Psalms of God's Goodness 73-76; 78; 82

The following material is adopted from James’s Montgomery Boice’s 3 volume commentary on Psalms. Additional material from MacArthur Bible Studies, Psalms: Hymns for God’s People. Introductory material from Psalms of Grace, Philip Webb, editor. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end

In the previous lessons, we have covered Book I and Book II of Psalms. In this lesson we begin to explore Book III, which includes Psalms 73-89. As noted in the introduction to this study, there is no discernable reason why Psalms is divided into its five books, although Jewish tradition alleged these divisions echoed the five books of Moses. Many authors have psalms in several books, for example, so they are not arranged by writer. Nor are they arranged by topic.

In regard to authorship, each of the psalms in this section is connected to a man named Asaph. We know little about the identity of Asaph except that he was a Levite, as were the sons of Korah, and a contemporary of David. We also know from 1 Chronicles 6:39 that Asaph was the leader of a specific tabernacle choir. Additionally, in 2 Chronicles 29:30, we read that he (along with David) was a skilled poet and singer.

It is possible that Asaph was not the direct author of the psalms but was the one charged with performing them — or perhaps leading his choir to perform them. This possibility is made more likely because Asaph’s psalms seem to span a wide timeline. For example, Psalm 74 may have been written to mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Babylonians — and event that took place several hundred years after David and Asaph died. Regardless, the goodness of God is a theme repeated in many of Asaph’s psalms, and we will focus specifically on that theme in this lesson.

Psalm 73

Psalm 73 is a wisdom psalm, that reflects on the prospects of the wicked, compared to those who trust in God. The psalmist begins by confessing his envy of the arrogant, who seemingly prosper. They do not experience trouble, they enjoy abundance, they always enjoy ease. But when the psalmist entered the sanctuary of God, he discerned their end. They will be destroyed and swept away. By contrast, those who trust in the Lord, enjoy his presence, his counsel, and an eternal inheritance.

Q: Why do the wicked prosper?

A Paradigm Shift for Asaph

— Asaph was one of the members of the tribe of Levi whom David put in charge of the worship music

— The music was performed in the Tent of Meeting before Solomon built the temple (1 Chron 6:39)

— In time he became leader of the group

— And then the father of the entire clan of musicians

—David gave some of his psalms to Asaph and these were performed by him (1 Chron 16:7)

— Asaph also composed psalms himself (cf. Pss 50; 73-93)

Telling it Like It Is

— What bothered Asaph was that the wicked seem to do very well in the world

— Much better than the godly

— If God is in control then the plans of the wicked should flounder

— The godly should flourish

— Instead vile rock musicians and movie stars are wealthy and upheld as role models

— This is not what we would expect in a moral universe directed by a sovereign God

Q: Why do the wicked prosper and the godly have such a hard time?

— This is the same question asked in Psalm 37 and Job

— In Psalm 37 the answer is to wait (vv. 1-2)

— In Job no answer is given (Job 38-41)

— What does Psalm 73 say? J. J. Perowne comments:

In Psalm 73 the answer is neither ignorance nor trust in the eventual judgment of the wicked in this life. It is perception of the ultimate end of the wicked, beyond this life, and the blessed reality of God experienced by the righteous here and now. In providing this answer, Psalm 73 is probably the most perceptive treatment of this theme in all literature. But the reason is that Asaph is so honest in his questioning. He looks at the world with open eyes and then comes to God for the answer to his problem.

The Starting Point

— Psalm 73 is an example of faith honestly doubting what it does in fact believe

— The psalm starts out with “God is good” in verse 1

— Then descends into personal doubt (vv. 2-15)

— It reaches a turning point (vv. 16-17)

— Then it reascends to where it started out (vv. 18-28)

A Record of Asaph’s Descent

— Asaph starts out that God is good (v. 1)

— But quickly contrasts himself with God saying “But as for me...” (v. 2)

— He admits his personal defilement

— His “feet have slipped” (v. 2)

Envy of the wicked (vv. 2-3)

— What Asaph observed was “the prosperity of the wicked,” which defies our expectation that virtue should be rewarded and wickedness punished

— But that is only one side of the problem and probably the least important

— Asaph’s real problem was that he was envious of the wicked

— Our problem is envy too and it is a sin

A description of the wicked (vv. 4-11)

— Asaph is honest about his sin

— The wicked have near perfect health and dismiss God in their lives (vv. 4-6, 11)

Macarthur

(73:4) No pangs in their death:

The wicked seem to go through life in good health, and then die a painless death.

