WEBVTT 00:00:00.999 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.719 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:09.000 in a year. Today we continue with the Psalms 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:11.519 of Praise and Thanksgiving, and today's readings 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:16.640 are Psalms 77 through 79. Psalm 77, inscription, 00:00:16.940 --> 00:00:20.300 to the chief musician, to Jedusun, a psalm of 00:00:20.300 --> 00:00:24.039 Asaph. I cried out to God with my voice, to God 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:26.859 with my voice, and he gave ear to me. In the 00:00:26.859 --> 00:00:29.379 day of my trouble, I sought the Lord. My hand 00:00:29.379 --> 00:00:31.199 was stretched out in the night without ceasing. 00:00:31.339 --> 00:00:34.100 My soul refused to be comforted. I remembered 00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:36.759 God and was troubled. I complained and my spirit 00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:40.200 was overwhelmed. Salah. You hold my eyelids open. 00:00:40.340 --> 00:00:43.000 I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:45.380 considered the days of old, the years of ancient 00:00:45.380 --> 00:00:48.399 times. I call to remembrance my song in the night. 00:00:48.460 --> 00:00:51.399 I meditate within my heart and my spirit makes 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:54.579 diligent search. Will the Lord cast off forever? 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:57.939 And will he be favorable no more? Has his mercy 00:00:57.939 --> 00:01:01.259 ceased forever? Has his promise failed forevermore? 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:04.980 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger 00:01:04.980 --> 00:01:08.260 shut up his tender mercies? Salah. And I said, 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:11.000 this is my anguish, but I will remember the years 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:13.420 of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember 00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:15.620 the works of the Lord. Surely I will remember 00:01:15.620 --> 00:01:18.280 your wonders of old. I will also meditate on 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:21.159 all your work and talk of your deeds. Your way, 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:24.260 O God, is in the sanctuary. Who is so great a 00:01:24.260 --> 00:01:27.719 God as our God? You are the God who does wonders. 00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:30.239 You have declared your strength among the peoples. 00:01:30.459 --> 00:01:32.500 You have with your arm redeemed your people, 00:01:32.620 --> 00:01:36.000 the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Salah. The waters 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.540 saw you, O God. The waters saw you. They were 00:01:38.540 --> 00:01:41.780 afraid. The depth also trembled. The clouds poured 00:01:41.780 --> 00:01:45.260 out water. The skies sent out a sound. Your arrows 00:01:45.260 --> 00:01:47.859 also flashed about. The voice of your thunder 00:01:47.859 --> 00:01:50.780 was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the 00:01:50.780 --> 00:01:53.840 world. The earth trembled and shook. Your way 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:56.319 was in the sea. Your path in the great waters, 00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:59.260 and your footsteps were not known. You led your 00:01:59.260 --> 00:02:01.980 people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and 00:02:01.980 --> 00:02:06.560 Aaron. Psalm 78, Inscription, A Contemplation 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:10.340 of Asaph Give ear, O my people, to my law, and 00:02:10.340 --> 00:02:12.680 clung your ears to the words of my mouth. I will 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:15.000 open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:17.800 sayings of old, which we have heard and known, 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:20.580 and our fathers have told us. We will not hide 00:02:20.580 --> 00:02:22.900 them from their children. telling to the generation 00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:25.680 to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:28.300 and His wonderful works that He has done. For 00:02:28.300 --> 00:02:30.580 He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed 00:02:30.580 --> 00:02:33.159 a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:35.439 that they should make them known to their children, 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:37.719 that the generation to come might know them. 00:02:37.860 --> 00:02:40.319 The children who would be born, that they may 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:42.560 arise and declare them to their children, that 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:44.780 they may set their hope in God, and not forget 00:02:44.780 --> 00:02:46.800 the works of God, but keep His commandments, 00:02:47.060 --> 00:02:49.280 and may not be like their fathers, a stubborn 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:51.960 and rebellious generation. A generation that 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:54.419 did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit 00:02:54.419 --> 00:02:57.039 was not faithful to God. The children of Ephraim, 00:02:57.060 --> 00:02:59.840 being armed and carrying bows, turned back in 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:01.900 the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant 00:03:01.900 --> 00:03:04.419 of God. They refused to walk in his law, and 00:03:04.419 --> 00:03:06.639 forgot his works and his wonders that he had 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:09.060 shown them. Marvelous things he did in the sight 00:03:09.060 --> 00:03:11.180 of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the 00:03:11.180 --> 00:03:13.509 field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused 00:03:13.509 --> 00:03:15.849 them to pass through, and he made the water stand 00:03:15.849 --> 00:03:18.969 up like a heap. In the daytime also he led them 00:03:18.969 --> 00:03:21.229 with the cloud, and all the night with the light 00:03:21.229 --> 00:03:23.310 of fire. He split the rock in the wilderness 00:03:23.310 --> 00:03:25.789 and gave them drink in abundance like the depth. 