Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

Sacred and secular history is full of examples of God supernaturally placing his servants in places of great authority. Joseph was humbled in the prison of Egypt and then exalted to the office of prime min- ister. Most remarkable is the example of Manasseh, the most-wicked of all the kings of Judah. He was conquered by the Assyrians and led to Babylon with a ring in his nose. “But while in deep distress, Man- asseh sought the Lord his God and cried out humbly to the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request for help. So the Lord let Manasseh return to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Manasseh had finally realized that the Lord alone is God!” (2 Chron. 32:12,13) Humbling ourselves before the mighty God of heaven is the valuable lesson of this Psalm.

1 Keil & Delitzsch

PSALM 76: HIS NAME IS GREAT IN ISRAEL Spiritual Warfare in Worship

This psalm of warfare is a perfect sequel to Psalm 75. The uncertain struggle for power in the pre- vious song is now resolved and celebrated in this victory anthem. The place of worship is revealed as a place of warfare where God breaks the strength of his foes with supernatural force. Jesus is seen as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah whose lair, or home is in Zion’s holy mountain. It is divided into three sec- tions by two interludes:

I SALEM IS WHERE HE LIVES - 1-3 (Interlude) II SILENT BEFORE YOU - 4-9 (Interlude) III SWORD OF JUDGMENT - 10-12

INTRODUCTION:

“For the choir director; A psalm of Asaph, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. A song.”

The title shows the wonderful cooperation between the leaders of worship in David’s tent of praise. The “choir director” Keneniah, directed the piece composed by Asaph accompanied by the ‘stringed in- struments’ under the direction of Jeduthun . This is one of the rare psalms that is designated both a psalm and a song, the most pleasing of combinations.

I SALEM IS WHERE HE LIVES - 1-3

“God is well known in Judah; his name is great in Israel. Salem is where he lives; Mount Zion is his home.”(1)

This verse microscopes in four stages from the general address of God down to the specific. • The Tribe- “God is well known in Judah:” Judah was the most faithful tribe in Old Testament times as they earnestly kept the laws and worship of God. Judah always went first in the battle forma- tion and was the tribe of King David and Jesus the Messiah. “The tribes that camped with Judah headed the march with their banner…” (Num. 10:14) ‘Judah’ sounds like ‘Yadah’, the Hebrew word for praise. • The nation- “His name is great in Israel.” This represents the entire kingdom of 12 tribes. The church is now also called his kingdom and nation: “You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation,”(1 Pet. 2:9) • The City- “Salem is where he lives;” This is the shortened name for Jerusalem, the city of the great king David. God has had a special love for this city through the ages; it will ring again with the songs of Asaph and David! • The Mountain- “Mount Zion is his home.” ‘Home’ is also the word for the ‘lair of the lion 1 .’ Jesus is the ‘Lion of the tribe of Judah’ and his ‘lair’ is Mount Zion the place of worship, prayer and commun- ion with God. “Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has conquered.”(Rev. 5:5)

“There he breaks the arrows of the enemy, the shields and swords and weapons of his foes. In- terlude” (3)

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