Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Psalm 83 describes a coalition of at least ten Gentile nations that attempted to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Most of the commentaries I studied connect this Psalm with King Jehoshaphat's great victory over them in a miraculous way. 2 Chronicles 20 is the record of this event. When King Jehoshaphat heard that they were coming he immediately turned to the LORD and called the people to...

From the title, we know a man named Asaph wrote Psalm 82, but we are not sure when he wrote it. It is concerned with a universal problem, one which afflicts all countries, but oriental countries particularly, the problem of unjust judges and corrupt officials. This psalm deals with the unjust judge in Israel and finds many an echo in the passionate outpourings of the prophets.   I’ll never forget...

From the title, we know a man named Asaph wrote Psalm 82. He is one of many men with this same name, and who are descendants from the same family of Levites who were gifted poets, musicians, and appointed leaders for worship in the temple. We have no idea of when Asaph wrote this Psalm in Israel’s history. In Psalm 82, Asaph the poet becomes Asaph the preacher and he has a direct message for the c...

From the title we know a man named Asaph wrote Psalm 81. From the contents we know it wrote it specifically for the nation of Israel calling them to worship during one of the feast days. But we have no idea of when he wrote this Psalm in Israel’s history. Because of that it appears that the Lord wanted it to be used to prompt all the generations of Israel to remember God’s greatness, His goodness...

Today is Sunday, the “first day” of the week, a day that has been recognized for centuries by Christians as a special day of week that has been set aside to come together with God’s people to experience and enjoy cooperate worship. The Jewish people meet together for the reading of the Law and worship on Saturday, the “seventh day” of the week that is call Sabbath, the day of rest. We believe the...

Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!   In Psalm 80 Asaph is praying and asking God to save, to return, to restore, and revive the nation of Israel after it has been basi...

It is possible that Psalm 80 is a prayer of Asaph pleading with the LORD to save and restore Israel during the time of Isaiah and King Hezekiah and the Assyrian invasion. Some believe it could have been written even later when the Babylonian army had surrounded Jerusalem and was about to destroy it. There are some others who think it is possible that it was written after the Babylonian captivity o...

Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!”   Today, we will begin to look at Psalm 80. But before we do, let me share a personal prayer request this morning. Many of you have been faithfully praying for my preemie grandson Luke, who was born a year ago in June weighing a pound and a half. Miraculously, he has survived and is a real tough little kid! Right after his birth...

But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.”   The Asaph who wrote Psalm 79 lived in the time of Jeremiah the prophet when the Babylonians captured the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it. In verses 1-4, Asaph is mourning over the terrible atrocities that have taken place.  In verses 5-8, he is suffering...

“Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name's sake! Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let there be known among the nations in our sight The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed. Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your p...

From the title we know that a man named Asaph wrote Psalm 79.  He most likely lived in the time of Jeremiah the prophet when the Babylonians captured the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it. In the first four verses we read how Asaph suffered mental, emotional, and spiritual agony as he views this terrible scene of God’s judgment upon his nation. In verses 5-8, we feel Asaph’s suffering as he exper...

The Asaph who wrote Psalm 79 most likely lived in the time of Jeremiah the prophet when the Babylonians captured the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it. His Psalm is a cry of anguish and despair as he surveys the terrible destruction of the temple and massacre of thousands of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Prophetically, of course, the Psalm anticipates the coming of the Antichrist and his desecrat...

Today we will finish our chat on Psalm 78. This Psalm is a maschil of Asaph, a Psalm of instruction, covering Israel's history from Egypt to the time of David. In it we see the failure of the people and the faithfulness of God. Asaph writes a history lesson to Judah during the reign of Hezekiah, in an attempt to protect the future generations from committing the sins of their forefathers. (vv....

Three words sum up Psalms 78, Deliverance, Disobedience and Discipline! Asaph is teaching a history lesson to the nation of Israel during a dark time when Hezekiah was king, and the Babylonians were attacking Jerusalem. He is asking them to remember the failures of their forefathers in the past even though God had shown Himself so powerful in so many ways to deliver them from the oppression of the...

Psalm 78 is called a “History Psalm” that gives us the story of the failures of the nation of Israel over many years. Asaph is writing this Psalm during a dark and dismal time, and he wants the new generations to remember their past, and not repeat the sins of their forefathers. He begins this history with the apostacy of Ephraim (vv. 9-11), and then recounts the nation’s sins in the wilderness (v...

Psalm 78 is called a “History Psalm” that gives us the story of the failures of the nation of Israel over the centuries. Asaph is writing this Psalm during a dark and dismal time and he wants the new generations to remember their past, and “ not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation”… “They refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works…”. He begins this history with the ap...

That they may arise and declare them to their children, That they may set their hope in God..." Psalm 78 is called a “History Psalm” that gives us the story of the failures of the nation of Israel over the centuries. Asaph is writing this Psalm during a dark and dismal time and he wants the new generations to remember their past, “ That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works...

Psalm 78 has 72 verses and is the second longest Psalm in the book of Psalms, with Psalm 119 being the longest with 176 verses. Psalm 78 is called a “History Psalm” along with Psalms 105, 106, 114, 135, and 136. The German philosopher Hegel said that the one thing we learn from history is that we don't learn from history. If you study the Bible and church history, you discover that God's p...

“Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. The Babylonians, with their mighty army are on their way to destroy Israel and city of Jerusalem. Jeremiah was prophesying and telling the people to surrender, or they would all die. It is during this time that Asaph, the worship leader, is w...

Psalm 77 was written by a man named Asaph who lived in the time of Jeremiah. The Babylonians, who sometimes are called Chaldeans in the Old Testament, had attack Israel, and subdued it. But somewhat left it intact with appointed rulers and if they cooperated and paid their tribute to Babylon they would be left alone. But when the leaders rebelled against Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar sent his armie...

Psalm 77 appears to be a companion Psalm to 74, which also lamented the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of Israel. Both deal with the Lord's apparent rejection of His people (Psalm 74:1; 77:7), and both look for renewed hope back to the Exodus (Psalm 74:12-15; 77:16-19). When Jerusalem fell, many Jews were slain and many were taken captive to Babylon. Asaph may have been in Jeremiah...

From this Psalm we learn several things that God wants us to do. God wants us to know Him (vv. 1-3). God wants us to trust Him (vv. 4-6). God wants us to fear Him (vv. 7-9). And God wants us to obey Him (vv. 10-12). We should first obey the Lord because of His love for us, and because we respond in love to His love. This is the theme of the whole book of 1 John. But another motivation to obey the...

The story behind Psalm 76 is most likely God's judgment of the Assyrian army as recorded in Isaiah 37-38 and 2 Kings 18-19. The armies of the Assyrian King Sennacherib had surrounded Jerusalem and laid siege to it. The leaders of the army were demanding that King Hezekiah and the people surrender. The prophet Isaiah encouraged King Hezekiah to put his trust in the name of the God of heaven’s a...

When we remember the historical background to Psalm 76, it will come alive with meaning to us! The story behind this Psalm is probably God's judgment of the Assyrian army as recorded in Isaiah 37-38 and 2 Kings 18-19. The armies of the Assyrian King Sennacherib had surrounded Jerusalem and laid siege to it. The leaders of the army were demanding that King Hezekiah and the people surrender. Of...

Today as we begin to our study and meditate on Psalm 76, we are now beginning our journey through the second half of the 150 Psalms. First let me say how thankful I am that you are on this journey with us on a daily basis. I always knew that as a pastor I really couldn’t retire, and I wondered exactly what the Lord might have me doing during these “retirement” years. It was an awesome privilege an...