Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

“But he led his own people like a flock of sheep, guiding them safely through the wilderness. He kept them safe so they were not afraid; but the sea closed in upon their enemies.” (52,53)

Asaph returns to his favorite picture of God, a shepherd leading his sheep. This is the only pas- sage of the scripture that tells us that the Israelites were not afraid when they walked through the Red Sea for the Lord was their Shepherd!

VI MOST HIGH - The Tabernacle of Shiloh Forsaken- 54-64

This section deals with the history of Israel in the land of Canaan from the time of the Judges until the death of Eli the high priest and his sons Hophni and Phineahas. It tells us what God did for his peo- ple, their unfaithful betrayal and the disastrous results. God’s Mighty Works- • “He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this land of hills he had won for them.” (54) Spiritual victory.

• “He drove out the nations before them;” (55) National victory. • “He gave them their inheritance by lot.” (55) Personal victory. • “He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.” (55) Tribal victory.

Israel’s Faithless Betrayal- • “Yet though he did all this for them, they continued to test his patience.”(56) • “They rebelled against the Most High and refused to follow his decrees.”(56) • “They turned back and were as faithless as their parents had been.” (57) • “They were as useless as a crooked bow.” (57) • “They made God angry by building altars to other gods; they made him jealous with their idols.” (58) The Disastrous Results- • “When God heard them, he was very angry, and he rejected Israel completely.” (59) This next section recalls the removal of the Ark from Moses’ Tabernacle in Shiloh and the removal of the priest- hood that had become corrupt and unresponsive. • “Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he had lived among the peo- ple.” (60) This is in reference to when the Israelites removed the Ark from the Tabernacle to be carried into battle against the Philistines. “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.”(1 Sam. 4:3) • “He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured; he surrendered his glory into enemy hands.”(61) The Ark was captured that day in the battle. • “He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword, because he was so angry with his own people–his special possession.” (62) In the battle the Philistines slaughtered… ”thirty thousand Israelite men died that day.” (1 Sam. 4:10) • “Their young men were killed by fire; their young women died before singing their wedding songs.” (63) • “Their priests were slaughtered, and their widows could not mourn their deaths.” (64) The priests Hophni and Phineahas, Eli’s sons, died in the battle. Phinehas’s wife died in childbirth when she heard the ark was captured and Eli the High Priest… ”fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and very fat.”(1 Sam. 4:18) The stage was now set for the greatest revolution in Israel’s spiritual history: the rejection of Shiloh and the introduction of King David and the Ark on Mount Zion.

VII MOUNT ZION - True Heart of David- 65-72

“Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep, like a mighty man aroused from a drunken stupor. He routed his enemies and sent them to eternal shame.” (65,66)

After Israel suffered their defeat from the Philistines Samuel led them in a time of repentance and the Lord gave them a great victory. “So the Philistines were subdued and didn’t invade Israel again for a long time. And throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the Lord’s powerful hand was raised against the Philistines.” (1 Sam. 7:13)

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