Remember!

in the ER, so I guess here we are at nine o'clock at night. So good evening and welcome to Coffee and Devotions. It's where every day we get together. We get into God's Word and we grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year, 2021, we'll make it through all the wisdom and literature. Well, why don't we go ahead and have some coffee or, well, I got tea. We'll pray and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day, and we thank you for your word. We thank you for your love to us, even though we're so rebellious. Lord, we pray that you might draw us near to yourself. In Jesus' name, amen.
All right, here we go. We're going to jump into Psalm 78, just letting you know this is a long one, but a really beautiful and powerful one, so stick along with me. Here we go. A contemplation of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children. telling to the generations to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works he has done. This is a great blessing we have, isn't it? That we are able to tell our children and our grandchildren of the blessings and the work that God has done in the past. What a great thing we have to share with our children.
For he has established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children, that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments. And they may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
This is no different than what God has told us already, right? This is what God said in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 5 and following, right? Right after the Lord says, What does he go on to say? and you shall teach them diligently. And he should talk about the law as you rise up and as you lie down and as you walk along the way. All the time we're with our children, we should be telling them about God's word. We should be showing them this is God's blessing to us to pass on his word and faith to the next generation.
The children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows, turning back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God. They refused to walk in his law and forgot his works and his wonders that he had shown them. Ephraim, one of the strongest, most numerable tribes, has left the Lord.
Marvelous things he did in the sight of their fathers. In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan, he divides the sea and caused them to pass through, and he made the water stand up like a heap. In the daytime he also led them with the cloud, and all the night with the light of fire. He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink in abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock. He caused waters to run down like rivers.
But they sinned even more against him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. And they tested God in their heart by asking for food of their fancy. Yes, they spoke against God. They said, can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Behold, he struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Can he provide meat for his people?
Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious. So a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger came out against Israel, because they did not believe in God and did not trust in his salvation. He had commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven. He rained down manna on them to eat and gave them the bread of heaven.
Men ate angels' food. He sent them food to be full. And even though they were grumbling and complaining and just disheartened about God, He still gives them angels' food. He feeds them with manna. He gave them water flowing out of the rock. He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he brought in the south wind. He also rained meat on them like the dust, feathered fowl like the sand of the seas, and he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. So they ate and were filled, for he gave them their own desires.
They were not deprived of their cravings, but while their food was still in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them and slew the stoutest of men, struck down the men of Israel. In spite of this, they still sinned and did not believe in his wondrous works. Therefore their days he consumed in futility and their years in fear."
Isn't this the truth, right? Well, we'll hear things like this where people will say, oh, well, if God would do this miracle, God, if you do this thing, I'll believe you. Now, we've been through that. In the Exodus, in the wilderness, while they were traveling around, they were eating angels' food, and they still complained about meat.
God destroyed them because of what they were doing, and they still wouldn't believe. When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and sought earnestly for God. Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God, their Redeemer, Nevertheless, they flattered him with their mouths, and they lied to him with their tongue. For their heart was not steadfast with him, nor were they faithful to his covenant. But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity. and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time he turned his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath, for he remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again." Even though they were duplicitous, God still forgave them their sins. Remember that they were but flesh. How merciful is God to people. How tender-hearted, how patient is the Lord to people!
How often they provoked Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert. Yes, again and again they tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power. The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, when he worked his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan, then turned their rivers into blood and their streams they could not drink.
He sent swarms of flies among them which devoured them and frogs which destroyed them. He also gave their crops to the caterpillar and their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with frost. He also gave up the cattle to the hail and their flocks to fiery lightnings. He casts on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble by sending angels of destruction amongst them. He made a path for his anger.
He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the plague and destroyed all the firstborn of Egypt, the first of their strength in the tents of Ham. But he made his own go forth like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. And he led them on safely, so they did not fear. But the sea overwhelmed their enemies, and he brought them into his holy border, the mountain which his right hand had acquired. He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them an inheritance by survey, and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents."
Did you hear it? This was the whole exodus and coming into the promised land. God had made these promises. God had done these amazing miracles. God had remembered them and had blessed them. He had been with them. He had been their God and they were his people because he was merciful. And notice, it's not because they're so great, but it's because God is so great. It's God who's merciful. Yet they tested. Man, isn't this true of our hearts?
Yet they tested. and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep his testimonies, but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bone. for they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their carved images. When God heard this, he was furious and greatly abhorred Israel, so that he forsook the tabernacles of Shiloh, the tent he had placed among them. He delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemy's hand. He also gave his people over to the sword and was furious with his inheritance. The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not given in marriage. The priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentations.
Brothers and sisters, I implore you to rid yourselves of the idols in your hearts." Calvin was so true when he says the heart is a factory of idols. That idolatry doesn't just look like bowing down to a stone image, but it might look like the only reason you're working is to buy the new car, the better house, more stuff. That's what Colossians chapter three says, is that our anger, our wrath, our malice, our hatred, our blasphemy, our lying to each other, our covetousness is idolatry. Brothers and sisters, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Put to death the sinful desires of your flesh. Trust in God. Look to Him. Don't make His wrath come out. His wrath has been fully seen in being poured out upon Jesus Christ. But yet, if it's going to go well with you in this life, I would implore you to walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. Let's keep reading. Then the Lord awoke from sleep like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
And he beat back his enemies, he put them to a perpetual reproach. Moreover, he rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved. And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds, from following the ewes that had brought him in to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands." God chose David to be the shepherd of Israel. But as Matthew chapter one points out, there's a new true son of David. His name is Jesus Christ and he is the true shepherd of his people. He is the great shepherd. He is the one who watches over us and cares for us. He is the shepherd who has laid down his life for sinners like you and like me.
Brothers and sisters, abide in Jesus Christ. If you love Jesus Christ, keep his commandments, not out of a sense of, I have to do this or else I'm not right with God, but because you are made right with God, bear good fruit. Abide in Jesus Christ. Let's pray.
Father, we thank you. for your great deeds. We pray that we would not forget. We thank you that even though we are rebellious, oh Lord, our hearts are so prone to wonder. We thank you for our shepherd. Father, we pray that you would give us a good night's sleep tonight, that we might remember who you are and your amazing mercy towards us. In Jesus's name, amen. Well, may you have a great night tonight. May you sleep well. May you rest in Jesus Christ. And I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.