Introduction: Yesterday’s reading, the first part of Psalm 76 ended like this – “Will the Lord spurn forever,
and never again be favourable?
8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion? and thus enter today’s passage with a man obviously frustrated with his not being able to ‘get through’ to God by prayer and with a heap of questions about God’s relationship with him and God’s people!
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds. – For Asaph, the writer of the Psalm there was an enormous amount of recorded history and no doubt some personal experience of God’s past dealings with him and of the Jews!
13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. – Looking back there might be many questions left unanswered. But, even limiting the time from the escape from Egypt until the settlement in Canaan, there was so much to amaze Asaph and make him realize that God is righteous and unique! Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies gave forth thunder;
your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron. – it is possible, without stretching the imagination too far, to see in this section references to a) the parting of the red sea b) God on Mt Sinai with a fantastic display of thunder and lightning c) the leadership of God through the wilderness d) a second parting of the waters for them to cross into the Promised Land e) God’s hand on Moses and Aaron as they led them through the desert. The Psalm ends here, at a point where it seems to me that the Psalmist has his eyes opened to the Lord God continuously working to the blessing of His people! Go on trusting in the assurance that God is God who changeth not!!
Proverbs 16: 6 -The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.
Prayer: Help me not to rest on my laurels but on Your loving Kindness, Mercy and Grace!