Psalm 78: 12-16

Psalm 78:12-16

He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. 

He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall. 

He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. 

He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.

In high school I had a friend who was studying piano at the highest levels for her age. She was preparing for her recital for the Associate Diploma of The Royal Conservatory of Music after completing her grade 10 levels in classical concert piano. On the day of the recital, a small group of us had gathered in support to listen and encourage her. About 30 minutes before her scheduled recital time, she had crisis moment. I was too young to know it, but it was probably a nervous breakdown. She ran out to the back of the auditorium, out the doors of the narthex, across to the other side of the building and found a dark corner under the stairs to hide in.

Eventually we, along with her parents, found her, and we sat down with her in the dark as she cried. Slowly and gently we helped her remember all the hours of preparation she had put into this; we helped her remember all the work that she had done on the scales and the music; we helped her remember the thousands of hours she had spent in practice, with her instructors and coaches; we helped her remember all of the performances that she had done; we helped her remember all the joy she got from playing the piano – a joy she truly did love to share with others.

After a deep breath and a prayer led by her mom, she went back into the auditorium, completed her recital – as far as I could tell, nearly flawlessly – and afterwards it was announced that she received her associate diploma.

When facing something that seemed overwhelming in the moment, she was helped by remembering the past work and successes.

The same is true for all of our trials and tribulations in this life. And with it, there is a spiritual principle at work: When you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, it can be hard to see the God of life. And so, with discipline and intentionality, we remember what he has done. When living in the dark night of the soul, it can be hard to see the God of light at work. And so, with community and liturgy we recount what God has done.

Psalm 78 is a liturgy of remembering the work of a sovereign God on behalf of his people. “He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.” (vs. 12) Zoan is another name for the region in Egypt also called Goshen, a place in the eastern Nile delta – where the Israelites settled and lived during their time in Egypt. That means it is the place from where most of the people witnessed the 10 plagues and the miracles of God that lead to Pharoah releasing them from slavery.

“He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall.” (vs. 13) The crossing of the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea) is an identity forming act of God for the people of Israel. These are the people who walked through water on dry ground. These are the people who escaped the armies of Pharoah by crossing a sea. God’s salvific acts in the past determine their identity in the present (whatever that present may be: in the wandering period, in the conquest period, while they hold the land, or in exile – remembering the exodus and the work of God on their behalf spurs them in the present moment).

The psalm continues this remembering:

-          God guides the people by a pillar of fire and of cloud (vs. 14; Ex. 13:21; Num. 14:14) – an act which is then remembered again as part of the liturgy for the future in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple by Nehamiah after the Babylonian exile (cf. Neh. 9:12).

-          God gives the people water through their wandering in the wilderness (vs. 15-16; Ex. 17) – a theme that Isaiah picks up and puts on the lips of the Suffering Servant and the redeeming champion of Israel in chapter 48 as he releases his people from captivity. A truth we know fulfilled in Jesus who is the “living water” (cf. John 4:10&14).

Over and over we see this principle in action: when faced with trials in the present or uncertainty for the future, remember what God has done in the past. 

I would wager that it isn’t hard for most of us to look back on our lives and count an amazing number of blessings from God; I don’t have to try hard to imagine that most of us can look back on moments of great struggle and hardship, and from the vantage point of our current reality on the other side of that particular issue, see all the ways God was present and sustained you in the moment.

And when we remember, we should also hear promise from God: “As I was, so I will be.” As I was with you then, so I am with you now. As I was with you in that moment, so I will be with you in the next moment. Maybe it’s a truism to say that the past is more clear to us than the future – but we are a forgetful people… we need reminders to remember. 

In the case of my friend and her piano recital, she had to remember all the work that she had done to get her to that place, all the 10,000 hours of practice and preparation. As good as that remembering was for her in the moment, it was still dependent upon her work. That's the difference about when we remember God, who he is, and what he has done: In the end, it's not about our ability but his.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to always remember you, the living water. Help me to remember all that you have done, are doing, and will do, in the world you have made and that you are redeeming. Turn my remembering into a song of praise, even in the  dark night of the soul or the darkest valley of the shadow of death. In Jesus' name, Amen!