Psalm 81 – Hear (and obey)

The opening lines of this psalm are a great call to worship and serve as a call to covenant renewal. Some scholars argue that it was associated with the Fall festival known as the Feast of Sukkot (Booths or Tabernacles) which celebrates the Exodus wilderness experience whereby G-d saved His chosen people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt and led them into freedom in the desert. He dwelt with them in the Tabernacle (the Tent). If you recall, it was during this wilderness experience that G-d delivered Torah and the Commandments to Moses.

Our psalm today recounts that history, with G-d speaking in the first person. After summarizing the events of the Exodus to the assembled congregation, He reminds His chosen people of their apostacy. The technique used, once again, is classic Jewish repetition of a word or phrase, this time focusing on the key word שְׁמַ֣ע ‘she-MA’ which means “to hear/listen (and obey).” In verse 8 G-d commands, “Hear (and obey), O my people, and I will warn you; Israel, if you would but hear me (and obey).” My mind immediately goes to Deuteronomy 6:4-9, the Shema, which is the greatest commandment (EVERY rabbi, including Jesus, proclaims it to be such): “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your might …”

G-d continues to speak in the psalm: “But my people would not hear me (obey).” (v. 11) And so G-d “gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.” And then something I find remarkable happens. It is as if G-d is praying to Himself. I can imagine an almost wailing type of emotion. God cries out, “If my people would only hear me (and obey), if Israel would only follow my ways, how quickly I would humble their enemies!” (v. 13)

The theology of our text this morning reminds of us of several things:

1. G-d has seen us in bondage (whatever form that has taken in your life) and has already freed us from that bondage in a mighty act of salvation.

2. G-d desperately desires a relationship with us.

3. We often ignore and underestimate how great His love is for us.

4. If we would only ‘she-MA’ G-d, He would go to great lengths to satisfy us, even to the extreme of providing “honey from a rock.” (v. 16)

Today, may we hear (and obey) G-d’s call from Psalm 81 for renewal in our relationship with Him.

Godspeed and Shalom שָׁלוֹם

D-Wach

Go Forth Teaching Ministries is excited to announce our next faith based tour: Egypt!

Our journey will include a 4-day Nile River cruise, a tour of the Egyptian Museum, a a visit to the pyramids and sphinx, an optional sunrise hot air balloon ride over the River Nile, and an optional hike up Moses Mountain. Each day will include a Bible study of the Exodus focusing on how the Egyptian culture and religious life impacted the People of God as they made their way out of Egypt and into the desert.

We are partnering with Egypt Unlimited Tours, an Egyptian tour company with whom Noelle (Insights in Travel) has worked on prior occasions. They have created a website with access to the trip details and the ability to sign up on-line. As always, if you need/want help with flights, or have logistics questions, please reach out to Noelle (contact info below). And of course, feel free to reach out to me as well.

The trip dates are March 6 (depart from USA) through March 16 (arrival back in the USA). These dates include your flight departure and arrival, but international flights are not included in the trip price. The international flights and travel insurance are extra costs and you can consult with Noelle about both of those.

The trip website is:

https://egyptunlimitedtours.wetravel.com/trips/egypt-luxury-tour-with-insights-in-travel-egypt-unlimited-tours-7395795074

The ship that we will most likely utilize has a website as well. See that link below:

https://www.sonesta.com/sonesta-st-george-1-nile-cruise-ship

Noelle’s contact information is as follows:

Noelle Wachter, Insights in Travel LLC

828-244-6640

[email protected]

I am looking forward to another awesome experience with you all!!!

Feel free to also reach out to me with any questions: [email protected]

Godspeed,

D-Wach

Psalm 80 – God’s Favor

We start today with a review of some lockdown dates everyone needs to remember regarding the ancient history of Israel in which the Hebrew Bible (what we call the Old Testament) was produced:

1300 BCE - The Exodus led by Moses - (give or take 100 years – there is

significant dispute regards this date)

1000 BCE – The Kingdom of David

722 BCE – The Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel

586 BCE – The destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Exile of the

“rich and famous” of Judea

The references at the beginning of Psalm 80 to Joseph, Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh (all tribes and clans of the Northern Kingdom) locate this psalm historically in the period just before or just after the aforementioned Assyrian conquest in 722 BCE. It is a communal lament (complaint) that follows the typical pattern that we have seen before for lament psalms, including another great question (remember, the Bible is as much a book of questions as it is a book of answers, and the theology is always in the questions): “O LORD God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?” (v. 4)

This question caught my interest because it states matter-of-factly that G-d is angry with our prayers. How could G-d ever be angry with our prayers? Aren’t we supposed to pray at all times and in all circumstances? In that case, how can He be mad? These are good questions to ponder. Part of our assignment today is to analyze our prayer lives. How faithful are we in seeking conversation with G-d at all times and in all circumstances? Or … do we seek G-d only when we need a favor from Him? Perhaps our selective praying causes Him anger.

