OF MIRACLES for His compassion and ask Him to help us to heed Psalm 32:8-9 – ⁸I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. ⁹Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.