Psalm 76: The Greatness of God

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Psalm 76 The Greatness of God

• Forest Hills Bible Chapel
• 25 May 2008

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• The Book of Psalms is an anthology of
  anthologies or a collection of collections of
  the psalms.
• The Book of Psalms shows us that we can take
  every emotion anger, joy, doubt, confusion,
  love, etc. into the presence of God.

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Background to Psalm 76

• Most likely, the historical background is 2 Kings
  1817-25, 28-36 1932-37.

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History of Israel and Judah

• Kingdom of Israel divides into Israel and Judah
  in 931 B.C.
• Assyrian Captivity of Israel takes place in 722
  B.C.
• Babylonian Captivity of Judah takes place in 586
  B.C.
• In 700 B.C., Assyria laid siege to the city of
  Jerusalem, having devastated the Judean
  countryside.

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Background to Psalm 76
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Background to Psalm 76

• Around 700 B.C. is one of the lowest periods in
  the history of Judah Isaiah 1 36-39 2 Kings
  18-19.
• Assyrian Captivity of the Northern Kingdom in 722
  B.C. Israel becomes a client state of Assyria
  and is never restored from this captivity.

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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God

• 1 In Judah God is known
• his name is great in Israel.
• 2 His tent is in Salem,
• his dwelling place in Zion.
• 3 There he broke the flashing arrows,
• the shields and the swords, the weapons of
  war.     Selah

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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God

• 4 You are resplendent with light, more majestic
  than mountains rich with game.
• 5 Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their
  last sleep not one of the warriors can lift his
  hands.
• 6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
• both horse and chariot lie still.

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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God

• 7 You alone are to be feared. Who can stand
  before you when you are angry?
• 8 From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the
  land feared and was quiet 9 when you, O God,
  rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of
  the land. Selah

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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God

• 10 Surely your wrath against men brings you
  praise, and the survivors of your wrath are
  restrained.
• 11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill
  them let all the neighboring lands bring gifts
  to the One to be feared.
• 12 He breaks the spirit of rulers he is feared
  by the kings of the earth.

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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God

• 1. No matter what happens, God is in control and
  dwells on His throne, ruling over His people
  vv. 1-3.

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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God
2008 is an Election Year!
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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God
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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God
2. Our hope for the future is firmly rooted in
the power of God vv. 4-10.
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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God
3. Let us be a people who make vows, and bring
gifts, to God vv. 11-12.
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Psalm 76 The Greatnessof God
The Law of Moses provided for a wide variety of
offerings guilt, sin, burnt offerings,
and Fellowship Offerings Leviticus
711-18. Some thoughts on gifts Romans
123-8.