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Study 62 – Psalm 78:40-72

1.      They served as reminders of the love, mercy, and grace of God in the history of Israel!

2.      Idolatry caused the greatest disaster of all – God ‘rejected’ Israel completely in verse 59. In His grace God raised up the dynasty of David to bring the people back to where they needed to be by destroying the enemy and ridding Israel of idolatry. This is a foreshadowing of Christ defeating our enemies upon the cross.

Study 63 – Psalm 79 and 80

1.      In the New Testament God’s plan for Israel had been accomplished in Christ. Now God was going to use the promise to Israel – Christ – to save the world. The goal is not to destroy the disobedient, but to redeem them.

2.      Israel feels abandoned in this psalm and they are reminded of how God cared for them in the past and the glory which they once possessed: If God had redeemed them once then certainly He could do it again.

Study 64 – Psalm 81-83

1.      God demands praise of His people for their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and His provision in the desert. He challenges them to obedience with the assurance that their obedience to Him will bring about the defeat of their enemies.

2.      God demands that earthly rulers care for the oppressed and the needy. Failure to do so will lead to anarchy and the eventual destruction of the very fabric that holds society together. The only hope in solving the social ills of our society is obedience to the commands of the Lord.

3.  The psalmist pleads for relief by stating that the destruction of the enemies of Israel will increase the renown of the name of the Lord in the land. God calls for repentance and obedience on the part of His people. God is always ready to act on behalf of those that He has chosen, but He will only do so if we are an obedient people. Our prayer on behalf of the wicked today is no longer for their destruction, but for the destruction of what motivates them. Our war is not against flesh and blood, but against what makes that flesh and blood wicked.