(73:9) Tongue walks through the earth:

The insolent speech of the wicked can be heard anywhere one goes.

(73:10) Are drained by them:

Those who associate with the wicked person “drink in” everything he declares (cf. Psalm 1).

(73:11) Is there knowledge in the most high:

The wicked insist on living as if God is not omniscient and does not know what happens on earth

A summary (v. 12)

— This verse is a summary of all that Asaph has said about the wicked thus far

— He is talking about “the lifestyles of the rich and famous”

The psalmist’s wrong conclusion (vv. 13-14)

— Asaph asks, What is the point of being godly?

— In fact, it seems as if I am being punished for being good (vv. 13-14)

— Asaph is doubting but still has faith

— He did not want to voice his feelings lest he harm the faith of “your children” (v. 15)

The Turning Point

— The turning point comes just as he was going to be swept away (vv. 16-17)

— What is the importance of Asaph entering the sanctuary?

— John Calvin thought that entering the sanctuary meant studying the law of God that was kept there

— Another teacher has suggested that Asaph saw the fire that was always burning where the offerings for sin were consumed

— The fire could have reminded Asaph of the judgment that awaits the wicked

— The whole answer, maybe that Asaph saw everything from God’s perspective rather than his own limited and sinful view

— He has a paradigm shift

The Ascent

— Now we see Asaph coming back to where he started

— This is a radical reordering of his thinking (vv 18-26)

A new awareness of the destiny of the wicked (vv. 18-20)

— His first perspective is the final destiny of the wicked

— They are standing on slippery ground

— It only takes a puff by God to blow them off their proud golden pedestal to ruin

A new awareness of himself (vv. 21-22)

— He saw that questioning God was not being wise bur rather “senseless and ignorant” (v. 22)

— When we fail to learn from God and instead trust our instincts, we are no better than animals

A new awareness of God’s presence and thus also of God’s genuine blessing on the righteous (vv. 23-26)

— Asaph realizes that God has been with him all along and would always be with him

— He saw this as the true blessing against which the worldly blessings of the wicked are as nothing

Asaph’s Final Testimony

— The wicked will perish in the end

— God will be with the righteous and they will be with him

— This great understatement: “But as for me, it is good to be near God.” (v. 28)

Here is a final observation I hope you will remember. It concerns the progression of the dominant pronouns in the psalm. In the first section, as far as verse 12, the emphasized pronoun is they, referring to the wicked. The psalmist has his eyes fixed on them. In the second section, verses 13-17, the dominant pronoun is I. Having seen the prosperity of the wicked, the psalmist looks at himself and falls into unjustified comparisons. In the third section, verses 18-22, the dominant pronoun is you. Here the psalmist has stopped comparing himself to other people and is thinking about God. Then, in the final section of the psalm, verses 23-28, you and I are combined. Here Asaph says, “you [meaning God] have your hand upon me” and I for my part want nothing on earth but you.

You and I need to learn that lesson in the deepest possible way, for if we learn it, all life will be transformed and we will find ourselves always content in God. Remember that heaven and earth will pass away (Matt 24:35) but that those who know God and do his will abide forever.

Exploring the Meaning

God’s blessings are insurmountable

Psalm 73 is an interesting study of the question that is also found in the book of Job: Why do the wicked prosper? The psalmist had evidently wrestled with that question for some time, and he started the song with his conclusion: “Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart” (v. 1). After stating the principle, he looked back to his time of struggle. He confessed he “was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (v. 3). He wondered why the wicked of his day seemed to have such blessed lives in spite of their rebellion against God’s will and God’s values. He even wondered if he had chosen the wrong path. The turning point for the psalmist’s contemplations was an encounter with God in the sanctuary, where he realized the blessings of the wicked were fleeting but serving God offered value for eternity. This realization culminates in one of the loveliest expressions in all of Scripture: “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart my fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (vv. 25-26).