00:03:26.050 --> 00:03:28.689 He also brought streams out of the rock and caused 00:03:28.689 --> 00:03:31.629 waters to run down like rivers. But they sinned 00:03:31.629 --> 00:03:34.039 even more against him. by rebelling against the 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:35.819 Most High in the wilderness. And they tested 00:03:35.819 --> 00:03:38.379 God in their heart, by asking for the food of 00:03:38.379 --> 00:03:41.199 their fancy. Yes, they spoke against God. They 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.400 said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:46.419 Behold, he struck the rock, so that the waters 00:03:46.419 --> 00:03:49.300 gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he 00:03:49.300 --> 00:03:51.639 give bread also? Can he provide meat for his 00:03:51.639 --> 00:03:53.879 people? Therefore the Lord heard this and was 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:56.319 furious. So a fire was kindled against Jacob, 00:03:56.520 --> 00:03:59.280 and anger also came up against Israel, because 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:01.460 they did not believe in God, and did not trust 00:04:01.460 --> 00:04:04.150 in his salvation. yet he had commanded the clouds 00:04:04.150 --> 00:04:06.830 above, and opened the doors of heaven, had rained 00:04:06.830 --> 00:04:09.550 down manna on them to eat, and given them of 00:04:09.550 --> 00:04:12.490 the bread of heaven. Men ate angels' food, he 00:04:12.490 --> 00:04:15.090 sent them food to the full. He caused an east 00:04:15.090 --> 00:04:17.490 wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power 00:04:17.490 --> 00:04:20.009 he brought in a south wind. He also rained meat 00:04:20.009 --> 00:04:22.829 on them like the dust, feathered fowl like the 00:04:22.829 --> 00:04:25.230 sand of the seas, and he let them fall in the 00:04:25.230 --> 00:04:27.509 midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. 00:04:27.589 --> 00:04:30.149 So they ate and were well filled, for he gave 00:04:30.149 --> 00:04:32.339 them their own desire. They were not deprived 00:04:32.339 --> 00:04:34.839 of their craving, but while their food was still 00:04:34.839 --> 00:04:36.939 in their mouth, the wrath of God came against 00:04:36.939 --> 00:04:39.360 them and slew the stoutest of them and struck 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:42.079 down the choice men of Israel. In spite of this, 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:44.259 they still sinned and did not believe in his 00:04:44.259 --> 00:04:46.699 wondrous works. Therefore their days he consumed 00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:49.600 in futility and their years in fear. When he 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:52.139 slew them, then they sought him, and they returned 00:04:52.139 --> 00:04:54.939 and sought earnestly for God. Then they remembered 00:04:54.939 --> 00:04:57.360 that God was their rock and the Most High God 00:04:57.360 --> 00:04:59.629 their Redeemer. Nevertheless, they flattered 00:04:59.629 --> 00:05:01.750 him with their mouth, and they lied to him with 00:05:01.750 --> 00:05:03.970 their tongue, for their heart was not steadfast 00:05:03.970 --> 00:05:06.550 with him, nor were they faithful in his covenant. 00:05:06.810 --> 00:05:09.470 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their 00:05:09.470 --> 00:05:12.129 iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many 00:05:12.129 --> 00:05:14.389 a time he turned his anger away, and did not 00:05:14.389 --> 00:05:17.050 stir up all his wrath, for he remembered that 00:05:17.050 --> 00:05:19.449 they were but flesh, a breath that passes away 00:05:19.449 --> 00:05:22.029 and does not come again. How often they provoked 00:05:22.029 --> 00:05:23.569 him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the 00:05:23.569 --> 00:05:26.170 desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God 00:05:26.170 --> 00:05:29.029 and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did 00:05:29.029 --> 00:05:31.509 not remember his power. The day when he redeemed 00:05:31.509 --> 00:05:33.689 them from the enemy, when he worked his signs 00:05:33.689 --> 00:05:36.069 in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan, 00:05:36.110 --> 00:05:38.550 turned their rivers into blood and their streams 00:05:38.550 --> 00:05:40.949 that they could not drink. He sent swarms of 00:05:40.949 --> 00:05:43.370 flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, 00:05:43.449 --> 00:05:45.629 which destroyed them. He also gave their crops 00:05:45.629 --> 00:05:48.069 to the caterpillar and their labor to the locust. 00:05:48.149 --> 00:05:50.269 He destroyed their vines with hail and their 00:05:50.269 --> 00:05:53.019 sycamore trees with frost. He also gave up their 00:05:53.019 --> 00:05:55.100 cattle to the hail, and their flocks to fiery 00:05:55.100 --> 00:05:57.620 lightning. He cast on them the fierceness of 00:05:57.620 --> 00:06:00.540 his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by 00:06:00.540 --> 00:06:02.839 sending angels of destruction among them. He 00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:05.079 made a path for his anger. He did not spare their 00:06:05.079 --> 00:06:07.279 soul from death, but gave their life over to 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:09.399 the plague, and destroyed all the firstborn in 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:11.720 Egypt, the firstborn of their strength, in the 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:14.399 tents of Ham. But he made his own people go forth 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:16.220 like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness 00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:19.060 like a flock. And he led them on safely, so that 00:06:19.060 --> 00:06:21.600 they did not fear. But the sea overwhelmed their 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:24.079 enemies, and he brought them to his holy border, 00:06:24.220 --> 00:06:26.879 this mountain which his right hand had acquired. 