Shalom,
We can break Psalm 76 into 4 parts to better understand it. In part 1 God wants us to KNOW Him! Verses 1-3:
1IN JUDAH God is known and renowned; His name is highly praised and is great in Israel.2In [Jeru]Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place is in Zion.
3There He broke the bow's flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
The word "known" here is the Hebrew word, "yada`", which means: to know, to learn to know, to perceive, to know by experience, to recognize. Get to know him through His Word!
In part 2 He wants us to TRUST Him. Verses 4-6:
4Glorious and excellent are You from the mountains of prey [splendid and majestic, more than the everlasting mountains].
5The stouthearted are stripped of their spoil, they have slept the sleep [of death]; and none of the men of might could raise their hands.
6At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both chariot [rider] and horse are cast into a dead sleep [of death].
He wants us to have the confidence that if He ever delivered anyone, He WILL deliver US! AMEN!
In part 3 He wants us to FEAR Him. Verses 7-9:
7You, even You, are to be feared [with awe and reverence]! Who may stand in Your presence when once Your anger is roused?
8You caused sentence to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still--
9When God arose to [establish] judgment, to save all the meek and oppressed of the earth. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
This doesn't mean being afraid of Him, but rather respecting Him and revering Him for WHO He is! The word "fear" here is the Hebrew word, "yare`", which means: to revere, to show reverence and honor, to respect, to be in awe of.
Then in part 4 He wants us to OBEY Him. Verses 10-12:
10Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; the remainder of wrath shall You restrain and gird and arm Yourself with it.
11Vow and pay to the Lord your God; let all who are round about Him bring presents to Him Who ought to be [reverently] feared.
12He will cut off the spirit [of pride and fury] of princes; He is terrible to the [ungodly] kings of the earth.
Remember that 1 Samuel 15:22 says:
22Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Find out what God wants you to do, then DO IT!
In Romans 4 we read about the faith of Abraham. One of my favorite verses is verse 3:
3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Abraham believed God and he (Abraham) was counted as righteous in the eyes of God! Do YOU believe God? You can't unless you know what He says! You need to find out what the Word of God has to say about every area of your life and then believe Him, no matter how things look! That's FAITH! My next favorite verse in this chapter is verse 17:
17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
We are also to "call those things that be not as though they were"! Speak to those things that need to be changed in your life and then call them as you WANT them to be! Jesus did and we are to do the works that He did! (John 14:12). Then I want to clarify verse 19:
19He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb.
The KJV says that Abraham considered NOT his own body... but "not" is NOT really there. It was added by the translators because they thought it would make things clearer. It didn't! It makes much more sense to see that Abraham looked at his body, too old to naturally have children, and then CHOSE to believe God instead and call those things that be not as though they were. How do we know that he did that? Because he changed his name to Abraham, which means "Father of a multitude"! He refused to be moved by natural "facts", choosing to believe the TRUTH of God's Word over anything his senses or any other person told him. That's how you walk in faith! That's how WE are to operate in every area of our lives, too!
In Leviticus we read more instructions from the Lord to Moses. Then the Lord instructs Moses about the Feasts that they are expected to keep. By keeping these Feasts, the people would have continual reminders of all that God had done for them. Every believer in Jesus of Nazareth should find a good teaching on the Feasts of Israel from a new Covenant perspective. It is fascinating to read these and see Jesus in every one!
Shalom in Him!