Psalm 74

Psalm 74 is a corporate lament. The people question the judgment of God, as they have witnessed the destruction of the temple. Because their enemies profaned and burnt down the sanctuary, the community questions the purposes of God. Yet, they confess that the Lord is King, and so pray that he would remember his covenant, defend them again, destroy their enemies.

Prayer amid the Ruins of Jerusalem

— The Huguenots were protestants and persecuted and driven out of France in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries

— The Edict of Nantes issued by King Henry IV in 1598 had given them substantial right and protections following France’s Wars of Religion

— But in 1685 it was revoked y King Louis XIV and they were driven from their homes and their property seized

— Exhausted with many dying as they crossed the Alps they sang this psalm when they reached Geneva

The Destruction of Jerusalem

— The setting is the fall of Jerusalem after the Babylon conquest by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.

— Some think that this points to Antiochus Epiphanes when he desecrated the temple (167 B.C.)

— But this psalm talks about the temple being destroyed not desecrated

— The only thing puzzling about the psalm is that it is called “a maskil of Asaph”

— Obviously Asaph did not live until the early sixth century B.C.

— But we know that the “descendants of Asaph” were functioning as late as the reign of Josiah (2 Chron 35:15)

A Painful Inquiry

— The first few verses are a wailing lament (vv. 1-2)

— Jerusalem has been destroyed and the temple is in ruins

— Will God’s rejection of his people last forever, the psalmist asks

— There is only one other psalm that is quite like this, Psalm 79, which is also identified with Asaph

— They both as the question “Will you be angry forever?” (Pss 74:1; 79:5)

— The author must be the same in both

An Honest Look at the Ruined City

— The second stanza presents a description of the ruined city (vv. 3-8)

— In Psalm 79 Asaph worries about the people who have been scattered, imprisoned and killed

—Here he is distressed that the house of God has been devastated

— God has allowed the destruction to be total

— How can there be public worship if there is no remaining places for worship in the land?

How Long? How Long?

— The lament reaches a low point of utter abandonment (vv. 9-11)

— It is a desperate thing to be without any word from God

— Our problem is an absence of God’s word or God’s teachers

— Our problem is that we do not value, cherish and study God’s Word

— Our attitude should be that of John Wesley, the great Methodist evangelist, who wrote, “Give me that book! At any price, give me that book of God!”

The Unchanging God

— In their destruction of the temple, Israel’s enemies were actually mocking God

— This led him to think how great the God of Isreal really is (vv. 12-17)

— Not only can God do all things; He ordains and accomplishes whatever comes to pass (Job 42:2)

Macarthur

(74:13) Divided the sea:

This is most likely a reference to God’s creation activity, rather than to the parting of the Red Sea (see Gen 1:6-8; Ex 14:26-31).

Sea Serpents:

This identifies whales, sharks, and other large sea creatures, including dinosaurs.

(74:14) Leviathan:

This term appears in four other Old Testament texts (Job 3:8, 41:1; Psalm 104:26; Isaiah 27:1). In each case, Leviathan refers to a mighty creature that can overwhelm man but who is not match for God. Since this creature lives in the sea among ships (see Psalm 104:26), some form of sea monster, possibly an ancient dinosaur, is in view.

(74:15) Broke open the fountain…Flood:

This may refer to the universal flood (see Gen 7:11), or it may describe creation (see Gen 1:6-8).

(74:17) Set all the borders:

As Creator, God made day and night, also the seasons (see verse 16); He divided the land from the sea; and He even established national boundaries.

A Final Urgent Plea

— Since God has acted in the past, why should he not act in the present to deliver his people (vv. 18-23)

— God will remain faithful to His covenant even though the people have broken it and brought judgement upon themselves

Postscript: Pleading with God

I said near the beginning of this study that Psalm 84 is a model for prayer because of the way it please with God. Or, as Charles Spurgeon said, it is an example of how we can pray to God with arguments. The psalmist wants God to take his hand out of his pocked and act boldly to rebuke his enemies and reestablish his people in their land (vv. 9-11). But the psalm is not merely a plea that God would do this. It is also a listing of reasons why he should.

