Psalm 76 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
Psalm 76 Short Summary:
Psalm 76 is a psalm of worship to God for a victory He gave to the people of Israel and Judah. When the enemies invaded their land, God’s power turned them back and humbled them. Asaph, the author, advised all men to fear the Lord and hold Him in High honor.
Psalm 76 Summary
AUTHOR:
Psalm 76 was written by Asaph.
NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:
No Known New Testament References.
THEMES:
Enemies will rise up against God and His people, but they will never be a match for the ferocity of the Lord.
Never forget that God should be feared and respected.
DEFINITIONS:
Salem (76:2) – The ancient name for Jerusalem.
Zion (76:2) - Zion refers to the hill/mountain where David’s palace was built in Jerusalem. This area was on the southeast side of the city. Zion is sometimes used to refer to the city of Jerusalem as a whole.
Stouthearted (76:5) – A heart of determination and courage.
Fear of God (76:7) - In modern vernacular, we use the word “fear” to talk about things that terrify us, often things that we perceive want to do us harm. However, when the Scriptures talk about the “fear of God” it carries a richer meaning. Yes, we should be terrified of what will happen to us if we live in rebellion to God, but the “fear of God” is also to affect those who love Him. In the Bible, fearing the Lord means showing God the respect due to Him for how great He is. It is holding Him in appropriate reverence as a God of love and as a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24).
OUTLINE:
THE WRATH OF MEN VS. THE ANGER OF GOD, WHO WILL WIN? (76:1-12):
The God of Israel dwelled among His people at Salem and Zion (Jerusalem).
It was there that God had given His people a great victory. The psalmist described God’s power in the battle, but the details of the battle and the identity of the enemy are unknown.
He wrote, “There He broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war” (76:3).
He described God striking the enemy army with a sort of paralysis. Whether the writer meant this to be understood figuratively or literally is not clear.
“The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned” (75:5-6).
However one interprets the passage, the meaning is clear, God rendered the enemy army useless and incapable of fighting against His people.
Asaph knew God was a fierce enemy to those who “roused” His anger.
Asaph also knew God was a savior to the humble of the earth.
In giving His people this victory, God turned the wrath of His enemies into praise for Himself. In defeating these foes, God glorified Himself and made His name even more famous on the earth.
These enemies wanted to humiliate Israel and their God, but God flipped the script, humiliating them so all nations would know the power of the God of Israel.
Asaph encouraged all people to worship God and bring Him gifts.
The psalm concludes with a word of caution, a reminder for all princes and kings of the earth to fear God.
APPLICATION:
The Psalms present a balanced picture of God, and a proper view of God requires this balance.
We’ve read about God the good shepherd in Psalm 23.
We’ve read about God the forgiver in Psalm 51.
Now we read of God the fierce warrior in Psalm 76.
We’ve seen many of His other characteristics as we’ve gone through this book.
He is full of kindness and gentleness and most certainly full of grace.
He is also to be feared and respected to the highest degree.
One mistake religious people and churches often make is to overemphasize one of God’s characteristics while ignoring others.
Some emphasize the fear of God and forget God is gracious.
Others emphasize the grace of God and forget He is to be feared.
A proper view of God requires balance. God is ALL the things He is described to be in the Psalms. Let’s try to remember that so that we don’t accidentally twist Him into something of our own design.