Psalm 80 also employs a classic Jewish three-peat refrain that acknowledges the need for G-d’s favor (His action that is necessary for us and that will occur without any repayment) for our rescue/deliverance/salvation: “Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us that we may be saved.” (vv. 3,7,19) An overriding Truth of the psalms is that we cannot save ourselves. Only through G-d’s favor can we be redeemed and restored.

The psalms also speak to a people who too often in their history turned to G-d only when they needed a favor. The faith lesson today, and the reason for the self-examination, is to exhort us to lean into G-d at all times and in all circumstances. Our journey should be an all-day and all-topic conversation with Him. Give it a try. It is the key to joyful and abundant living.

Godspeed,

DWach

PS … one textual note regards to v. 17: “Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.” There certainly seems to be messianic tones to this verse, and I think as Christians, it is fair to associate this passage with Jesus as Messiah, especially in a psalm that three times pleads to G-d for salvation and restoration. On the other hand, historically within Judaism, the rabbis associated this “man” with the king, who would be G-d’s agent of restoration.

PPS … today’s musical offering from DJ Revonda based on Psalm 80 comes from Sons of Korah, which has become one of our favorite bands

Psalm 79 – Love Our Enemies?

For those Psalm a Dayers who were alive, do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001? I was in California on a business trip. I went down from my hotel room early to eat breakfast and saw what everyone else was seeing: the destruction of our iconic Twin Towers. I was scheduled to leave that day to return to NC, and obviously, the itinerary changed as all air traffic was shut down. I was stranded for four days. The feeling of helplessness and disorientation was overwhelming. I am sure all of us felt that same disorientation in our spirits as well as rage and anger as our nation’s very soul was affronted by our “enemies,” especially as they danced in the streets the next day in Arab cities around the world.

The destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE and the subsequent exile of the “rich and famous” of Judea to Babylon was analogous to our experiences of 9/11 … only worse. Arguably, the USA quickly recovered from the effects of that day and life returned to normal for most Americans. It took three generations before any Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and the Temple, but as we read in Psalm 74 a few days ago, it wasn’t the same as before.

Our lament (complaint) psalm today was born out of the desperation of a people tired, angry, disoriented and desiring two things: revenge for the destruction of the Temple and mercy for Israel’s communal sin and apostacy. There is a great deal of irony in this statement. The psalmist practically admits that G-d’s people had not been obedient, and if truth be told, deserved their fate in exile: “Do not hold against us the sins of our fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us.” (v. 8) In the same breath the psalmist demands, “Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O LORD.” (v. 12)

The raw passion of the psalmist mirrors our own spirit and sentiment. The sevenfold punishment the psalmist demands for Israel’s enemies (v. 12) hearkens back to Lamech’s vengeance in Genesis 4:24, and we can read that story and pass judgement on Lamech for his viscousness. But when our personhood, or our country is affronted, all notions of mercy and forgiveness are forgotten. Destruction is the proper destiny “for them” while grace and mercy are suitable and just “for us.”

Almost 10 years after the events of 9/11/2001, news broke late one night that Osama bin Laden, master mind of the attack, had been killed. The demographic that heard the news first were our young adults, those who had been grade-schoolers in 2001 (they knew first because the news broke late at night, and they were the only ones still awake!). There was communal joy and euphoria that night as these young adults texted each other and celebrated and “danced in the streets.” Vengeance had been served.

I felt the euphoria too when my son called and woke me up with the news that night. My reaction disturbed me. I was confronted with the hypocrisy of my own soul. Death to the enemy for their evil ways and mercy to me for mine. Did bin Laden deserve to die? Of course! But should I be joyful about it? I think the answer is no. A more spiritual response would have been to acknowledge G-d’s justice being served, to mourn the reality that we live in a sinful and fallen world in desperate need of G-d, and to yearn for His Kingdom to reign on earth.