1. God should act because the people who are suffering from his harsh but righteous judgment are but sheet (v. 1). That is, they are “poor, silly and defenseless things. 2. God should act because he has already purchased these poor people for himself (v. 2). That is, he has already expended a great deal of effort on them, and they were no better when he first redeemed them than now.

3. God should act not merely because the people have suffered, but because the temple has been devastated and the prescribed formal worship of God by his people has ceased (vv. 3-8)

4. God should act because the people’s case is hopeless otherwise (v. 9). Signs and prophetic speaking have to come from God.

5. God should act because the mocking by Israel’s enemies is really a mocking of God (v. 10-11). It is his name that is being reviled, and his name must be honored above all else.

6. God should act because he has acted powerfully and with wonderful compassion in the past (vv. 12-17). It is h is nature to make his greatness known. Why should he not do so again? Why should he not do so now?

7. God should cat because he has entered into an everlasting covenant with his people, and the terms of that covenant call for God to be with them forever. True, the people have been unfaithful. But “what if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?… Let God be true, and every man a liar” (Rom 3:3). Spurgeon calls this verse “the master key” to Asaph’s pleading, for whatever else happens, God does not break his covenants.

8. God should act because it is fitting that his enemies be rebuked and the poor and needy praise his name (v. 21)

9. God should act because it is his cause and not a mere man’s that is in jeopardy (vv. 22-23). It is God’s purposes that are being opposed by Israel’s enemies.

If you are having trouble praying about something important in your life, why not do what Asaph does? Make a list of why God should answer your prayer and plead those reasons. Either God will answer, or you will find that your prayer is not a good one and you will pray for something better

Psalm 75

Psalm 75 is a psalm of corporate thanksgiving, where the people praise God for his wondrous deeds. He judges rightly, refusing to elevate the proud, and punishing the wicked. Thus, the psalmist responds in song, trusting that the righteous will be exalted.

Our God Reigns

— Psalm 73 questioned why the ungodly prosper and the godly suffer

— This psalm broaches on the same subject but comes at from a different angle

— There is no questioning, chaffing, struggle or envy

— God’s judgment often seems delayed but God is near and this judgments timely

— When judgment comes is not the issue, the psalmist is content knowing that it will come to p ass

Two Well-Known Parallels

— The theme is that God reigns

— He brings down the arrogant

— He lifts up the humble

— Some the wording is similar to the Song of Hannah and Mary’s Magnificat ( 1 Sam 2:1-10; Lk 1:51-53)

The Congregation Speaks: Thanksgiving

— God is thanked because the “Name [of God] is near” (v. 1)

— First, He is omnipresent

— The are reminded that his judgments are in inescapable

— Their sins do not go unnoticed

— Second, He is near to help the righteous

— He is “just around the corner”

— He is near to strengthen us us when we go through hard times

— Third, He is near in the sense that He is in charge of the universe

— He has not turned his back or abandoned his rule to others

— He is present and presiding over everything that happens

God Speaks: Assurance and Warning

— It is not entirely clear in the Hebrew how much is spoken by God

— Or, when the writer breaks in to give his own personal reflection on God’s words

— The NIV makes as good a judgment as any when it suggests that verses 2-5 are spoken by God

Assurance to the upright

— There is no doubt or worry as in Psalm 73 about why the wicked prosper

— But we may sometimes wonder why God is not swift to judge evil and whether in this life justice will be done

— Here (vv. 2-3) God assures that his interventions are timely and justice is being done

— God chooses “the appointed time” not other people

Q: Why does God delay his judgments?

