Incline your ears....

 We shall look at Psalm 78 in two parts as it is quite long, so here we have the first 35 verses. Let us consider what they show us about God and man.

Psalm 78:1–35 (ESV):  

1  Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; 

incline your ears to the words of my mouth! 

 2  I will open my mouth in a parable; 

I will utter dark sayings from of old, 

 3  things that we have heard and known, 

that our fathers have told us. 

 4  We will not hide them from their children, 

but tell to the coming generation 

  the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, 

and the wonders that he has done. 

 5  He established a testimony in Jacob 

and appointed a law in Israel, 

  which he commanded our fathers 

to teach to their children, 

 6  that the next generation might know them, 

the children yet unborn, 

  and arise and tell them to their children, 

 7  so that they should set their hope in God 

  and not forget the works of God, 

but keep his commandments; 

 8  and that they should not be like their fathers, 

a stubborn and rebellious generation, 

  a generation whose heart was not steadfast, 

whose spirit was not faithful to God. 

 9  The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, 

turned back on the day of battle. 

 10  They did not keep God’s covenant, 

but refused to walk according to his law. 

 11  They forgot his works 

and the wonders that he had shown them. 

 12  In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders 

in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. 

 13  He divided the sea and let them pass through it, 

and made the waters stand like a heap. 

 14  In the daytime he led them with a cloud, 

and all the night with a fiery light. 

 15  He split rocks in the wilderness 

and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. 

 16  He made streams come out of the rock 

and caused waters to flow down like rivers. 

 17  Yet they sinned still more against him, 

rebelling against the Most High in the desert. 

 18  They tested God in their heart 

by demanding the food they craved. 

 19  They spoke against God, saying, 

“Can God spread a table in the wilderness? 

 20  He struck the rock so that water gushed out 

and streams overflowed. 

  Can he also give bread 

or provide meat for his people?” 

21  Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath; 

a fire was kindled against Jacob; 

his anger rose against Israel, 

 22  because they did not believe in God 

and did not trust his saving power. 

23  Yet he commanded the skies above 

and opened the doors of heaven, 

 24  and he rained down on them manna to eat 

and gave them the grain of heaven. 

 25  Man ate of the bread of the angels; 

he sent them food in abundance. 

 26  He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, 

and by his power he led out the south wind; 

 27  he rained meat on them like dust, 

winged birds like the sand of the seas; 

 28  he let them fall in the midst of their camp, 

all around their dwellings. 

 29  And they ate and were well filled, 

for he gave them what they craved. 

 30  But before they had satisfied their craving, 

while the food was still in their mouths, 

 31  the anger of God rose against them, 

and he killed the strongest of them 

and laid low the young men of Israel. 

 32  In spite of all this, they still sinned; 

despite his wonders, they did not believe. 

 33  So he made their days vanish like a breath, 

and their years in terror. 

 34  When he killed them, they sought him; 

they repented and sought God earnestly. 

 35  They remembered that God was their rock, 

the Most High God their redeemer. 

As we consider this psalm we see the importance of remembering. Asaph implores the people to listen to the stories he has to tell about God’s greatness, His majestic power, justice, holiness and reliable record of works. He calls them to remember - recall what God has done. It is vital that we take time to learn about and consider the works of God of old. From your own life, from others, previous generations as well as from the Bible. Make sure you are aware of the stories of God’s people and listen to others as they demonstrate and speak of what God has done. It will build your faith, encourage and help you in times of temptation and need. Do not have the attitude that your life and generation are so unique or that the past is irrelevant - that is pride and will lead to your downfall. Instead, ‘give ear’ to the sound teaching available to you. 

Asaph is a reliable source to listen to - he is a leader in the temple, renowned songwriter, worship leader and faithful servant of God. So it is worth listening to what he has discovered about the life of Israel and the character of God. He encourages those who hear his words to really listen and take onboard what he is saying because he knows the value of understanding the works of God and His character. Through the psalms he has written we have seen that Asaph points people to God even when he is struggling. By so doing he is demonstrating how to endure trials well, how to grow in faith and appreciate God. He shares his thoughts, questions and concerns, his actions and the conclusions he finds. Through these writings Asaph reveals something of his own, steadfast, faithful and faith-filled character as well as assuring us that God is always in charge, always compassionate, always strong and always caring. 

