Psalm 78 What About the Next Generation?

Dennis Mock
Sunday, August 9, 2009 (notes by Kevin
Bacon)

There are 3 things that we must leave to the next generation; life lesson of integrity, life
will and testament, the lasting truth of the Word of God. If we don’t who will? Psalm 78 is
built around this basic premise. The timeless eternal truths of God’s Word must be
passed on. Ps. 78 is a didactic psalm designed for instruction. There are two parts in 72
verses. We will look at selected parts.

Read Psalm 78:1-8

I. (1-8) What we must leave for those who come after.

II. (9-72) What we must learn from the past
a. Seven lessons: Stern warnings about not forsaking or forgetting God. (1 Cor.
10:1-10)
i. (9-16) Don’t forget to obey.
1. Uses the Exodus and God’s miraculous provision in the
wilderness as a reminder and a warning.
ii. (17-31) Don’t grumble and complain and rebel.
1. It is the same as rebellion.
iii.(32-39) Don’t pretend to Repent.
1. God sent the food the Israelites asked for but still they
complained.
2. Their hearts were not loyal to Him (37)
iv.(40-53) Don’t forget your salvation.
1. Remembrances of the plagues in Egypt. The plagues are listed.
2. They grieved God and presumed on His goodness.
3. They failed to remember his redemption. (42)
4. Have we forgotten the day of our salvation?
a. None of us could have ever earned it. We are saved only by
God’s miraculous power.
v.(54-55) Don’t dismiss God’s keeping of His promises.
1. Not one He has made has ever failed to come to pass.
2. He is a promise keeping God.
3. God did everything for them that HE had promised. Yet they did
not obey.
vi.(56-64) Be careful not to forget that God brings discipline and
judgment.
1. It is equal testimony to His faithfulness along with His blessings.
2. (57) They were disloyal and faithless as unreliable as a faulty
bow.
3. (60) God abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh.
4. There comes a time when God must judge sin.
5. Remind yourself the principle of sowing and reaping always
works!
a. We will give an account for every deed, including those
done as believers.
vii.(65-72) Reminder to not forget God’s faithfulness to His
covenants.
 1. We are beneficiaries of God’s covenant with Abraham.
2. Also the New Covenant, which God instituted through Christ.
3. Despite talking about all the miracles, disobedience, judgment,
he comes back and reminds them in anthropomorphic terms that
God always remembers and executes His covenants in the
perfect manner and time.
4. God chose a tribe and from that tribe a man. From the tribe of
Judah comes our savior.
b. Don’t forget or forsake God!
i. Learn form mistakes and lessons of the past.
1. Or we will repeat them.
2. The ancient Word’s of scripture are preserved in part to warn us
of others mistakes and their results.
3. APP: We will make new mistakes but let’s not keep making the
same ones over and over!
ii.“Faith is an attitude of the heart and mind that takes God’s
commandments and promises seriously”
1. Those who walk by faith take God seriously! Promises and
commandments.
2. How many take God seriously today?
III. What we must leave for the future.
a. Deut. 6, 11 also talk in these terms.
b. Let’s reread v. 1-8
i. Jesus quotes this passage in the NT to explain why He taught in
parable.
ii.EX: Parable of the Good Samaritan. It is really not about the
characters. The meaning is the answers the question that prompted it.
“Who is my neighbor?” The one who stops and offers to meet the
needs of someone in trouble is the true neighbor.
c. (3-8) What must we leave for future Generations?
i. Pass on the truth delivered to each one of us.
1. 2 Tim. 1:13-14
ii.What is our personal responsibility? It is not all up to pastors and
preachers.
iii.The faith once for all delivered to the saints. But it is not just about
sharing the gospel.
iv.It is sound doctrine, healthy teaching, the truth about God and us.
v.We must counteract biblical illiteracy.
1. We can no longer assume that people know the biblical
accounts.
a. Many have never heard of Gideon, Samson, or the Parable
of the Good Samaritan.
2. We are about to lose our Hymn heritage. They were designed to
pass on the truths of God’s Word. They taught substantive
theology.
vi.Think about a generation or two down the road when no one knows
the scripture or has any point of reference for God.
vii.We must decide, “What is it about God that I want my children and
grandchildren to know?”
1. Holiness, righteousness, judgment, love, forgiveness,
faithfulness.
 2. What else would you pass down?
viii.Tell:
1. The wonders and the works of God (4)
a. Praiseworthy deeds, power, works.
2. It must be intentional and purposeful by us.
a. It will not happen by observation or by osmosis. We must
tell them!
b. Quit apologizing for it. We must not care about religious
tolerance or pluralism.
c. The only thing we know about God that is trustworthy or
accurate comes from His Word.
3. What is God like to us? What do we know personally of Him?
What do we want to share with others? It doesn’t matter if they
believe or how they respond.
ix.Teach:
1. The Word of God and the Ways of God.
2. (5) Teach all of the Word of God.
3. The absolutes standard of truth is the Word of God.
4. If something is wrong or sinful it is so because of the Word of
God; Period! If not do whatever you want.
5. Principles, concepts, commandments.
6. Share what God requires and how He works generally.
7. Moses wanted to know God’s name and how He works.
x.(7) Purpose clause: “Then they would put their trust in God”.
1. Why should we pass it on? So that they will:
a. Trust Him completely
b. Remember His deeds
c. Keep his commandments
d. Remain loyal to the Lord.

What do you want your children and grandchildren to know about God? What body of
truth do you want to leave to them? You cannot leave it to the professionals.

Everybody wonders what is going to happen next. The only one I will look at is the Word
of God. It has an apocalyptic ending but it is one where God’s holiness and judgment are
revealed.