1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.
12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.
14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.
44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.
62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.
70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
Psalm 78, a psalm of Asaph, is one of the longest psalms in the Book of Psalms. It is a historical psalm that recounts the history of God's chosen people, Israel. The psalmist takes the reader through a journey from the time of the exodus to the establishment of the monarchy under David. The psalm is not merely a historical recount but a theological reflection on the faithfulness of God and the recurring unfaithfulness of the people of Israel.
Psalm 78 begins with a call to pay attention and listen to the teachings of the elders. This is not just about historical facts, but about the laws and commandments of God. The psalmist emphasizes the importance of teaching these laws to the next generation so they may not forget the works of God and keep his commands. The psalmist hopes that by remembering God's deeds and commandments, the future generations will not be like their ancestors who were stubborn, rebellious and unfaithful to God.
The psalmist then begins to recount the numerous instances of God's faithfulness to the people of Israel. He speaks of the miracles in Egypt, the exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, the provision of water from the rock, manna from heaven, and quails for meat. These events are reminders of God's power, His ability to provide, and His commitment to His covenant with the people of Israel.
Despite God's faithfulness, the psalmist portrays the people of Israel as consistently unfaithful. They continually test God, forget His works, and turn back to sin. Even when God punishes them, they do not learn their lesson. They flatter Him with their mouths, but their hearts are far from Him. Their unfaithfulness is a cycle, a pattern that repeats itself throughout their history.
Despite Israel's constant rebellion, God's mercy is repeatedly demonstrated in the psalm. The psalmist speaks of God's compassion and forgiveness. He reminds us that God often restrains His anger and does not stir up His full wrath. He remembers that they are but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again. This shows God's understanding of human frailty and His willingness to show mercy.
The psalm concludes with the establishment of the Davidic monarchy. After recounting the unfaithfulness of the northern tribes, the psalmist speaks of God's choice of David to shepherd His people. This is a high point in the psalm, a sign of hope for the future. David, unlike the unfaithful generations before him, is portrayed as a faithful shepherd, leading and guiding the people with integrity and skillful hands.
Several themes emerge from Psalm 78. The first is the importance of remembering God's deeds and teachings. The psalmist emphasizes that forgetting leads to unfaithfulness and rebellion. The psalm is a call for the present and future generations to remember and learn from the past.
The second theme is the faithfulness of God contrasted with the unfaithfulness of the people. Despite their constant rebellion, God remains faithful, providing for their needs, forgiving their sins, and showing them mercy again and again. This theme serves as a reminder of God's covenant love and faithfulness.
The third theme is the hope for a faithful leadership. The psalmist presents David as a model of a faithful leader who guides and shepherds God's people with integrity. This theme points to the hope for a better future under a faithful leadership.
In conclusion, Psalm 78 is a historical reflection that calls us to remember God's works, learn from the past, and hope for a faithful leadership. It is a psalm that celebrates God's faithfulness, laments human unfaithfulness, and anticipates a future marked by faithfulness under the leadership of a shepherd king.
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