Psalms 74-81, 83 Bible Teaching

So, we are scouring the Psalms for gems and are going through the chapters we have not yet covered. There is nothing intentional on my part here but admittedly the scripture either has the capacity to do this with itself no matter where we study from (remember, they say the scripture is living) OR I am a master of making sense where there is none and admittedly that last insight is entirely possible. As we work through today’s, absolutely random chapter choices except for chronology, perhaps you will see the unfolding of His plan in some of these key passages as we weave a short narrative out of them to tell a story. So, out of the nine lets start with what was before the Light – and that is the subject of Dark mentioned in Psalm 74:20 where we read Psalm 74:20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. The direct meaning of this Psalm is God had given the Nation a covenant and the writer is asking for him to remember it, to respect it, because outside of the covenant, in the world at large for them, were dark places that are full of the habitations of cruelty. Literally speaking, in those days the caves, dens, woods, and unexplored areas of the land were full of robbers, cut-throats, and murderers who were all enemies to the Nation and the plea was for YAHAVAH to remember His covenant with them to save them from being annihilated by such. In Yeshua’s day and in his parable of the Good Samaritan, He mentions a dangerous passage or area of a similar kind, the very place where the man fell among thieves. Taking the idea back, I mean way back, the very principle of Dark being the habitation of pain and injustice is central to the opening of Genesis, even the second verse which reads, Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Of course we know that in the face of all of that doom and gloom, that waste which I believe came from another era of use of that matter which fell into utter evil and lay waste and that we are reading what God did to make our habitations of it. Anyway, we know that God overcame it by claiming, “let there be light,” and then we also know that the of Israel as God’s covenant people were also made to be the same to the world – light – with the final product coming out from them being the very light of the world. Here, by YAHAVAH remembering His covenant, the light would prevail and the people of the covenant would not be overcome by the cruelty that lie in places where enemies and danger lurks. I am personally convinced that the elemental friction in the universe is between light and dark with the latter almost always being a place or space of mind and heart where cruelty lies, so the principle is utterly ubiquitous in the realm of things living and light and things dead and dark. Then we go to Psalm 77 beginning at verse 16-19 where we read another set of seemingly disjointed verses. Just like the reference to dark and cruelty in Psalm 74 these verses also appeal to another element present at the Genesis 1:2 creation account – water. Imagine the creation of our heaven and earth in your mind when I read these passages to you, Psalm 77:16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled. 17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. 18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. 19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. Of course, this is a reference to God pushing back the Red Sea when the Nation was fleeing from Egypt but the idea of waters fearing Him and waters obeying Him principally hearkens all the way back to Genesis. We didn’t cover this in our verse by verse but there was a time in the Book of Joshua where the priests were bearing the Ark of the Covenant and came to the Jordan River and we read in Joshua 3:14 where it says, Joshua 3:14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of YAHAVAH stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. I find it intriguing that the water is personified as fearing Him and that it parts from His presence, that it was parted at the Red Sea, the River Jordan and obeyed the voice of Moses when he struck the Rock. Most poignantly, was Yeshua’s command over the water. Where in the Old Testament the waters fled from the presence of God, in Yeshua’s day the waters calmed, and even gathered to support Him as He walked upon it, showing a subtle shift from fleeing to obeying in submission. I also see physical water, like light or fire, having the capacity to refresh or drown, warm or burn – and see the Palmists as tapping into events from their actual histories that reflect really important principles God has woven into all of material creation. So, dark in 74, waters in 77. Go to Psalm 83, where we read, beginning at verse 14 which says, Psalm 83:14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; 15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. 16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. 17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: 18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. Aside from the obvious reference now to Fire and its ability to consume wood and mountain and the cry for God to persecute “with His tempest and make others afraid with “his storm” what do you see here that we have not yet actually seen in our study of these seven Old Testament books – the written out name JEHOVAH at verse 18. Verse 16 actually references His name, with the Psalmist praying that the enemy nations would seek it – why? Think of it this way – there were gods many and spirits many in among the Nations and the clearest most direct way to differentiate between all of them was to appeal to the true and living God by the right name. How else were they to call upon Him to bring fire, water, and light, storm to save them? When was the first time in the bible that a person called on the name of YAHAVAH? According to biblical tradition, Enosh learned the name of YAHAVAH from his father, Seth, and his grandparents, Adam and Eve. This is tradition as the Bible doesn't explicitly state how he learned it, but Genesis 4:26, written by Moses, says that "at that time men began to call upon the name of YAHAVAH," indicating that YAHAVAH was known to our first parents, then to Seth, then to Enosh and at that time the fallen human race began using it. But common use takes time – especially when it comes to use of truth like the name of God. So, it seems that God had to re-reveal His name to Moses on Sinai so as to help the Nation distinguish who they served and worshipped