What is the meaning of Psalm 78:2? I will open my mouth in parables Psalm 78 introduces Asaph as a teacher determined to pass on the faith. By promising, “I will open my mouth in parables,” he commits to using stories that communicate literal truth through vivid illustrations. • Parables are not riddles meant to confuse; they are practical narratives that place eternal principles into everyday settings. Jesus modeled this, and Matthew links His method directly to this verse: “Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables… This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world’” (Matthew 13:34-35). • The approach is consistent with earlier Scripture: “I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp” (Psalm 49:4). Here, too, the intention is honest disclosure, not obscurity. • God’s people have always been instructed to transmit truth in captivating ways: “You shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Parables accomplish that mandate by engaging both mind and heart. I will utter things hidden from the beginning Asaph is about to recount Israel’s history—events well known yet loaded with lessons God’s people had missed. • “Utter” signals a deliberate, public proclamation. What was once overlooked will now be plainly announced, echoing “Proclaim His deeds among the peoples” (1 Chronicles 16:8). • “Hidden from the beginning” points back to foundational works of God: creation (Genesis 1:1), covenant promises to the patriarchs (Genesis 12:1-3), and miraculous acts in Egypt and the wilderness (Psalm 78:12-16). Though recorded, their meaning lay dormant in hearts dulled by forgetfulness; Asaph intends to awaken fresh awe. • New Testament writers apply the same concept to the unveiling of the gospel: “The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints” (Colossians 1:26). Jesus, the final Word, embodies every “hidden” purpose of God (Ephesians 3:9-11). • Practically, the psalm calls parents and leaders to make sure the next generation grasps these ancient truths: “One generation will commend Your works to the next” (Psalm 145:4). summary Psalm 78:2 promises a teaching style—parable—designed to plant timeless truths in receptive hearts, and it pledges to make plain the long-concealed purposes of God. Asaph’s mission, fulfilled perfectly by Christ, is ours as well: speak God’s mighty acts clearly, creatively, and faithfully so every listener can see how the earliest works of God illuminate His ongoing faithfulness today. |
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