Remember What God Has Overcome!

INTRO

Psalms 81–82 are very different. They are set apart from each other, but both psalms are from Asaph. I believe these psalms are a cry for a revival. I think we are all crying out for revival. I would love to see a people—a nation—turn back to God! We are experiencing a time of extreme divisiveness, yet God can orchestrate things we haven’t imagined. Read 1 Chronicles 16:1–5 as a qualifier and backdrop for Asaph.

One thing we see pointed out in Scripture is that there are certain people who are gifted with certain things. I would call Asaph a worship leader—a wonderful worship leader who was recognized to have a gift. There are people today similarly gifted with the gift of worship. I consider worship the satisfier of the soul. People who are gifted with worship tend to be the first to understand soul trouble. Asaph recognized there was trouble, and he lamented with a cry for revival. He went from lamenting in chapter 81 to being hopeful God would do great things in chapter 82.

Sometimes our separation from God is a soul entrenchment of the enemy when we get our eyes fixed on other things. God knows remedies for how to get our souls back into a place where we are looking with expectation to the things of God. Worship can be a remedy for lament and discouragement.

TEACHING

Psalm 87:1-7: Throughout this psalm, Asaph says he remembered and knew God was their strength, redeemer, and lifter. Verse 6, “I removed his shoulder from the burden” refers to the deliverance of Israel from slavery. Many believe the pots from which they were delivered were the brick laying pots in Egypt. Asaph then referred to “the secret place of thunder.” Many times, when you read about thunder and lightning in the Bible, it is followed by the voice of God.

The waters of Meribah were where Moses struck a rock and water flowed from it. God gets offended when He delivers us from our bondages and we complain about the circumstances. Asaph reminds the Israelites what God had saved them from and how God provided for them. Asaph is saying, “Remember!”

When we remember God, our tears will dry because we know He answers our prayers and brings life. At the end of these verses, we see the word, “Selah.” When I see this word, I always stop and think about what I’ve just read. This time of reflection is where healing begins, and God calls us back to worship.

Psalm 81:8–16: You can hear the lament in these verses. I believe the key verse is verse 13, where Asaph wrote, “Oh that my people had harkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!” The Israelites thought the comfort in their life was going to bring pleasure instead of relying on God as provider and strength.

The book of Psalms often becomes familiar comfort passages that we just read through and quote, but it is important to stop and remember how God had overcome. This should encourage us to remember how God has overcome when we’re despairingly hopeless. When I stop and think about what God has overcome in my life, it might not change my circumstance, but it dries my tears and brings hope. When I start to remember what God has done in my life, my soul begins to stir with refreshment, and I get excited about the future. It feels like strength that has returned after sickness.

In verse 14, you can really see the Lord lamenting not being able to show Himself strong because the people had turned off course. I don’t think the Israelites despised God. I think they forgot what God had done for them. I love that verse 16 shows God had greater plans for the Israelites. Who is our rock today? Our rock is Christ. Asaph pointed out that it’s not the rock that satisfies but what comes from the Rock! I want us to pay attention to the movement here. It took a worship leader to say, “I recognize where we are, but follow me, and let’s set a new tone so we may worship God. Remember where we’ve come from.” I love what worship leaders can do. They can take us to where we were, remind us what God has done, and lead us to praise.

Psalm 82:1–2: : This psalm is not connected to the previous one. It came from another situation—a psalm from Asaph from different circumstances. God will judge the powerful people, those who rule over anything (Job 12:16–23).

God operates in a realm of truth. God doesn’t meddle with our lives. Our disobedience sets us on a different path than the one God originally intended. When we walk in our comfort, it takes us out of the path of righteousness. There is a nature to God that makes truth supreme. He doesn’t play favorites. He guards His truth, defending those who love His truth, punishing them who disregard it.

Psalm 82:3–8: I don’t believe God has to get up every day and keeps the universe going. God has ordered the universe to continue, and it follows that instruction until it gets a new one. We were ordered in the same way, but have a filter, our mind, which takes us to the places where we see what God wants to do. God has a big-picture purpose and understanding. God was saying the problem is that things are out of order—it was not His plan to have poor, needy, oppressed, and destitute peoples. We, as Christ followers, are supposed to reorder the light bringing things back into the context of what God had originally planned. God, though Asaph, began the process of worship.

CLOSING

In the final verse, Asaph said, “God don’t let our falling apart be Your falling apart. I know you can do great things. God, do Your work. Don’t let us be a hinderance.” When we worship, God can change our laments into dancing. I’m trusting our cry is the same as verse 8. We want to see God’s kingdom come, but let it begin in my life.