PSALM 75 Reading Guide

Transcription

1 PSALM 75 Reading Guide

2 PSALM 75 2 PSALM 75 1 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. 2 At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. 3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah 4 I say to the boastful, Do not boast, and to the wicked, Do not lift up your horn; 5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck. 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. 8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. 9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

3 PSALM 75 3 DAY 1 Read through Psalm 75 once writing down what you find interesting, what you find helpful, and what you don t fully understand. Read through the notes on Psalm 75 in the ESV Study Bible. Write at least one paragraph highlighting what you learned from the study notes. Reread Psalm 75, personalizing the Psalm as your own prayer. Write out that prayer. According to the introductory notes in the ESV Study Bible on Psalm 75, This is a hymn of praise, thanking God for the wondrous deeds he has done for Israel, and celebrating the fact that he is the judge of all the earth and will, in his own time, put down the wicked and lift up the faithful. DAY 2 Read Psalm 75 again, focusing on verse 1. When the Psalmist thinks of God s name being near God making himself known to his people so they can know him and remember his wondrous deeds, he encourages all of God s people to give thanks (verse 1). Jesus came in God s name (John 5:23) and made God s name near (known) in a way God hadn t made it known before and hasn t made known since. And he did so with a clear purpose: Jesus would live in us by his Spirit because God loves us like he loves Jesus. I made known to them your name, and will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:26). In light of God s promised judgment on the wicked sinners who live life without regard for God or his laws that s sinners like you and like me it is amazing that God would save anyone. But he does (verse 7). This theme is carried over well in John Kent s hymn, Sovereign Grace O er Sin Abounding. Sovereign grace o er sin abounding! Ransomed souls, the tidings swell; Tis a deep that knows no sounding; Who its breadth or length can tell? On its glories, Let my soul forever dwell. What from Christ that soul can sever, Bound by everlasting bands? Once in Him, in Him for ever; Thus the eternal covenant stands. None shall take Thee From the Strength of Israel s hands. Heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus, Long ere time its race begun;

4 PSALM 75 4 To His name eternal praises; O what wonders love has done! One with Jesus, By eternal union one. On such love, my soul, still ponder, Love so great, so rich, so free; Say, while lost in holy wonder, Why, O Lord, such love to me? Hallelujah! Grace shall reign Write out a prayer of thanksgiving to God, starting by quoting verse 1 and then thanking him for the specific ways you are thankful for Jesus and what he has done for you. DAY 3 Read Psalm 75 again, focusing on verses In verse 9 the Psalmist commits to sing and speak of God s wondrous deeds forever. Read your prayer from Day 2, writing down again the specific reasons you are thankful for Jesus and what he has done for you. Now write down some specific ways and people you can tell about these things. Write out a prayer that starts with verse 9 and asks God to help you follow through on that commitment. DAY 4 Read Psalm 75 again, focusing on verses 2-8. Though God s people don t know the set time God has appointed to judge with equity, they sing of it and hope in it and trust that it will come. The notes on verses 6-8 in the ESV Study Bible explain why this is a song or statement or prayer of faith: The congregation that sings this is taking the stance of faith; certainly there are many times when God s faithful people must simply await his timing and not give in to despair. Think of a situation in your church or your community group where you are waiting for God to act in the face of what seems to be clear injustice. Now think about what it is like to wait, trusting for God to act. Write out a prayer for your community group or a group of friends within your church, expressing trust in God to act and asking God to give you the faith to wait for him to act. DAY 5 Read through Psalm 75 twice. Write out at least two paragraphs reflecting on what you ve learned about God, yourself, and others from Psalm 75. Write out at least one thing you hope to apply to your life from Psalm 75.

5 PSALM 75 5 Spend at least 15 minutes sharing what you wrote with a trusted friend or family member. If they read Psalm 75 this week, ask them to do the same. End your time in prayer, thanking God for what he taught you this week. * Purchasing an ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Bibles, 2008.) will aid you in your understanding of the Psalms. The first day s reading each week assumes you will have access to the notes in the ESV Study Bible. The ESV Study Bible is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published. It will help you understand not just the Psalms, but also the rest of the Bible in a deeper way. You can either buy the Bible (amazon.com, search: ESV Study Bible) or purchase online access to the notes at Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved Elliot Grudem.