⌛️ Psalm 102:18 | Original Hebrew & Intergenerational Thinking

📧 In today’s email…

• 🧐 A lesson from the Original Hebrew

• 🗓️ God thinks intergenerationally

• 👀 A simple practice that will bless future generations

• 📚️ Resources to help you connect further with Psalm 102:18

 🧠 Memorize

_{see if you know what words go in the blanks}

Let this __ _________ ___ a generation __ ____,

so that a people yet __ __ _______ may praise ___ ____

Psalm 102:18

🤓 Original Hebrew & Intergenerational Thinking

Yesterday, we learned that in verse 12, the author of this prayer transitions from focusing on his problems to his God.

This is a simple, but profound idea.

Beyond just that, we even see the psalmist move their attention away from himself as an individual and towards Zion (Jerusalem) and future generations of God’s people.

Here’s our memory verse:

Original Hebrew 🤓 

• The Hebrew word in v18 for ‘written’ is kāṯaḇ (pronounced kah-thav) which means to record, inscribe or engrave.

  • It’s also the same word used in Deuteronomy 6 when the Lord commands the Israelites to write God’s commands on their doorposts.

Remember that this was:

• before the printing press

• before everything digital that is automatically recorded

• primarily an oral culture

There was a high bar for what was worthy of being written down and etched into the history of God’s people.

Now, to fully understand what our memory verse is communicating, we have to look at the verses that come directly after it:

Our memory verse is declaring that God will fulfill his promises to set captives free and draw kingdoms of the world to worship the Lord.

Now, that’s all amazing and worthy of praise…but why does it need to be recorded?

What’s the reason?

so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord

Yes, it’s great for our own faith to remember God’s faithfulness in our lifetimes.

But it’s also builds up the faith of generations that have not even been born yet!

God’s timelines are far greater than our own.

We are here in part due to the recording of this prayer that we’re memorizing in Psalm 102!

Praise God for the recording of His Word!

Practice: Altars to the Lord 🪨 

After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, the Israelites (under Joshua's leadership) arrived at the Jordan River on the border of Canaan, finally about to enter the long awaited Promised Land.

God miraculously stopped the flow of the Jordan, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground.

Once across, Joshua had 12 men take stones from the river bed and set them up as a memorial altar to commemorate God parting the waters for them, just as he had done at the Red Sea during the Exodus from Egypt.

Practice: Recording God’s Faithfulness for Future Generations 🙏

Imagine future generations of your family had physical, tangible ways to remember God’s faithfulness in your life.

This week, consider one way you can tangibly “pass on” stories of God’s grace and power to future generations of believers in your family.

It could be an object related to a way God showed up in your life. Or it could be a prayer journal that you keep, where you record part of your conversations with God.

💡 Bonus: Talk to a few friends to share ideas and encourage each other to do this. Future generations of believers will be blessed by your faith and God’s faithfulness!

Recommended Resources 🎙️ 

Here are a few resources to help you dig deeper into this week’s passage and topics:

• 📹️ Bible Project: Overview of the Psalms (link)

• 🎙️ Sermon by Jon Tyson on setting up tangible ways to remember God’s faithfulness in your life (link)

• 📚️ Spurgeon and the Psalms: The Book of Psalms with Devotions from Charles Spurgeon (link)

• 📚️ The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms by Tim and Kathy Keller (link)

• 🎵 The Blessing by Elevation Worship & Kari Jobe (Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music)

Answer key ✅ 

Let this be recorded for a generation to come,

so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord

Psalm 102:18