Christian teaching

Sunday school lesson

Introduction. We usually cover large portions of Scripture at a time in Sunday School – and often there is not enough time to dig deep. So I want us to be able to do this in the next few weeks. And Psalm 95 is a great Scripture to do this with because: 1) there is a lot to find in it, 2) it has a great message, and 3) it is connected to a number of other Scriptures – both Old and New Testament.

I also want us to do this in a way that helps us sharpen our Bible study skills.

Small group work 

Read it out loud in two or three translations.

What are your questions and observations? This is the key to good Bible study. Write out 10 of these on this Psalm.

Questions & discussion

1. What kind of writing is this (story, poetry, parable, teaching, letter)? This is poetry (structural features, patterns that repeat; parallelism – things beside each other that are similar or opposite). There is teaching at the end.

2. What are the two main parts of the Psalm? This is discernible by a change of content in the verses.

1. vs. 1-7a.

2. vs. 7b-11.

These are very different. Some have thought this must actually be two Psalms put together.

3. Summarize the message of the first section? Praise the Creator

4. Summarize the message of the second section? Listen to God

5. What are some differences between the two sections? The first focuses on God and the praise of God. It uses “us” language. And it is upbeat. The second focuses on us and the need to listen to God. It uses “you” language. And it is a strong warning.

6. Using a concordance find what “Massah” and “Meribah” (v. 8) refer to.

• Massah: Exodus 17:1-7
• Meribah: Numbers 20:2-13

Two similar stories about the people complaining to God and water coming from a rock.

The first episode is named Massah and Meribah, the second Meribah. It’s a little confusing. We will call the first Massah and the second Meribah.

Meribah = quarreling; Massah = testing. The KJV translates the words not as place names but as “the provocation” and “the day of temptation.” This is how the Septuagint and Hebrews 3-4 treat the text as well.

There are many other references to Massah and Meribah in Scripture: Numbers 20:24; 27:14 (Meribah); Deuteronomy 9:22 (Massah); 32:51 (Meribah); 33:8 (both); Psalm 78:15-20 (unclear); 81:7 (Meribah); 106:32-33 (Meribah). [Similar to Psalm 95, Psalm 81 mentions the Meribah story and then immediately moves into an exhortation on listening – v. 8, “Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!”]

7. What are some other Scriptures connected to Psalm 95?

– Deuteronomy 6:16 is important. Deuteronomy is a series of sermons, and in this case it is on the rock water story and testing God. Psalm 95:7b-11 is itself a short sermon on the two rock/water stories and testing God, with Deuteronomy 6 as a text (more on this later). So Psalm 95 is a sermon on a sermon on the two stories of water from a rock.

– 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 – a reference to the water from the rock.

– Matthew 4/Luke 4 – Jesus’ testing, where he reenactsIsrael’s testing and quotes Deuteronomy 6:16.

– Hebrews 3:17-4:13 is a sermon based on Psalm 95’s sermon, based on the Deuteronomy 6 sermon – all of which are based on the two rock/water stories.

Large group discussion of answers

Handout: Psalm 95 literary structure

PDF version- Psalm 95 literary structure