Our verse today further describes, in context, God’s Power as displayed at the Exodus, when the Israelites were set free from the bondage of Egypt.

“The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.” Psalm 77:17

Wow!

Sometimes the Psalms tell us things that we would have never known otherwise! Like the details above … at the Exodus!

Here’s what Exodus chapter 15 tells us of God’s great deliverance that day. “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed.” Exodus 15:3-13, but none of the specifics Psalm 77:17 just gave us!

And the previous Exodus chapter, the actual historical account reads: “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.” Exodus 14:21-30, again not as specific in reference to copious rainfall or lightning storms!

But Psalm 77:17 sure is … clear, abundantly so! “The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.”

Seems to me that almost every time God “appears” on earth (a “theophany” it’s called) … such phenomena occur.

As in Psalm 18:14 … “Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.”

And Psalm 144:6 … “Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.” A prayer.

David in 2nd Samuel 22:15, celebrating another victory sent from God. “And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.”

And maybe most famously, Habakkuk 3:11. “The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.”

Indeed … we serve an awesome God!

A powerful God!

A protective God … over His people!

Not bad writing (very positive) for a man (Asaph) who was so extremely discouraged earlier in our chapter, in our Psalm.

Here’s how Charles Haddon Spurgeon described God’s onslaught on the Egyptians. “Obedient to the Lord, the lower region of the atmosphere yielded its aid to overthrow the Egyptian host. The cloudy chariots of heaven hurried forward to discharge their floods. The skies sent out a sound. From the loftier aerial regions thundered the dread artillery of the Lord of Hosts. Peal on peal the skies sounded over the heads of the routed enemies, confusing their minds and adding to their horror. Thine arrows also went abroad. Lightnings flew like bolts from the bow of God. Swiftly, hither and thither, went the red tongues of flame, on helm and shield they gleamed; anon with blue bale fires revealing the innermost caverns of the hungry sea which waited to swallow up the pride of Mizraim. Behold, how all the creatures wait upon their God, and show themselves strong to overthrow his enemies.”

Yes, there was a storm!

With God right in the middle of it!

Praise His Name!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Speaking of God, Asaph says …

“The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.” Psalm 77:16

These statements are both literal facts, and poetic utterances, simultaneously!

God is here miraculously making Himself known, allowing Himself to be “seen!”

The specific instance being described is, I believe, particularized in verse 20 of our Psalm. Where God … “led His people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

This is specifically describing the Exodus! The time when God parted the Red Sea! And guided the Jews across “dryshod,” using a word Isaiah later coined. Out of the “clutches” of Pharaoh and his army!

The “waters” of that Sea … acknowledging their Creator … were “afraid!” In Hebrew that word is “chul,” meaning “twisting, whirling, trembling!” Here is “chaos!”

The noun “depths” translates “tehom,” actually an “abyss!” Maybe the underground reservoirs of water, rivers flowing beneath the earth.

They became “troubled” at God’s Presence, with “ragaz” meaning “disquieted, made to tremble, rage, quake!”

But out of the “confusion,” God will bring “peace, deliverance, safety!”

Salvation!

Asaph is now looking at God’s Might, Power … but coupled with his Love, Mercy, as He delivers Israel from her chief enemy!

On the Cross … Jesus too faced the roaring “waters” of God’s Wrath, the “weight” of sin taken (voluntarily) upon Himself … and there again (via the precious Blood of the Lamb) God brought peace out of turmoil!

Psalm 69:13-15 is often prophetically applied to Jesus. “O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.”

Wow!

Jesus Himself “linked” his Life and Ministry and Death to Psalm 69, in fact.

Psalm 69:4, precisely. “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.”

Now Jesus in John 15:25. “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”

I strongly suspect that Jesus, Who propitiated His Father at Calvary … is also the Jesus (Jehovah) Who conquered the Red Sea! And drowned Pharaoh!

Who overcame the raging waters!

Praise his Name.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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What a verse today!

Psalm 77:15, where we are two weeks into this great Bible Chapter … with only 5 more Lessons to go! It’s been thrilling, at least to this writer.

Obviously addressed directly to God: “Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.” Psalm 77:15

Wow!

God’s “Arm” is a Symbol of His mighty Strength. According to Isaiah 53:1 as well, God’s “Arm” may be a reference to the “Lord Jesus Christ!” He is the “revealed” Arm of the Lord! “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the ARM of the LORD revealed?” With Isaiah’s following 11 verses being ALL about Jesus as our Saviour!

Then … Jesus (God’s “Arm”) is truly His Agent of Redemption! Today’s verse again: “Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.”

The verb “redeemed” is “gaal,” the key to all the Bible’s “Kinsman Redeemer” word pictures. When a Jewish citizen fell into hard times, financially (for some reason) losing his homestead, his entire inheritance … a wealthy and willing relative COULD by law buy back all that endangered property and freely restore it to the poor victim!

Then that man would be the Kinsman Redeemer of that once blighted individual!

Related?

Wealthy enough to help?

