THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may go to the archive below and find it.
Bruce McGee, Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
We have a great friend in Gary Godard. He has set up an archive page. To view ALL the prior devotions by Scripture, just clik
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for
the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
Psalm
CHAPTER 79
1 A Psalm of A'-saph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. 2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. 3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them. 4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
This song reflects the horror of the Babylonian conquering of Judah and Jerusalem. The temple was defiled by Gentiles. The city of Jerusalem was utterly destroyed. The dead were unburied and lay in the streets.
The people felt shame (verse 4). They were scorned by others.
We must remember the reason for this terrible occasion. The people had, at first, grown lax in their worship of God. Then, progressively, they had worshipped false gods, mixing their faith with worldliness. Now they are suffering the consequences of losing God's favor.
When Christians wander away from God's personal intimate fellowship, they will begin to allow worldliness to enter their lives. And soon, they will suffer the consequences of losing God's favor.
5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. 7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place. 8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
But now, those who have true belief in God, are crying out for help. They are begging forgiveness of sin (verse 8), and acknowledging their need of God.
Christians, remember, when we seek God with contrite and humble hearts He will "REVIVE" our souls!
"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." (2Timothy 1:6)>
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. 10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. 11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die; 12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
Though God did not immediately remove the consequences of their sins, He did send relief from captivity soon. We must realize that sometimes God must leave us to our "consequences" in order to teach us to be totally dependent upon Him.
Notice that the request of the song is not due to the goodness of the people. It is for the "glory of THY NAME"(verse 9). And the glory of God's Name demands that our sins be "purged" before the intimate relationship with God can be restored.
God will not allow Himself to be "without witness" in the world.
"Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." (Acts 14:17)
13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
Here is a commitment from the people. They will "shew forth" the praise of God to "all generations."
Christians, it should be our commitment to praise God and to TEACH the next generation in such a way that they will also be committed to teaching the love of God.
"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2Timothy 2:2)
PSALM 80
1 To the chief Musician upon Sho-shan'-nim-E'-duth, A Psalm of A'-saph. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. 3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
God is "SHEPHERD" of His people. A Shepherd sometimes must redirect the sheep in order to keep them going in the right direction!
There is a definite refrain in this song, which teaches a valuable lesson.
"Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." (Verses 3, 7 and 19)
When God gets us going in the right direction, then our faces are turned toward HIM and we see more clearly the LOVE that He has for us. Then we are "saved from our wandering which will get us in trouble.
In order to be saved from self-destruction, we must realize our NEED for that genuine personal relationship with God and CALL OUT asking Him to "turn" us!
4 O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? 5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. 6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Like the psalmist, true believers will realize the consequences of sins when we stray from God. And we
will realize that God's chastisement is upon us because we have broken our intimate relationship with Him.
It is then we must call upon God to "turn us again...."
8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. 9 Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. 11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. 12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? 13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. 14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; 15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
When we are first saved, we realize the wonderful things God has done for us. He "brought a vine out of Egypt" (verse 8) when He bought us out of the marketplace of slavery to sin.
God has caused the Christian to "take deep root" (verse 9) in the presence of His Holy Spirit, the teaching of His Word, and the fellowship of His people.
God has caused His people to spread out and reach other people for Christ (verse 11).
But when we sin, we feel as though God has "broken down" the hedges of protection (verse 12), and allowed destruction (verses 12-13).
Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5)
Sinfulness causes us to be separated from our power source. When we realize this, we should humbly call upon God to "turn us again...."
17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. 18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. 19 Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
The power of a king was noted in his "right hand." That was the hand in which he held the sceptre of rulership. We are reminded of this power in the book of Esther. She told Mordecai (her uncle) that if she entered the king's court and he did not hold out the sceptre toward her, she would be KILLED! (See Esther 4:11)
It is the power of God that we NEED in our lives. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the "right hand" of God! (See Acts 7:55, Romans 8:34, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 10:12, 1Peter 3:22)
It is CHRIST we need in our lives every day!!
Let us today beg Christ to "quicken" us (verse 18) -- make us ALIVE in Him. And then He will "Turn us again..."
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