In his song “Good Lord,” David Leonard sings about looking back to see all that God has done, which provides the foundation for his declaration about the goodness of God. This is a celebrated practice throughout Scripture.
This week we soak in a Psalm of Remembrance and learn the value of remembering and rehearsing the goodness of God.
In this episode, I discuss the following:
- Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week’s Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
- Read in context
- Listen to an audio version of the text
- Read aloud
- Repetition
- Make a list
- Start with God
- Follow the cross-references
- Looking for the songwriter’s purpose – Psalm 78:1-4
- The types of Psalms found in Scripture
- Psalm 78 as a didactic psalm – intended to instruct
- Reasons to teach our children/others the truths of Scripture – Psalm 78:5-8
- Following the cross-references to the historical narrative summarized in Psalm 78
- Three times the psalmist highlights the people testing God – Psalm 78:18, Psalm 78:41, Psalm 78:56)
- How when we test God in our hearts, it often comes from a false narrative
- The root of the testing was unbelief and a lack of trust in His saving power – Psalm 78:21-22
- Another reason the people tested God — they did not remember His power or the day when He redeemed them – Psalm 78:40-42
- A warning to remind us that remembering what God has done is not enough – Psalm 78:35-37
Why did they test God? Because they did not remember His power or the day when He redeemed them.
Enjoy the official lyric video of the song below.
More Than a Song Playlist
Additional Resources
- Lyrics – NewReleaseToday.com
- I didn’t use them on the podcast, but the questions in the call out box in Psalm 78 in the Experiencing God Study Bible were so good
- Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament – Amazon Paid Link
- My new favorite Bible Study Software – Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link
This Week’s Challenge
Spend some time in Psalm 78 this week. Read and listen to it repetitively before interacting with the text. When you sit down to interact with the text, start with God. What can you learn about his character, conduct, and concerns? Heed this Psalm’s warnings and respond to the instruction to look back and remember God’s “glorious deeds, His might, and the wonders He has done.” He is a Good Lord. And by all means, share what you’ve learned with a friend so that the next generation can respond with steadfast hearts and faithful lives.
