Lessons From the Psalms - Psalm 75

[00:00:07] Welcome to Lessons From the Psalms. This is Bill Kelley and I'll be your host. On this podcast we will be going over the book of Psalms.

[00:00:21] Let's open in prayer. Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this Psalm today. Lord, I pray that you would reveal to everyone listening how much you truly love each and every one of them. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

[00:00:37] This is Psalm 75 beginning in verse 1.

[00:00:42] We give thanks to you, O God. We give thanks, for your wondrous works declare that your name is near.

[00:00:52] When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly. The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved.

[00:01:01] I set up its pillars firmly. Say Law.

[00:01:05] I said to the boastful, Do not deal boastfully. And to the wicked, do not lift up the horn. Do not lift up your horn on high. Do not speak with a stiff neck.

[00:01:21] For exaltation comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the Judge.

[00:01:32] He puts down one and exalts another.

[00:01:37] For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red. It is fully mixed, and he pours it out.

[00:01:46] Surely, its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down.

[00:01:54] But I will declare forever. I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

[00:02:02] All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off. But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

[00:02:11] Friends, Psalm 75 is yet another psalm that is ascribed to the psalmist Asaph.

[00:02:21] Remember, he was a worship leader that King David had appointed in the temple.

[00:02:28] And it's written to the chief musician. Which means that at one time, this psalm was originally sung inside worship services.

[00:02:40] But Psalm 75 is one of the few psalms where the Lord is actually speaking.

[00:02:48] So what I'm going to do is go over the ten beautiful verses in this psalm.

[00:02:55] Now the first verse is the people giving praise to God.

[00:03:02] Verse number one says,

[00:03:04] We give thanks to you, O God. We give thanks for your wondrous works declare that your name is near.

[00:03:15] So this is literally in a worship service.

[00:03:19] And the people of God are praising God for his goodness.

[00:03:24] And they are thanking him for all of the good things that they have received.

[00:03:30] Now I am going to read the response from God when he hears his people giving him praise.

[00:03:41] This is God himself speaking.

[00:03:44] When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly.

[00:03:50] The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved.

[00:03:54] I set up its pillars firmly.

[00:03:57] Selah.

[00:03:59] Now Selah is a word which means meditate on what you just heard.

[00:04:07] So God is saying that he is going to eventually be the final judge of what people do on earth.

[00:04:16] In verses 4 and 5, God continues his discourse.

[00:04:22] Verse 4,

[00:04:23] I said to the boastful,

[00:04:26] Do not deal boastfully.

[00:04:28] And to the wicked,

[00:04:31] Do not lift up the horn.

[00:04:33] Do not lift up your horn on high.

[00:04:37] Do not speak with a stiff neck.

[00:04:41] Now friends, when God is speaking, we need to listen.

[00:04:46] He is telling us here, do not be boastful.

[00:04:49] And what he is really saying in essence is do not be prideful.

[00:04:57] Do not esteem yourself higher than you ought to think.

[00:05:05] Now verses 6 through 9 is the congregation responding back to God.

[00:05:12] Listen to what the people of God are saying to him.

[00:05:17] For exaltation comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

[00:05:25] But God is the judge.

[00:05:27] He puts down one and exalts another.

[00:05:31] For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red.

[00:05:37] It is fully mixed, and he pours it out.

[00:05:41] Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down.

[00:05:48] But I will declare forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

[00:05:55] So the people of God are reminding God that yes, indeed, you are the judge.

[00:06:05] There is a cup of wine, and it's fully mixed, and God is going to decide who is rewarded in this life and who is not.

[00:06:20] And verse 10 aptly ends with God speaking one more time.

[00:06:27] All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off.

[00:06:32] But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

[00:06:37] So what God in essence is telling us even today,

[00:06:42] Do what I have asked you to do.

[00:06:48] Follow my commandments.

[00:06:51] Do not do evil.

[00:06:55] Do not do the things that I do not approve of.

[00:07:01] Friends, this is a wonderful psalm,

[00:07:04] and a reminder to us that we are to follow God's commands.

[00:07:11] Friends, please join me again soon as we take a closer look at Psalm 76.

[00:07:17] .