Where do you look to when you are full of concerns and questions? 

Do you have someone in your life like Asaph - a faith-filled man or woman who will show you God no matter what? It is worth seeking out the company of such people. Those who have a sound understanding of doctrine and are willing and able to share testimonies of God’s greatness (past and present). Ensure that you value people who have learnt about God’s love and forgiveness and can tell you stories of God’s patience, holiness, miracles and power. They will encourage and inspire you to keep going when life gets tough and may well help you avoid mistakes and disobedience when you listen to them. You need others to help inform your faith. There are those around you who know and understand more than you, that are wiser and more mature. They have been instructed to teach the younger generation (v5-7). These people wish to invest in you and help you avoid being part of ‘a stubborn and rebellious generation’ by leading you to, ‘not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments’. That is the one of the purposes of sharing testimonies and stories - to help you avoid the mistakes that previous God following people have made. The aim is to encourage you to avoid distractions and despair so that you can live a fulfilled and faithful life with God championing and protecting you. So, I encourage you to allow others to speak into your life in order to help you remember that ‘God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.’ There are wonderful, faithful, understanding people in your midst. Do not dismiss their stories or explanations, but take care to be informed and consider how these things impact your life today. Do ‘not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments’ and consider ‘the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done’! Then you won’t have to live under God’s wrath (v21-22, 31-34) but in His love, redemption and steadfast love. 

Have you carefully considered the existence of God?

After the wise men of the kingdom had failed to read the mysterious writing and interpret it, Daniel is remembered. Therefore he is called upon for assistance, as a last resort just as in Nebuchadnezzar’s time. Both times the kings prefer to seek ‘wise’ worldly counsel than seek the truth of God. In this case, Belshazzar doesn’t even seem to know who Daniel is. When Daniel enters, the king tells him what he has heard of him, and again makes the promise of gifts and authority, this is Daniel’s response:

17*Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. *18*O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. *19*And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. *20*But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. *21*He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. *22*And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, *23*but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honoured. 

Daniel 5:17–23.

Daniel has certainly not become a frail old frightened man has he?! Even though he is in his 80s, living in this besieged city and has just been dragged in front of the king and his partying audience, Daniel still tells it like it is! He still tells the truth as uncomfortable and unwelcome as it may be - he stands with integrity and faith. He makes it clear from his introductory speech where his knowledge and understanding come from, and does not hold back his disappointment in Belshazzar’s lack of faith. In fact he holds Belshazzar to account for what he has and hasn’t done both in the present and the past. He reminds Belshazzar of the  well-documented story of his ancestor, Nebuchadnezzar, and points out that Belshazzar has not considered the reality of the Most High God even when, in his very own family, he knows how it is told that God has shown himself, yet Belshazzar has remained purposefully ignorant and disrespectful. 

Daniel points this out before he gets into why he has been brought there - not what Belshazzar was expecting - he just wanted to understand the writing, not be told off! Yet Daniel gives this background to demonstrate that God has been working all the way through, and Belshazzar has missed it. 

Before Daniel makes any attempt to relieve the terror the king is under, he shows why this has happened - because God has seen Belshazzar's wilful ignorance and disobedience, and wants his attention. Belshazzar is challenged for not seeing the truth, for not remembering or exploring the events that occurred with Nebuchadnezzar. He has had opportunity to see who God is through his family, through the stories Nebuchadnezzar has told, even through the very items that he defiled at the celebration - all these things point to who God is, but he chose to ignore and disregard them. Now is the time he is being called to account for it.

It is clear from this account that God expects us not to only learn from our own mistakes, but also the experiences, mistakes and successes of others. God has shown you things in others lives, maybe even in your own family history, so that you can learn from them and avoid the pain and disruption that disobedience and ignorance offers. Belshazzar didn’t, and that is brought against him, he and his kingdom suffer for it. 

It is God’s expectation that we learn from others; that we listen to their God stories and that we make an effort to discover whether God is real. Have you done that? Do you take people's faith stories and carefully consider them? do you allow them to build faith or even build curiosity? or do you just disregard them as Belshazzar did? 

One day you too will be called to account for your own life; for whether you have accepted, rejected or disregarded the existence of God, I wonder how you will fare...