Psalm
78 reminds me of my experience in elementary school. The writer
gives us the history of the nation of Israel. He describes how God’s
Law was written to read and show and tell the next generation. He
tells how God multiplied the people and told them to count their
blessings. He records how they regularly tested God. He even
mentions my favorite subject, recess, where he describes how we play
king of the hill. He begins, “Hear
my teaching“.
At that most of us groan. To get our attention, he hints of,
“hidden
things… our fathers have told us“.
And he quickly notes the point of the lesson, “Tell
the next generation… the praiseworthy
deeds
of the Lord“.
Every year there was a teacher that wrote the rules of the class on
the board on the first day of class. He explains that God
“established
the law
in
Israel… He commanded… to teach their children…
they
in turn would tell their children… Then they would
put
their trust in God“.
Meanwhile, my mind was still on the freedom of summer, “a
stubborn and rebellious generation… whose
spirits
were not faithful to Him… refused to live by His law… They
forgot“.
I could not wait to get home and put on play clothes and get back
outside. Homework was the last thing on my mind. I was actually
demoted to the slow track, but fortunately I had a teacher that saw
something in me. She was patient and even gave me extra work to do
to get caught up with the others. The psalmist reviews the history
of the nation to make sure no one gets left back. Believe me, God is
more patient than you can possibly imagine and He will always give
you individual attention.
The
psalmist provides his remedial class with a tutoring session about
God and His people. “He
divided the sea… He guided them with the cloud by day and with
light from the fire all night… He split the rocks in the desert
and
gave them water… But
they
continued to sin against Him… They put God to the test… They
spoke against God… they eagerly turned to Him… Yet He was
merciful… Time after time He restrained His anger“.
And we learn the life-cycle of man, Blessing,
Rebellion, Judgment, Repentance, and Restoration.
It repeats itself over and over. “He
put to death the sturdiest among them… In spite of all this, they
kept on sinning… flatter Him with their mouths, lying to Him with
their tongues… How
often
they rebelled
against
Him“.
Perhaps you have experience this cycle, or perhaps you have never
experienced God’s forgiveness. Friend, don’t lose hope, you can
still make the Dean’s List.
Even
after God lead His people into the Promised Land, the cycle
continued. “He
led them like sheep through the desert… He guided them safely…
brought them to the border of His holy land… allotted their lands
to them as an inheritance… But they put God to the test and
rebelled… aroused His jealousy with their idols…
He
rejected Israel completely… He sent the ark of His might into
captivity“.
Have you experienced captivity? Proverbs 3:11 reminds us, “My
son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His
correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the
son in
whom
He delights“.
The psalm ends with a word of hope for Israel, “He
chose David…
to
be the shepherd of His people“.
In school I loved to come in to find a substitute teacher. Usually
that meant no notes, no work and no responsibility. Matthew 1:1
begins the genealogy of Jesus this way, “A
record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of
Abraham“.
The Bible teaches what we already know, “there
are none righteous, no not one“.
God allows all of us to try to be good on our own to teach us that
we will fail. The Law requires perfection. It is not until that
point that we accept our need for God’s help. Jesus explained, “I
am the good shepherd I lay down my life for my sheep“.
“
He
committed no sin…
He
Himself bore our sins in His body… by His wounds you have been
healed”
(1 Peter 2:22-24). He paid our debt. He became our substitute
Jesus
said, “The
work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent”
(John 6:29). Here is the good news, the
Final Exam is one question:
Do you believe?