This psalm disturbs me more than any other. My sinful and self-centered soul is on full display. My self-righteousness and arrogance are on full display when I read it because the psalmist’s desire for vengeance appeals to me.

Jesus said, “You have heard that it is said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven … If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that? BE PERFECT, THEREFORE, AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT.” (Matthew 5: 43-48)

Yep, this thing called Christianity ain’t for the faint of heart.

Godspeed,

DWach

Psalm 78 – A History Lesson

The setting is a small village near the Sea of Galilee. I imagine an evening fire in the courtyard of an extended family’s “insula” which is a series of connected rooms (sleeping quarters for each family unit) and a courtyard making a singular rectangular compound (see attached sketch). The evening meal is finished, and the animals are secure within the courtyard. The families gather around the fire and listen to the patriarch recite/tell the story of Psalm 78:

“Listen, dear friends, to God’s truth, and bend your ears to what I tell you. I’m chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I’ll let you in on the sweet old truths, stories that we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother’s knee. We’re not keeping this to ourselves. We’re passing it along to the next generation: God’s fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done.

He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel and then commanded our parents to teach it to their children so that the next generation would know, and all the generations to come: that they would know the truth and tell the stories so that their children can trust in God, and will never forget the works of God, but keep his commands to the letter. Heaven forbid they should be like their parents, bullheaded and bad, and a fickle and faithless bunch who never stayed true to God.” (v. 1-8)

The patriarch continues his recitation of Psalm 78 which recounts, in summary form, the history of Israel and its relationship with YHWH … the good, the bad and the ugly. Unlike the series of “looking backwards” psalms that we have encountered since Psalm 73, this psalm is not a lament. This is the reflection of a psalmist who understands the past and how it should be applied to the present and future, and he does so without emotional angst about what is happening to him (and his people) in the present.

Psalm 78 is the history lesson of a seasoned theological warrior who recounts the rich history of his people and his God so that he can teach “the next generation.” (v. 4, 6) And what is the lesson? I believe it is a lesson of obedience/disobedience and the consequences of both of those responses to G-d’s presence in our lives.

We have mentioned that scholars have tried to find an overarching structure to the 150 psalms, to no avail. However, there seem to be sections of text that are arranged in a certain order that betray some theological structure. The “looking back” psalms starting with Psalm 73 seem to be one of those sections. Each psalm adds some clarity on how we should treat our collective faith history and our collective relationship with G-d.

These psalms exhort us to reflect on our past but not dwell on it. We should not yearn for the past but learn from it. As we continue along the path of our spiritual journey, we are to be humble and patient, present in the moment but also forward thinking in anticipation of G-d’s actions, and as demonstrated by today’s history lesson, do it in obedience to the words and commands of the Holy One. And, so very importantly, we are to use our faith history to teach the next generation how to love and relate to G-d.

All of this is no easy task. As I have said so many times before, the life of faith ain’t for the faint of heart! But praise be to G-d that we live the life of faith in the midst of an eternal community of fellow sojourners and in the presence and power of the One who was, and is, and is to come! Grind on Psalm a Dayers! And be sure to do your part in passing on the faith.

Shalom שָׁלוֹם

DWach

Sketch of a 1st Century Jewish Insula:

Psalm 77 – Remembering and Forgetting

Has G-d changed? “Has God forgotten to be merciful?” (v. 9) Theological questions like this (remember, the Bible is a book of questions!) span human existence and explain why the psalms remain so relevant to our modern lives. This psalm is classified as a lament (complaint) psalm, and it follows the “good ol’ days” theme that we have observed several times.

In Psalm 77, the psalmist employs a chiastic structure along with a “compare and contrast” word play between remembering and forgetting. To refresh your memory, a chiastic structure is a set of ideas or words set forth in a structured way that leads the reader to a central point. The text continues after the main point (within the chiastic structure) with the order of ideas or words reversed, or mirrored. The net effect is to bring more intense focus on the central point. Here is the chiasm of Psalm 77 playing off the compare and contrast of remembering and forgetting (in my opinion):

In verse 3, the psalmist says, “I remember you, O God, and I groaned.”

In verse 5, the psalmist says, “I remembered my songs in the night.”

In verse 9, the psalmist says, “Has God forgotten to be merciful?”