— Teaching in Scripture is clear; there are at least two reasons

— First, that those who are sinning may be saved and come to salvation (Rom 2:3-4)

— Second, that sin would come to full fruition

— The Amorites lived in Canaan before they were conquest by Joshua

— God explained to Abraham that the corresponding judgment of the Amorites would take place in the fourth generation after Abraham and not sooner because “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Gen 15:16)

— Likewise, God said of Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Ex 9:16; Rom 9:17)

Warning to the arrogant

— The last two verses of the stanza are a warning that the arrogant might repent ( vv. 4-5)

— The wicked are told not to “lift up the horn”

— The horn is a well-known biblical metaphor for strength (Deut 33:17; 1 Sam 2:1, 10)

— So lifting up one’s horn is like shaking your fist at God

The Preacher Speaks: God Is the Judge

— You would think that this is all that needs to be said, God has spoken

— But preachers like to have the last word, so the psalmist adds his personal observations and application (vv. 6-8)

— First to the righteous

— Don’t look to the world for advancement

— They look to the world and people in power for help but that kind of advancement is not worth it; it is not true honor

— The only approval that matters is what comes from God (v. 7)

— Second, for those who do evil time is short

— In due time the wrath of God will be poured out like powerful foaming wine from God’s cup (v. 8, cf. Is 51:17; Jer 25:15-38; 49:12; 51:7; Rev 18:6)

The Individual Speaks: A Testimony

— The wicked’s horns will be cut off

— They will be humbled

Exploring the Meaning

God Often demonstrates His goodness through judgment

God is good, but we cannot fall into the trap of connecting His goodness exclusively to blessings. It is easy for us to think that God only demonstrates His goodness by bringing blessings and positive circumstances into the lives of His people, but Psalm 75 shows another layer of God’s goodness. Specifically, the psalmist praises God’s ability and willingness to bring judgment against evil. The psalm begins with an expression of praise: “We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near” (v. 1). But we soon realize that the “wondrous works” under discussion are primarily God’s decision to act in judgment against the wicked. Speaking in God’s voice, the psalmist declares, “When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly” (v. 2), and, “But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another” (v. 7). It is important to note that these are demonstrations of God’s goodness.

Psalm 76

This psalm is a victory hymn, wherein the psalmist proclaims that God is a Divine Warrior. His name is great in Israel — Zion, where He dwells. He wields weapons of war and shows Himself to be more glorious and majestic than all others. For this reason, God is to be feared. He should be praised, honored, and esteemed, even by the kings of the earth.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning

— Sometimes the psalms don’t follow each other

— In the cases of Pss 74-76 there is a pattern

— Psalm 74 looked at the violence in the world and asked God to intervene

— Psalm 75 God speaks in the “appointed time” to act against the ungodly

— Psalm 76 celebrates a dramatic incident when God utterly destroyed the enemies of Israel

— Like many of the fighting psalms this has also been a favorite of Christians fighting during religious warfare

— The Huguenots as they marched into battle at Cloigny

— The Covenanters when defeated government troops in 1679

— At the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588

— The Pilgrims loved this psalm

— They named the first settlement from verse 2: Salem, Massachusetts

Where is God Known?

— God is known in Israel (vv. 1-3)

In Judah God is known

— Unless God reveals himself we are domed to ignorance

— God has revealed himself to Israel and that is what the OT is about

— And He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ

In Jesus God is known

— God has revealed himself in Jesus

— It fulfills the OT revelation and amplifies it

— As in Paul’s day many people think that they know God but they do not (Act 17:22-23)

— They worship an unknown God

— We say to them, “What you are worshiping in ignorance we proclaim to you”

What has God Done?

— The first stanza asked “Where is God” and can “knowledge” of the true God be found

— The English translation doesn’t convey the gravity of this statement

— The word “tent” or “tabernacle” in verse 2 is actually “lair” as in Lion’s den (cf. Ps 104:22 as “covering” of a den of lions)

—This means that the picture here is one of a lion crouching on Mount Zion ready to pounce

— In other words, he is to be reckoned with, to be feared

A Dramatic Defeat of Israel’s Enemy

— Stanza two is a description of a great victory (vv. 4-10)

— We don’t know exactly which great defeat this was

— Possibly Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, 701 B.C. (2 Ki 19:17-19; Is 37:18-20)