And, key to it all, willing?

That’s Jesus, all right!

He is related to us (via the Virgin Birth)!

He is wealthy enough (in Grace and Mercy and Love)!

And He is willing (already has died, been buried and raised from the grave)!

He, through His Blood, has “bought” my wretched soul, “reclaimed” me from the pits of sin, “redeemed” me!

Yes, God indeed (through Jesus His Arm) saves the lost!

Asaph then mentions Jacob and Joseph specifically … because he is soon to use the “Redemption from Egypt” (the Exodus) as an example of God’s great might.

Until I emphasize that aspect of the Psalm (tomorrow and Friday) I shall just delight in the fact that God redeemed me!

And, by all means, rejoice if He has redeemed you too!

And we are now a “people,” a group (in Hebrew “am”), a family!

Sharing much in common because of our Lord, and our Father in Heaven!

Glory!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Asaph has somehow transitioned from “his problems” to “God’s praise” in this short 20 verse Psalm! From verse 2 (“In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.”) to verse 14, today’s verse (“Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.”), the change is dramatic!

This progression has occurred via a determined effort to “concentrate” on the Lord, favorably so. (Asaph did NOT get bitter about his life experiences!) Via a determination to keep going to the “House of the Lord,” or as Asaph calls it in Psalm 77, “the Sanctuary!” (Yesterday’s verse: “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?”) Amen!

This is amazing, though not atypical in the Book of Psalms.

Let’s listen to our little Psalmist worship. Again, Psalm 77:14. “Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.”

The first verb is “doest” (in Hebrew “asah”) which means “to make.” In fact, 653 times it is translated “make” in the King James Bible. And here it depicts “action” that is continual! God is STILL doing wonders!

And the noun “wonders” is “pele,” suggesting “marvelous” deeds, but in the sense of “hard to understand” things as well. “Extraordinary, distinguishing things!”

Then comes the verse’s second half, written to be “parallel” with its first half. “Thou hast declared thy strength among the people.”

“Hast declared” (surprisingly, “yada” in Hebrew, their normal word “to know”) is rendered “to tell” 8 times in the Bible. “To show” 17 times, and “to teach” 5 times. But “to know” 645 times! Hence the idea is “to speak” something “assuredly, without doubts!”

And “strength” is the little simple Hebrew noun “oz.” It means “to prevail, to be victor, to be firm or hard in battle!” It really is a “power, might, boldness” kind of word.

“Among” is the little preposition meaning “in.” We are very close to New Testament theology here, God “in” them!

Wow!

And lastly, “people” translates one of several available words to name the Jews. “Am” has a shade of meaning that involves the idea of “kinship.” It’s also “personal,” sort of like the “folks!” It is even expressed with the word “nation” 17 times in the Old testament!

Now, let’s put all these definitions, the words really, “back together.” And we will get Psalm 77:14, a powerful little compound sentence!

“Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.”

But Asaph has in mine one special thing God has done, for Israel. And that Miracle will come into view over the next few days.

Until tomorrow, the Lord willing …

Dr. Mike Bagwell

A child of this great “Wonder-Working” God!

 

I know the human writer is Asaph.

In fact, I’d like to some day preach a whole Revival using as my Text each evening … one of the Psalms of Asaph, this godly man! There are 12 of them, according to the superscripts anyway. Those being Psalm 50, then consecutively Psalms 73 through 83.

In more than one of his compositions (again, 12 Holy Spirit inspired Poems or Hymns) this little lover of our Lord (Asaph) speaks of the benefits of going to the House of God!

For example, Psalm 73:17, in part. “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I ….” Yes, many things are understood, or better understood, when in attendance at some local Assembly, some Bible-preaching Church!

Now today, in our verse, Psalm 77:13 … we see the same phenomenon yet again. “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?”

Wow!

Asaph sincerely believes this. God is best illuminated in the place where He is worshipped, in His “sanctuary!” His very “way” is found there! The noun translated “way” is “derek” in Hebrew, signifying one’s “manner, habit, course of life,” as well as “road, path, journey.”

Another Psalmist expressed this same Truth in the following verbiage. “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.” Psalm 36:9

Get yourself where God’s Light is to be found (the Sanctuary … the Holy Place) … and you will surely “see light,” His very “Light!”

And as soon as Asaph gets back to God’s House … he assuredly asks (already knowing the Answer) … “Who is so great a God as our God?”

Amen!

David, when away from Jerusalem (due to persecution or matters of business) longed for God’s House! “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee.” Psalm 84:1-4

Next time you’re at Church … don’t just sing! Or listen to the Sunday School Lesson! Or just take notes during the Sermon! Or fellowship with those who sit near you!

THINK!

THINK ABOUT GOD!

ASK HIS HOLY SPIRIT FOR GUIDANCE, DIRECTION, ILLUMINATION!

BASK IN HIS GLORY!

Prove in your own life … “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?”

WORSHIP!

Learning God’s Ways … at God’s House!

Sure makes sense, doesn’t it?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell