Back to Basics

Psalm 78

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle. They did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to his law. They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. — Psalm 78:1-11

Back to the basics. This is a phrase I both hear a lot and also find myself saying. God has given us an amazing ability to create and think of new things. However, sometimes this ability can have a negative side effect; in attempting to come up with new ways to do or look at things, we can start to forget the basics or foundation. 

Psalm 78 was written by Asaph, a Levitical musician appointed by King David. Asaph was skilled in music and known as a “seer” or prophet (2 Chron. 29:30). He is credited with writing Psalms 50 and 73-83. Asaph used the musical gift God gave him to share the truth of God’s Word and the consequences of not following His commands. 

In Psalm 78, Asaph is not giving us new truth but rather calling us to remember the works of God. He writes that he will speak of “things that we have heard and known, and that our fathers have told us.”

We do not often need new truth, but we do need to be reminded of the truth we know and freshly apply it to our lives. Not only do we need to recount to ourselves what God has done, but we need to tell it to our children. Asaph writes, “We will not hide them from our children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might and the wonders that He has done.” When we don’t talk about the Lord and what He has accomplished, we are essentially hiding these truths from our children. We need to openly talk about what God has done. Asaph says he will discuss “dark sayings of old.” Sometimes discussing what God has done means we also have to talk about our failings and the difficult things we have had to endure. 

We need to talk about God’s works so that our children know Him and what He has done. God’s works should be passed down from generation to generation. The prayer and goal is that as Nataly and I share what God has done for us with our children, that some day they will share those truths with their children. Children who have not yet been born. The goal for sharing these truths is that our children will set their hope in God. That is important for us to remember. My goal should not be for my kids to set their hope in me; I want them to set their hope in God. I want them to know and remember all that God has done. 

We need to be diligent in sharing the truth of who God is so that we do not forget Him and His works. And if we forget about God, our children will forget. Forgetting God and His works leads to destruction. Asaph gives us the example of the Ephraimites to drive that point home. They forgot God’s works and turned back in the day of battle. 

May we be faithful to recount God’s works this year so that we do not shrink back in our spiritual battles.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.— 1 Peter 1:13