READ PSALM 76-89
SUGGESTED PATTERN Read Psalm 76-80 with your spouse or household then re-read Psalm 78:1-6 again with your spouse or household, then spend 2 mins in silence focussing on Psalm 78:1-6 asking the Lord, the question “What does this text mean?” then 2 mins in silence asking the Lord what He is saying to you personally through Psalm 78:1-6 and then share together with your spouse or household what the Lord has been saying. Finally one person reads out loud the devotional below and then pray for one another.
PSALM 78:1-6 “ My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.”
Is life on earth for you and me like a “Fiddler on the roof”? In the delightful film with that name, Tevye begins with the very first words of the film saying that life is just like that for him … ‘trying to scratch out a living without breaking his neck.’ I am not sure which song I like best in that film.. possibly “Tradition” or “ If I were a rich man” but on reflection, I think my favourite is “Miracle of miracles,” that Motel the Taylor sings when Tevye grants him permission to marry Tetzeitel. “God took a Daniel once again and walked him through a lion’s den. See clip below from film (1). Why did God create man? Was it because he wanted a bride for his son, or was it because God wanted a bigger family? There is a Jewish proverb that says that God created man because he likes stories. In a beautiful passage in John chapter 17 when we hear the heartbeat of God, as Jesus prays to the Father before going to the cross, it seems like God the Father, God the son and God Holy Spirit wanted to share their love with man and there is a longing in the heart of God that there might be union and communion, God with man. At the end of the Bible in Revelation 21 verse 3, it all becomes clear… “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying now the dwelling of God is with man and he will live with them they will be his people and God himself will be with them and be there God there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away.”
In the Psalm 78, the God of the universe shares his heart. He wants to reveal his heart to his children, telling stories. “Listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us when my children were young.” A long time ago, I had the wonderful opportunity for a short time to home-school my children and the best part was the extended times of reading stories to them.
Last week I had the opportunity to hear an anthem sung in Canterbury Cathedral celebrating of God’s saving acts in the history of Israel in the choral tradition . Listen to a similar recording below (2) How are we to read the Scriptures? The psalms have been sung or chanted in some traditions remembering God’s story in the history of Israel. The reason, each day I recommend reading the scriptures with your spouse or household, is that the scriptures have been read, orally for millenia .. read out loud in company with other people. Hans Boermsa, in his book “Scripture as Presence,” says that early church exegesis emphasises reading Scripture as a sacred text a) in the light of resurrection (b) in the community of faith c) as a coherent story. However for the past 400 years however many of our vicars and pastors have effectively been trained in theological colleges and seminaries, to read the bible by Voltaire and Rousseau, presupposing the Scriptures are a work of man rather than sacred texts.
Psalm 78 is one of a number of ‘big picture Psalms’ 68, 78, 105,106, (4) “that tell the grand story usually to encourage Israel to learn from history and not repeat the mistakes of the past. They provide a theological compass for the future.” Reading scripture in the light of resurrection, in the community of faith as a coherent story is a unifying way of reading scripture by diverse expressions of people of God, whether Orthodox, Pentecostal, Catholic, Methodist or Anglican. (JC2033 is a vision from Olivier Fleury, a wonderful Swiss Christian leader, to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ , for the whole body of Christ globally, through multiple grassroots events in nine years time in 2033.These events will have three key features. They will be acts of Unity witness and celebration. See www.jc2033.world/en/)
Psalm 78 celebrates that the God of Israel is a God who made himself known through delivering Israel from Egypt and continues to reveal himself through present experiences in a way that is consistent with that revelation of his character and his will, foreshadowing Jesus’ deliverance of mankind from sin on the cross.
Pray
Lord, may the next generation be told the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done… for yours is the kingdom the power and the glory.
References
(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvVeJJ-TnK4
(2) Long since in Egypt’s plenteous land https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUnDPHAyKc8
(3) Boersma, Scripture as Presence,
(4) Tidball, D Signposts
UNBLOCKING THE WELL OF THE LIVING WORD 
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