In verse 11, the psalmist says, “I will remember the deeds of the LORD.”

In verse 11, the psalmist says, “Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.”

The accusation is harsh! WE remember G-d, but HE forgets us! The accusation is also ironic, because upon self-examination, the reverse is what is really true. It is we who, over the course of the day and in the heat of the battle, forget G-d. I think the psalmist knows this … but is impatient.

We want G-d to continue to act on our behalf like He has done before. And we want His favor NOW. As mentioned, this psalm is a little bit like “the good ol’ days” lament of Psalm 74. I wrote as our exhortation from Psalm 74 the following:

“It was a nice morning thinking about the “good ol’ days.” Praise G-d for it all. But now is the time to contemplate the “good new days” that lie ahead.”

The act of contemplating the “good new days” requires patience. The Truth is that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

The God who performed miracles, redeemed His people and “led [His] people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (v. 20) is the same G-d who will lead you to the “good new days.” We remember those past days of favor. We pray for those days to be repeated. But G-d’s timing is not our timing. Are you patient enough to wait upon the LORD?

Godspeed,

DWach

PS … DJ Revonda offers two videos today: one is a scene from Season 3 of The Chosen as Asaph (the writer of Psalm 77) presents Psalm 77 to King David and his wife; the other is a song from The Sons of Korah based on Psalm 77: 10-15.

Psalm 76 – Our Warrior God

Our God is a Warrior God. He dwells with us. He fights for us. His power is awesome. As we encounter the events of our day, as we interact with people who are for us and against us, we often forget that. We get mired in the anxiety of our day. We forget Who is fighting for us.

Psalm 76 reminds us of our Warrior God. He is known by His people in His land. (v. 1) He dwells with His people. (v. 2). He vanquishes those who oppose Him with ease.

Our psalm today doesn’t elicit much scholarly commentary. I admit it seems pretty straight forward. He IS a Warrior God. He DOES fight for us. He IS victorious. We should “make vows to the LORD [our God] and fulfill them.” (v. 11)

Sometimes the message and exhortation needs no further comment. Today is one of those days!

Fight on, Psalm a Dayers! The faith life is not just a grind, but a fight against a spiritual enemy. REMEMBER: G-d wins … we are on G-d’s team … live today in victorious fashion!

Godspeed,

DWach

PS … DJ Revonda and I didn’t like any of the Psalm 76 songs available to us. So, we reached into the archives for a video made by one of our scrubs, Carson Labo, and featuring a sign language interpretation of a song by Rend Collective (one of our favs) called “Your Name is Power.” It fits with the idea that our Warrior God is fighting for us in our struggles and battles with HIS power, not ours. The signers are my children, David Luke (and his wife, Kendall), Adri (and her husband, Josh), and Hannah (the lead signer). The location is Rocky Face Mountain Recreation Area in our beloved NC mountains.

We just completed our most recent trip to Greece and Turkey following the footsteps of St. Paul during his second (and part of his third) missionary journey. As always, it was an incredible trip, and this group leaned in to the faith lessons in a big way! We also had a lot of fun creating community and enjoying the beauty of mainland Greece and the Greek Islands as well as the hustle and bustle of Athens.

I had hoped to record several on location special episodes, but had some difficulty with the technology. Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry!

Thus, I can only offer this one entry from Philippi, which is definitely a Top 5 spot!

Godspeed and Shalom,

D-Wach

PS … Next up on the Go Forth Teaching Ministry faith trip itinerary: Egypt! We are in the process of finalizing our itinerary for March 6-15, 2027. We are limiting participation to 16 … so, if you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible.

Psalm 75

We are now at the halfway point of our Psalm a Day Keeps Satan Away exercise. If you are reading this … THANKS for hanging in there! For some of you, this is round 2 or 3 or 4 … again, THANKS for being a part of this exercise. Some have asked for new content … I promise, it will be forthcoming! In the meantime, now that we are using Substack, you can go to the GoForth website at

in order to see/read past devotionals in the archive section. And I would love it if you would share the website with others. We have 232 subscribers (always free!) at present.

We start our conversation for Psalm 75 in the most logical place, which is in the New Testament book of Revelation (Rev. 14: 6-14) In this section of John’s vision, three angels have appeared and are proclaiming an extended prophecy of judgement and exhortation. The first angel exhorts the reader to “Fear God …because the hour of his judgement has come … worship him.” The second angel proclaims, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” Then the third angel speaks in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or the hand, he too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.”

