Today’s reading is Psalm 78.
We started a second cycle of Asaph psalms last week. In Psalm 77:11-12, the Asaphite author declared:
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds (ESV).
That is precisely what Psalm 78 does. It rehearses the history of Israel “From Zoan to Zion” as Derek Kidner subtitles the psalm (see vss. 12, 68). Over and again, we read the history of rebellion from God’s people and yet patience, forgiveness, and atonement from God. We are reminded of the plagues in Egypt. We are reminded of the time the ark was captured by the Philistines. We are told about God choosing David. All of this so we will remember and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).
Why rehearse these things? Because as the more modern historians tell us, “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” And as the parodyists claim, “Those who remember history are doomed to watch others doom us all by repeating it.”
The stories of God’s intervention in history need to be our shared stories. We need to repeat them over and over again. We need to know them. We need to pass them on. We can learn from our ancestors. We can avoid their mistakes. We can repeat their victories. But only when the stories are in our hearts and minds. We don’t have to learn everything from experience. We don’t have to go to the school of hard knocks for every important lesson. We are wise to learn from the experience of others. Learn from history.
Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 78.
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PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family
How does Psalm 78 prompt or improve your trust in God?
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