over all others. One of the distinctives of my being a Yeshuan is I believe that there is a true, genuine need for human beings to continually refer to the Living God by a name that is closer to being right than being wrong, and that name, which I learned from brother Adnan, is YAHAVAH. What is interesting about the phrase the Name of YAHAVAH is that after the incarnation, the Apostolic record speaks of the Name of YAHAVAH in lower case, referring to His Son, whose name is Yeshua. So, all things that were done in the Old Testament were done in the name of YAHAVAH, then after the incarnation, all things were done in the name of Yeshua who glorified, honored and re-revealed His Fathers name to the disciples. We are going to do a whole study on these names next year. So, we have dark, water, and the power of the Name of YAHAVAH thus far, among His Nation, right? Then lets just read Psalm 78 where the Psalmist succinctly rehearses all that YAHAVHA had done for them. I will add emphasis on certain lines as I read, PSALM 78 Psalms 78:1-36 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: 3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of YAHAVAH, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. 9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. 10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; 11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. 12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap. 14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. 15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. 16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. 17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness. 18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. 19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? 21 Therefore YAHAVAH heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; 22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: 23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, 24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. 25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. 26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. 27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: 28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. 29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; 30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, 31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. 32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. 33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. 34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. 35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. 36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. In other words, their hearts were almost always far from Him. Then we come to Psalm 81, beginning at verse 8 and before I read it, take note of the words, “should and shall” – ready? 81:8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; 9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. 10 I am YAHAVAH thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. 12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. 13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! 14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. 15 The haters of YAHAVAH should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. 16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. Can you hear the conditionality of the relationship God had with the Nation. After all that YAHAVAH had done for them, recited in Psalm 78, Psalm 81 speaks for YAHAVAH and His having given them up to their “own hearts.” BUT THAT HE SHOULD HAVE been able to do differently, but could not because of their choices, their hearts. This is the picture we all face with God – we have hearts and He should do thus and such based on our hearts loving and seeking Him. But this was not the case with His Nation WHO HE did everything for NOR IS IT THAT CASE with this world who He has done EVEN MORE FOR US – but we have not been willing? I am stunned by the LOVE of God and the INDIFFERENCE of Man in the face of it. Then jump to Psalm 80 where in the face of all of this, we read some super significant references both to the Nation that came out of Egypt and to His Son, the vine as it says, PSALM 80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. 3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. 4 O YAHAVAH, God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? 5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. 6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. 8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. 9 Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. 11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. 12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? 13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. 14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; 15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. 17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. 18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. 19 Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. There is so much we could cover but of particular interest is verse 8 and 9 where we read, 8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. 9 Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. Of course, this first reference is to God bringing the Nation out of bondage to sin (Egypt) but the reference to the Incarnation is undeniable and fitting – why? Because the true Vine, which Yeshua calls Himself, was prophesied to come out of Egypt too. After Yeshua was born we read in Matthew 2:13 13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of YAHAVAH appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of YAHAVAH by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. This is a reference to Hosea 11:1 which reads, When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. What is really interesting to me, however, is not that Egypt was a symbol for sin, bondage and idolatry in the scripture, but that in the end, God would make Egypt his, just like the Nation of Israel. We don’t really have time but the importance of this should not be overlooked and so I am going to read what Isaiah said about Egypt in chapter 19 where in 21 verses Egypt is mentioned 16 times and gives a summary of inestimable value. Ready? Isaiah 19:1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, YAHAVAH rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. 