Read Psalm 73 Copyright © 2007 by Greg Clements. Permission is granted to copy and distribute these documents as long as no fee of any kind is charged and this copyright notice is included in the document.

April 15, 2007 Psalm 66 Leader Look for the use of repetition in this Psalm. Read verses 1 – 4

v1 Who should shout with joy to God?

v2 Who should sing the glory of his name?

Why should we sing to the glory of his name?

Psalm 29:1,2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.

Genesis 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

v3 Why should we tell God we think his deeds are awesome?

We remind ourselves of God’s power.

God is blessed by our words.

v4 How is this verse fulfilled?

Isaiah 45:22,23 "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth…. By myself I have sworn….. Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.

Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place… 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What is meant by "Selah?"

take time to meditate and think on that … let’s do that now… think about God and his deeds now

Read verses 5 – 7

v5 Who is invited to see what God has done?

v5 Does God take an interest in us?

v6 When did God turn the sea into dry land?

Exodus 14:21-22 21 ….. the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, …

When did Israel pass through the river on foot?

Joshua 3:14-17 … the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them….as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. ….. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

v7 Does God know what the nations are doing?

SELAH

Read verses 8 – 12

v 8,9 Why should God be praised?

Hebrews 13: 15 …let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.

1 Peter 2:9,10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, …, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; …

Luke 19:37,38 … the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"…

This is Palm Sunday

Revelation 7:9-12 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude …, from every nation, …, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white …And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor… be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

v10,11 Is life always easy for God’s people?

Deuteronomy 8:1-5 …. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart….3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, …, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD…5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

Proverbs 3:11,12 11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline … 12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, …

John 15:1,2 … my Father is the gardener. … every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, … we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us…

Hebrews 12:1-7 … let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "… and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7Endure hardship as discipline…

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, … whenever you face trials … … the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, …

Revelation 3:19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

v12 What is the final outcome for God’s people?

victory, blessing with God

Read verses 13-15

v13,14 When do people often make promises to God?

Deuteronomy 23: 21-23 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. …23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely … with your own mouth.

Ecclesiastes 5: 4-6 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 … 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin….." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?

Jonah 1:15-16 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm… the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

Acts 18:18 … Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.

v15 What is implied by the phrase "I will sacrifice fat animals?"

Romans 12:1,2 … offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. …, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—…

SELAH

Read verses 16 – 20

v16 What is a testimony?

see v 17,19 a person cries out to God, God hears

v16 Do you have a testimony of what God has done for you?

Isaiah 63: 7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD,… according to all the LORD has done for us—… according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

Malachi 3:16-18 Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. 17 "They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty… And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked….

Mark 3: 7-10 Jesus withdrew with his disciples…a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8When they heard all he was doing, many people came to … 10For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.

….people seek God as they hear testimonies

Mark 5:18-20 …. the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you…" 20So the man … began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Acts 5:17-21 Then the high priest and all his associates, …, were filled with jealousy. 18They arrested the apostles … 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail … 20"Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." 21At daybreak they entered the temple courts, … and began to teach the people.

2 Timothy 1:7-9a For God did not give us a spirit of timidity…8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, … But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

v18 What does it mean to "cherish sin" in your heart?

James 4:1-4 1What causes fights and quarrels among you…2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, … You quarrel and fight. … 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? …

Matt 6:31-33 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat… drink… wear?' …your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

God responds to our requests if we seek his kingdom and righteousness first.

Psalm 34:15-16 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,….

Isaiah 1:15-17 … I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; 16 wash and make yourselves clean.… Stop doing wrong, 17 learn to do right!…

Isaiah 59:1-4 1 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear… your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are stained with blood, 4 No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity….

Ezekial 14:1-6 1 Some of the elders of Israel came to … .. the word of the LORD came to me: …these men have set up idols in their hearts …. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, … When any Israelite sets up idols in his …and then goes to a prophet, I the LORD will answer him myself in keeping with his great idolatry. 5 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, … 6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

Jesus heals the man born blind John 9: 31We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.

1 John 3:21-24 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him…. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. …

v20 Why does the psalmist praise God?

Summarize this Psalm.

Next: Psalm 73