— The angle of Lord killed eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp (2 Ki 19:35-36; Is 37:36-37)

Reflection on the Assyrian Defeat

— Now the psalmist reflects on the meaning of God’s intervention

God alone is to be feared (v. 7)

— Everyone has fears

— But these are insignificant when measured against a right and proper fear of God’s judgment: “You alone are to be feared”

— Yet sinners dismiss all serious thought of judgment

Every mouth will be silenced by God’s judgment (v. 8)

— People who do wrong never seem to admit it

— They make excuses for their wrong behavior or blame others

— There will be no final words from sinners at the last judgment (Rom 3:19)

— When faced with God’s judgment “the land feared and was quiet”

God mingles wrath with mercy for the afflicted (v. 9)

— The display of God’s wrath is only one part of the final judgment

— The meek will be shown mercy

God is glorified even in his wrath (v. 10)

— God will be glorified and is to be praised even in the outpouring of His wrath

— “Surely you wrath against men brings you praise” (v. 10)

— God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden (Ro 9:17-18)

What Should I Do?

— There are those who say that God is unjust to judge

— But that is a futile response; God will do as He will do

— If we are wise, we will pursue another line entirely

— The writer makes two suggestions (vv. 11-12)

“Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them” (v. 11)

— God delivered Israel and they owe Him their allegiance

— Just as God brought them out of Egypt, they were to worship him and serve Him only (Ex 20:2-3)

— Is there any less a demand on us who have been saved from sin by Jesus Christ?

Luke 9:23 “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

“Let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared” (v. 11)

— This is a word to those whose god is not god but who are answerable to him anyway

— This applies to you if you have not bowed your knee in faith and obedience to Christ

Psalm 78

Psalm 78 is an instructive psalm that teaches how God’s blessing was transferred from Ephraim to Judah. It instructs concerning the folly of disobedience and the priority of the Davidic kingdom in God’s purposes. The psalm begins with a plea to listen. God established His law in Israel, that the people should obey Him. But the Ephraimites did not keep the statutes, and they forgot the great works of God. They sinned against Him in the desert and tested God in their hearts. His anger and wrath arose against them. Yet they persisted in sin. Though He punished them, they would not repent. Thus, God forsook His dwelling place at Shiloh — He rejected the tent of Joseph and chose instead David. He set His sanctuary on Mount Zion, and from there He shepherded His people

A Sermon from Israel’s History

— This is one of the great historical psalms

— Similar historical psalms are 105-107, 114, 135 and 136

—The lesson of this psalm is that history must not repeat itself

— The people must never again be unbelieving

— But they were of course, especially when they rejected Jesus Christ

The Importance of the Past

— Verses 1-8 are a compelling preamble of the history that is to be reviewed

— Two important points are made

1. We must learn from the past

— The key word is parables (v. 2)

Q: What is a parable?

— Para means “alongside of”

— Ballein means to “throw”

— A parable is the placing of one incident or story alongside something else so that we might learn by comparison

— In this case, the past history of Israel is set alongside the present so that those living today might not repeat the people’s past sins

This is what Jesus’ parables did, which is why Matthew quotes verse 2 in 13:35, saying that Jesus spoke in parables to fulfill “what was spoken through the prophet.” This only one of many verses from psalm 78 that are cited or reflected in the New Testament:

1 Jn 1:1-4 echoes verse 3

Eph 6:4 builds on verse 4

Acts 2:24 may be referring to verse 8

1 Cor 10:4 may refer to verse 15

1 Cor 10:9 cites verse 18

Jn 6:31 quotes and Rev 2:17 echoes verse 24

1 Cor 10:3 refers to vv 24-29

1 Cor 10:5 echoes verse 31

Acts 8:21 is like verse 37

Rev 15:4 may be thinking of verse 44

We must instruct our children

— God has commanded us to teach our children (v. 5)

— We should also want to do it because it is the means by which our children come to “put their trust in God” and “not forget his deeds” (v. 7)

— Moses said to impress them upon our children (Deut 6:6-9, 20-25)

The Case of Ephraim

— The second stanza is a review of the historical dealings of Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes

— This seems like a strange place to begin

— Ephraim is not a well-known tribe

— The incident referred to is unknown (v. 9)

— At the time of the invasion of Canaan Ephraim was the largest and most prominent tribe

— Sin and judgment has consequences (vv. 11-16)

— God choose Judah instead of Ephraim for his enduring kingship (vv. 67-68)

— The replacement of Ephraim by Judah is intended to serve a warning

— Learn from your past, says Asaph, or you too will be moved aside

— Jesus told the church at Ephesus, “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Rev 2:5)

Putting God to the Test

— The problem is not that the people expected God to provide from them food and water

— He did after all bring them to the desert

— The problem was two particular sins

— First, the people were dissatisfied with what God had done and wanted more (ingratitude)

— Second, they though that that the reason God did not give them everything they wanted was because he could not (disbelief)

— Asaph highlights the base nature of these sins with God’s abundant blessings:

— He “rained down manna” (v. 24)

— It was “all the food they could eat” (v. 25)

— As for water (v.20)

“Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out,

And streams were overflowing”

— The food was not poor fare — it was “the bread of angels” (v. 25)

— The water was not a trickle — it gushed out

— And still the people complained (vv. 19-20)

— In anger God killed some (v. 31)

Repentance That Does Not Count

— This leads to the fourth stanza and repentance (vv. 32-39)

— But their repentance (vv. 34-37) was like the sickening hypocrisy described by Hosea (Hosea 6:1-3)

— A hypocritical repentance like this must be nauseating to God

— Hosea says that a true repentance involves acknowledgment of sin, turning from it and an appeal to God’s grace (Hos 14:1-3)

—All this is absent here

— Nevertheless, says Asaph, God did not deal with the people as their hypocrisy deserved

— “He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that doe snot return” (v. 39)

Forgetting the Past

— Verse 40 goes back to the beginning and tells of Israel’s ingratitude to God all over again

— In stanza one God did miracles and we forgot them

— In stanza two God provided for his people are we remained unsatisfied

— In stance three we are reminded of God’s judgments which produced false repentance

— How is that possible?

— The answer is in verse 42

“They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary,”

— They forgot what God did on their behalf

— I’m sure that we do as well, or we would not sin as grievously or as often as we do

— The cure is to remember which is what this psalm is all about

— Asaph brings to mind the plagues that God brought on Egypt

— He doesn’t list them all but covers six of then (vv. 44-51)

Abandoning God and Abandoned

— Once the people were in the promised land their rebellion was even worse than when they were in the dessert

— They were idolatrous (v. 58)

— The result was that God in his anger rejected the Northern kingdom of Israel, led by Ephraim (v. 59)

— The ark of the covenant was allowed to be captured by the Philistines

Our Merciful God

— The final stanza ends with good news (vv. 65-72)

— Ephraim is rejected but Judah is chosen

— Shiloh is abandoned but the ark is brought to Mount Zion

— Asaph’s point is that it was entirely of grace that Judah was elevated and David chosen as the great king

— It is the same for us, only our mercies are even greater since in Jesus we have been given “every spiritual blessing” (Eph 1:30

Exploring the Meaning

God also demonstrates His goodness by withholding judgment

Psalm 78 is a history lesson written to remind the younger generations of God’s faithfulness in Israel’s history despite the people’s continued rebellion. The song focuses mostly on the events after the exodus and during the Israelites’ forty years of wandering in the desert. During this time, God’s people rejected Him in many ways. “They did not keep the covenant of God,” wrote the psalmist. “They refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them” (vv 10-11). The crux of the psalm occurs in verses 37-39: “For their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant. But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath; for He remembered that they were but flesh, a breadth that passes away and does not come again.” The main thrust of the song is God’s continued goodness and faithfulness toward His people for generations, despite their continued rebellion against Him. That same goodness and mercy ultimately resulted in Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross so that the elect’s sins would be forgiven and their relationship with Him restored.

Psalm 82

Psalm 82 is a prayer to God to judge the earth. The psalmist declares that God reigns over all other perceived deities, and he asks that God would show His justice to the afflicted and downtrodden. He declares that any other god will fall like a man, but God will arise and judge the whole earth.

