Monday, November 9
The Psalms in the Old Testament eventually came to play a role in the religious life of ancient Israel. They were recited, sung, often with musical instruments, during times of worship, especially public worship, which in the Old Testament was key to how the people worshiped in general. Israel functioned as a community, and as a community, they worshiped together.
The Psalms are basically poems, the lyrics to songs. The Hebrew word for the Psalms, Tehillîm, means “songs of praise.” And when we sing praises to God, whatever else we are doing, we are worshiping the Lord.
Read Psalm 78:1-17. What is the essential message here, and how does it fit in with the whole question of education and worship?
There is a certain determination about the message of Psalm 78. In verse 2, Asaph mentions how we will share the “dark sayings of old.” The word “dark” does not mean “ominous” but, rather, dim or fading, as history can become when its crucial events go further and further back in time. In other translations, dark is referred to as “secret” or “sweet old truths”. The point here is that whatever else the education of Israel included, it included teaching the children the stories about the Lord’s dealing with the chosen nation.
Look at Psalm 78:6-17. What were the specific lessons that they were to teach their children? What was the ultimate goal of this education?
Among the goals of education as seen in the texts is that the children would learn to trust in God and keep His commandments. How might a text like Revelation 14:12 reflect that same idea for us today?