2 And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. 3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. 4 And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith YAHAVAH, YAHAVAH of hosts. 5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. 6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. 7 The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more. 8 The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. 9 Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded. be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish. 11 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? 12 Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what YAHAVAH of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. 13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof. 14 YAHAVAH hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit. 15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do. 16 In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of YAHAVAH of hosts, which he shaketh over it. 17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of YAHAVAH of hosts, which he hath determined against it. 18 In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to YAHAVAH of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. 19 In that day shall there be an altar to YAHAVAH in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to YAHAVAH. 20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto YAHAVAH of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto YAHAVAH because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. 21 And YAHAVAH shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know YAHAVAH in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto YAHAVAH, and perform it. 22 And YAHAVAH shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to YAHAVAH, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. 23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: 25 Whom YAHAVAH of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. Then, turn to Psalm 75 because where we just read of the merciful God bringing a VINE out of Egypt, we have to ask, what do vines in the Bible typically represent? Wine, right? And wine is drank from what? With the exception of me who drinks it straight from the bottle, biblically wine is drank from cups – and this introduces us to a huge biblical idea as verse 8 of chapter 75 reads, Psalms 75:8 For in the hand of YAHAVAH there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. In the Bible, the imagery of a cup and its dregs symbolizes divine judgment and the full, unmitigated consequences of God's wrath against sin. The "dregs" are the bitter, unrefined sediment at the bottom of the cup, which the wicked are forced to drink to the very last drop anciently and that Christ would consume on our behalf, not according to His will but the will of His Father. We are going to address this concept in greater detail next week but just hear three Old Testament references to drinking the dregs and how it will end once it has been done. The first is our passage in Psalm 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. Then, Isaiah says, speaking of the Nation in Bondage and then of the Great and Dreadful day Isaiah 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of YAHAVAH the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. But listen to what Isaiah writes 5 verses later, Isaiah 51:22 Thus saith thy Lord YAHAVAH and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again, Clearly suggesting a once and for all consumption of the world wine in full. More next week on this. Then with reference to the drinking the dregs of the cup of wine, we come to the notion of YAHAVAHs wrath and judgement, described in PSALM 76 beginning at verse 7 which says, 7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? 8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. And to wrap this teaching of these nine random Psalms and the living word speaking to those with ears to hear and eyes to see, we read the following Psalm that speaks to the other nations in that day BUT clearly and prophetically describes the Great and Dreadful day that was prophesied and did fall upon them – when God poured out His wrath – lets read the whole thing to wrap our time up together. PSALM 79 1 O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. 2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. 3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them. 4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. 5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. 7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place. 8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. 10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. 11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die; 12 And render unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord. 13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations. Nine chapters – a throughline narrative from the Living scripture for those with ears to hear and eyes to see the hand of Our Great God, YAHAVAH. THEN, READ FROM MY PERSONAL JOURNAL My VBV teaching of nine Psalms on November 2 2025 could be used as an example of PRINCIPLE BIBLICAL TEACHING by the Spirit through the LIVING WORD. Here is the back story. I was struggling in my mind to approach more Psalms and we were trying to wrap the year up by reading through the repetitive ones and so I was just taking them in order that we had not covered them (in this case it was Psalm 74-83) and I STRUGGLED to put together a reasonable informative teaching when I first looked at the different highlighted “gems” therein. I mean I sat wracking my brain Mon-Wednesday – reading, reconsidering, and just for the most part settling on teaching topical bits and pieces of them. But every time I attempted to write I stopped. It was on my mind though and I was churning over the gems in the nine chapters. ON Thursday Morning 2:45AM I was inspired by the Spirit of the King to put the gems into an order and to examine them accordingly. At first they were obscure but then they unfolded to me by the Spirit, and I started to write. I was done in 2.5 hours with the whole thing and it worked. What I realized – LISTEN – was that the living scripture is very much like the network of a computer or forest mushrooms or tree root systems that connect and communicate in living ways and we can see them when we let go and allow Him to work. MIND BLOWING. And I raised my hands to Him who works in and through us in a similar way.