All “Gods” Judged by God”

— One one occasion Jesus’ enemies came to him with a trick question

Matthew 22:17 “Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?”

— The first part of Jesus’ answer reinforced Caesar’s authority, even in such an unpopular matter as in taxes

— His second part drew limits, God’s authority is greater than the state

— Jesus’ words were a reminder that those who exercise authority are responsible to God for what they do

Who Are the “Gods”?

— This is the setting of this psalm

— The Judges of Israel are being called to account by God

—There are two views as to the meaning of “gods”

Human judges, particularly the judges of Israel

— To call a person a god would seem strange to us but not to ancient Israel

—This interpretation is almost universally held by earlier commentators

The best argument for this view is the way Jesus referred to this psalm in John 10:34-36. The leaders accused him of blasphemy because he habitually called himself “God’s Son.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? [This is where he referred to Psalm 82.] If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came — and the Scripture cannot be broken — what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?”

Demons, the “principalities and powers”

— The other view which has been popular for the last hundred years is that this refers to demons

— The OT speaks of such powers and occasionally refers to them as “gods” and sometimes translated angles (Is 24:21, Dan 10:13)

— In Job 1 “the sons of God” (“angels” NIV), including Satan, present themselves before God in heaven

Convening the Court

— Returning to the first verse, God is convening his court

— He is calling the “gods” before him to render judgment

— The vese meant a great deal to Martin Luther

— In 1525 while he was working on this psalm the Peasant Revolt broke out

— Luther sided with their grievances but denounced violence and knew that spiritual goals cannot be advanced by political means

— He pointed out that Psalm 81:1, 6 both establishes and limits the authority of princes

— Jesus said the same of Pilate (John 19:11)

The Indictment

— The next three verses is God’s indictment of the injustice practiced by Israel’s judges (vv. 2-4)

— They have not punished wickedness; defended the weak or orphans, the poor or the oppressed

—Luther wrote

These …three verses, indeed the whole psalm, every prince should have painted on the wall of his chamber, on his bed, over his table, and on his garments. For here they find what lofty, princely, noble virtues their estate can practice, so that temporal government, next to the preaching office, is the highest service to God and the most useful office on earth

What Can the Righteous Do?

— Following the indictment (vv 2-4) we read “they know nothing…They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken” (v. 5)

— This summarizes all ungodly governments

Passing Sentence

— Rulers are human and they will die in time (vv. 6-7)

— They will fall from their exalted position just like any other ruler

—We are to remind people who are in authority of these truths and pray for them (1 Tim 2:1-2)

Macarthur

(82:6) I said:

Kings and judges are set up, ultimately, by the decree of God (see Psalm 2:6). God, in effect, invests His authority in human leaders for the stability of the universe (see Romans 13:1-7). But God may revoke this authority (see verse 7).

“You are gods”:

Jesus, in quoting this phrase in John 10:34, supported the interpretation that the gods were human beings. In a play on words, He claims that if human leaders can be called gods, certainly Messiah can be called God.

Children of the Most High:

These were created by God for noble life

(82:7) Die like men:

In spite of being made in God’s image, they were mortal and would die like human beings.

Judge of All the Earth

— Finally, we are to practice justice and come to the defense of the poor and oppressed people

— This is a prayer that justice would be done by God through his people

Additional Resources

Boice, J. M. (n.d.). Psalms. Vol 1: Psalms 1-41. Baker Books.

MacArthur, J. (2023). Psalms. Hymns for God’s People. Harper Christian Resources.

C. H. Spurgeon. The Treasury of David, Vol 1a, Psalms 1-26.

Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy: The Inferno, trans. Dorothy L. Sayers (Harmondsworth, England: Penguin, 1951).

Webb, P. (Ed.). (2022). Psalms of grace. The Master's Seminary Press.

John Wesley, The Works (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, from the authorized edition of 1872)

Martin Luther, Selected Psalms II, vol 13 in Luther’s Words, ed Jaroslav Pelikan (St. Louis: Concordia, 1956)