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:29.819 He also drove out the nations before them, allotted 00:06:29.819 --> 00:06:32.220 them an inheritance by survey, and made the tribes 00:06:32.220 --> 00:06:35.180 of Israel dwell in their tents. Yet they tested 00:06:35.180 --> 00:06:37.639 and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep 00:06:37.639 --> 00:06:40.839 his testimonies, but turned back and acted unfaithfully 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:43.540 like their fathers. They were turned aside like 00:06:43.540 --> 00:06:46.100 a deceitful bull. For they provoked him to anger 00:06:46.100 --> 00:06:48.399 with their high places, and moved him to jealousy 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:50.899 with their carved images. When God heard this, 00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:53.519 he was furious and greatly abhorred Israel, so 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:55.920 that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:58.379 tent he had placed among men, and delivered his 00:06:58.379 --> 00:07:00.779 strength into captivity, and his glory into the 00:07:00.779 --> 00:07:03.180 enemy's hand. He also gave his people over to 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:05.360 the sword, and was furious with his inheritance. 00:07:05.660 --> 00:07:08.199 The fire consumed their young men, and their 00:07:08.199 --> 00:07:10.540 maidens were not given in marriage. Their priests 00:07:10.540 --> 00:07:13.300 fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. 00:07:13.660 --> 00:07:16.279 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a mighty 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:19.000 man who shouts because of wine, and he beat back 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:21.899 his enemies, he put them to a perpetual reproach. 00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:24.600 Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:26.800 did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:29.399 the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. 00:07:29.579 --> 00:07:31.540 And he built his sanctuary like the heights, 00:07:31.720 --> 00:07:33.839 like the earth which he has established forever. 00:07:34.100 --> 00:07:36.579 He also chose David his servant, and took him 00:07:36.579 --> 00:07:39.160 from the sheepfolds. From following the youths 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:41.560 that had young he brought him. to shepherd Jacob 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:44.279 his people and Israel his inheritance. So he 00:07:44.279 --> 00:07:46.319 shepherded them according to the integrity of 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:48.779 his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness 00:07:48.779 --> 00:07:53.540 of his hands. Psalm 79 Inscription A Psalm of 00:07:53.540 --> 00:07:56.740 Asaph O God, the nations have come into your 00:07:56.740 --> 00:07:59.160 inheritance, your holy temple they have defiled. 00:07:59.259 --> 00:08:01.819 They have laid Jerusalem in heaps, the dead bodies 00:08:01.819 --> 00:08:04.120 of your servants they have given as food for 00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:06.439 the birds of the heavens, the flesh of your saints 00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:08.720 to the beasts of the earth. Their blood they 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:11.279 have shed like water all around Jerusalem, and 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:13.259 there was no one to bury them. We have become 00:08:13.259 --> 00:08:15.819 a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision 00:08:15.819 --> 00:08:19.160 to those who are around us. How long, Lord? Will 00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:21.319 you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn 00:08:21.319 --> 00:08:24.100 like fire? Pour out your wrath on the nations 00:08:24.100 --> 00:08:26.339 that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that 00:08:26.339 --> 00:08:28.399 do not call on your name, for they have devoured 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.279 Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place. O do 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:33.960 not remember former iniquities against us. Let 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:36.259 your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, 00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:39.019 for we have been brought very low. Help us, O 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:41.360 God of our salvation, for the glory of your name, 00:08:41.419 --> 00:08:43.379 and deliver us and provide atonement for our 00:08:43.379 --> 00:08:46.159 sins. For your name's sake, why should the nations 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:49.120 say, Where is their God? Let there be known among 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:51.379 the nations in our sight the avenging of the 00:08:51.379 --> 00:08:53.799 blood of your servants which has been shed. Let 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:55.860 the groaning of the prisoner come before you, 00:08:55.919 --> 00:08:58.460 according to the greatness of your power. Preserve 00:08:58.460 --> 00:09:01.120 those who are appointed to die, and return to 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:19.360 our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom. I hope 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:21.259 you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did, 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:23.340 and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow 00:09:23.340 --> 00:09:25.860 to continue on our journey. God bless you and 00:09:25.860 --> 00:09:26.539 have a great day.