Psalm 78:1-8
1
O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
2
for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
3
stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
4
We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
5
For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
6
so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
7
So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.
8
Then they will not be like their ancestors—
stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
refusing to give their hearts to God.
In our passage today, the psalmist reminds us we must incline our hearts toward God; to place our hope anew in his faithfulness to lead us in the paths of righteousness—right loving and living according to his Word. If we do not keep our focus on the heart and commands of Yahweh—the LORD—not only will we forget the wonderful things he has done for his people in the past we will neglect to surrender our lives to the work of the LORD who alone can make us holy. As believers, we do not live for the pleasure of our flesh or this world; instead, we live for the exaltation of our righteous Messiah.
Pleasing the flesh of people and the demands of culture is not God’s vision for unity; rather, God’s vision for unity is that we would all be made in the righteous likeness of Christ. God’s Word teaches us Israel’s first king, Saul, erred by pleasing the people rather than the LORD. This disobedience brought deception and set Saul up to be rejected by God. May we read the Word of God and take in the Truth in Jesus’ name.
Prayer: Lord, I set my hopes anew upon you. My ears are open to the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.