The words of the third angel allude directly to verse 8 of our psalm today: “In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all of the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.” The sin of the wicked in Psalm 75 is arrogance and boastfulness. They exalt and lift themselves up. G-d speaks directly to those boastful ones: “Boast no more … Do not lift up your horns.” (Ps. 75:4) It is G-d alone who lifts up or brings down. Those who exalt themselves will drink the wine of His wrath and their “horns” will be sheared off by G-d himself.

The life of faith is a grinding life (Psalm 73). It is also a humble life. In our age of social media and self-promotion, it is so easy for us to exalt ourselves and boast of our accomplishments. To do so is but a click away on Facebook, IG and Tik-Tok. But it is sin. Our psalm today, in conjunction with the exhortations of the angels in Revelation 14, should stand as a corrective against the boastful mindset.

Today, if you are going to “click,” celebrate the accomplishments or ministry of a friend … or celebrate the goodness of G-d like the psalmist does: “I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.” (v. 9)

Shalom שָׁלוֹם

DWach

Psalm 74 – The Good New Days

Have you ever longed for the “good ol’ days?” Do you remember the days of old when your body was fit, and you could eat anything you wanted and not gain weight? Do you remember the “good ol’ days” before Facebook, IG and Tik-Tok? Do you remember the “good ol’ days” when we only had three TV channels and an antenna on the roof? Do you remember the “good ol’ days” when the ACC was the ACC and didn’t include any schools from the mid-West or from north of the Mason-Dixon line? Even the young scrubs in our Psalm a Day community can remember times of their idyllic youth where the pressures of school and social media were non-existent.

Today’s psalm is a communal lament (complaint) of Israel harking back to the “good ol’ days” prior to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE and the subsequent exile of the ‘rich and famous’ of Israel to Babylon. This psalm is almost certainly a product of the Jewish exile community that yearned, after three generations, to return to their homeland of Israel and re-build the Temple.

The psalmist shouts at G-d: “Why have you rejected us forever, O God?” (v. 1); “Your foes roared in the place where you met us.” (v. 4); “They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your name.” (v. 7); “How long will the enemy mock you, O God?” (v. 10); “Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? … Destroy them!” (v. 11)

These are the words of a bold nation and a bold people who have trusted in G-d, who have seen Him in action, and acknowledge His power and might. Why won’t he restore them to their dwelling place with Him so that things could be the way they were? (remember, the Bible is a book of questions!) We can relate to that sentiment and that question!

The psalmist acknowledges G-d’s sovereignty over Creation in verses 12-17 before picking up the clarion call again for G-d to act: “Rise up, O God, and defend your cause.” (v. 22)

The psalm ends seemingly without any clarity as to what will happen next. History and the Scriptures tell us that after 70 years of exile, G-d’s people slowly started emigrating back to Jerusalem and its surroundings. But it wasn’t the same. The Temple re-build project was difficult, and the end result was but a shadow of the glory of the first Temple. The people once again yearned for the “good ol’ days.” The people had no foresight into how G-d would once again use His people and His Temple and His Jerusalem to enact His plan of salvation for all of Creation. They were focused on their seemingly less than ideal situation in the present and the glory of their past.

However, the cold hard truth about the “good ol’ days” is that they weren’t as good as we remember. I’m betting there were, without me knowing anything about your story, instances of struggle and strife. But we are obsessed with re-writing our history based on today’s struggles.

My granddaddy had a saying, “There’s a reason rear view mirrors are so small: if you spend a lot of time looking backwards, you will crash going forward.” The journey we call faith needs to be forward-looking. We can’t spend a lot of time looking back, because we will miss where G-d is leading us. Our psalm today is a good reminder to limit our “good ol’ day” mindset.

I spent some time this morning looking in the rear view mirror of my life: the good, bad AND ugly. I don’t regret any experience that I have had, no matter how painful those memories might be. I delight in past successes. The good, bad AND ugly have shaped me into the person G-d wants me to be TODAY.

So, it was a nice morning thinking about the “good ol’ days.” Praise G-d for it all. But now is the time to contemplate the “good new days” that lie ahead. I can’t wait to see what G-d has in store for me and for each of us!

Godspeed and Shalom שָׁלוֹם

DWach