Psalms 78
78
Lessons from History
Asaph’s poetic song of instruction
1Beloved ones, listen to this instruction.
Open your heart to the revelation
of this mystery that I share with you.
2A parable and a proverb are hidden in what I say—
an intriguing riddle # 78:2 The Hebrew word for “riddle” (chidoth) comes from the verb meaning “to tie a knot.” It is something that must be untied and unraveled by the Spirit of God. One of these riddles or wordplays is the name of Jesus hidden in plain sight (see v. 22 and footnote). from the past.
3-4We’ve heard true stories from our fathers about our rich heritage.
We will continue to tell our children
and not hide from the rising generation
the great marvels of our God—
his miracles and power that have brought us all this far.
5The story of Israel is a lesson in God’s ways.
He established decrees for Jacob and established the law in Israel,
and he commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children.
6For perpetuity God’s ways will be passed down
from one generation to the next, even to those not yet born.
7In this way, every generation will set its hope in God
and not forget his wonderful works but keep his commandments.
8By following his ways they will break the past bondage
of their fickle fathers, who were a stubborn, rebellious generation
and whose spirits strayed from the eternal God.
They refused to love him with all their hearts.
9Take, for example, the sons of Ephraim.
Though they were all equipped warriors, each with weapons,
when the battle began they retreated and ran away in fear.
10They didn’t really believe the promises of God;
they refused to trust him and move forward in faith.
11They forgot his wonderful works and the miracles of the past,
12even their exodus from Egypt, the epic miracle of his might.
They forgot the glories of his power at the place of passing over. # 78:12 Or “the fields of Zoan.” Zoan means “crossing place” or “place of departure.” (See v. 43.)
13God split the sea wide open, and
the waters stood at attention on either side
as the people passed on through!
14By day the moving glory-cloud led them forward.
And all through the night the fire-cloud stood as a sentry of light.
15-16In the days of desert dryness, he split open the mighty rock,
and the waters flowed like a river before their very eyes.
He gave them all they wanted to drink from his living springs.
17Yet they kept their rebellion alive against God Most High,
and their sins against God continued to be counted.
18In their hearts they tested God just to get what they wanted,
asking for the food their hearts craved.
19-20Like spoiled children they grumbled against God,
demanding he prove his love by saying,
“Can’t God provide for us in this barren wilderness?
Will he give us food, or will he only give us water?
Where’s our meal?”
21Then God heard all their complaining and was furious!
His anger flared up against his people.
22For they turned away from faith and walked away in fear;
they failed to trust in his power to save # 78:22 The word for “save” looks and sounds like Yeshua (Jesus). them when he was near.
23-24Still he spoke on their behalf, and the skies opened up;
the windows of heaven poured out food,
the mercy bread-manna.
The grain of grace fell from the clouds.
25Humans ate angels’ food—the meal of the mighty ones. # 78:25 The word for “angels” is ‘abirim which means “brave,” “noble,” or “strong.” The psalmist was saying that God gave them the best, most delicious food imaginable, a meal eaten by the mighty ones, and yet the people grew tired of it and began to complain and demanded some variety.
His grace gave them more than enough!
26-27The heavenly winds of miracle power blew in their favor,
and food rained down upon them;
succulent quail quieted their hunger as they ate all they wanted.
28Food fell from the skies, thick as clouds;
their provision floated down right in front of their eyes!
29He gave them all they desired, and they ate to their fill.
30-31But before they had even finished,
even with their food still in their mouths,
God’s fiery anger arose against them,
killing the finest of their mighty men.
32Yet in spite of all this, they kept right on sinning.
Even when they saw God’s marvels,
they refused to believe God could care for them.
33So God cut their lives short with sudden disaster,
with nothing to show for their lives but fear and failure.
34When he cared for them they ignored him,
but when he began to kill them, ending their lives in a moment,
they came running back to God, pleading for mercy.
35They remembered that God, the Mighty One,
was their strong protector,
the Hero-God who would come to their rescue.
36-37But their repentance lasted only as long as they were in danger;
they lied through their teeth to the true God of the Covenant.
So quickly they wandered away from his promises,
following God with their words and not their hearts!
Their worship was only flattery.
38But amazingly, God—so full of compassion—still forgave them.
He covered over their sins with his love,
refusing to destroy them all.
Over and over he held back his anger,
restraining wrath to show them mercy.
39He knew that they were made from mere dust—
frail, fragile, and short-lived, here today and gone tomorrow.
40How many times they rebelled in their desert days!
How they grieved him with their grumblings.
41Again and again they limited God, preventing him from blessing them.
Continually they turned back from him
and provoked # 78:41 The Hebrew verb for “provoked” is a hapax legomenon and comes from a root word for “marked.” It is as though Israel’s behavior wounded the heart of God. the Holy One of Israel!
42They forgot his great love, how he took them by his hand,
and with redemption’s kiss he delivered them from their enemies.
43They disregarded all the epic signs and marvels they saw
when they escaped from Egypt’s bondage.
They forgot the judgment of the plagues that set them free.
44God turned their rivers into blood, leaving the people thirsty.
45He sent them vast swarms of filthy flies that sucked their blood.
He sent hordes of frogs, ruining their lives.
46Grasshoppers consumed all their crops.
47Every garden and every orchard
was flattened with blasts of hailstones,
their fruit trees ruined by a killing frost.
48Even their cattle fell prey, pounded by the falling hail;
their livestock were struck with bolts of lightning.
49Finally, he unleashed upon them the fierceness of his anger.
Such fury!
He sent them sorrow and devastating trouble
by his mighty band of destroying angels;
messengers of death were dispatched against them.
50-51He lifted his mercy and let loose his fearful anger
and did not spare their lives.
He released the judgment-plagues to rage through their land.
God struck down in death all the firstborn sons of Egypt—
the pride and joy of each family.
52Then, like a shepherd leading his sheep, God led his people
out of tyranny, guiding them through the wilderness like a flock.
53Safely and carefully God led them out, with nothing to fear.
But their enemies he led into the sea.
He took care of them there once and for all!
54Eventually God brought his people to the Holy Land,
to a land of hills that he had prepared for them. # 78:54 The Aramaic reads “He brought them to the border of his holiness, the mountain possessed by his right hand.”
55He drove out and scattered all the peoples occupying the land,
staking out an inheritance, a portion for each of Israel’s tribes.
56Yet for all of this, they still rebelled and refused to follow his ways,
provoking to anger the God Most High.
57-58Like traitors turning back, they forsook him.
They were even worse than their fathers!
They became treacherous deceivers, crooked and corrupt,
and worshiped false gods in the high places,
bringing low the name of God with every idol they erected.
No wonder he was filled with jealousy and furious with anger!
59Enraged with anger, God turned his wrath on them,
and he rejected his people with disgust.
60God walked away from them and left his dwelling place at Shiloh,
abandoning the place where he had lived among them,
61allowing his emblem of strength, his glory-ark, to be captured.
Enemies stole the very source of Israel’s power.
62God vented his rage, allowing his people to be butchered
when they went out to battle,
for his anger was intense against his very own.
63Their young men fell on the battlefield and never came back.
Their daughters never heard their wedding songs,
since there was no one left to marry!
64Their priests were slaughtered and their widows were killed
before they had time to weep.
65Then all at once the Almighty awakened
as though he had been asleep.
Like a mighty man he arose, roaring into action!
66He blasted into battle, driving back every foe,
defeating them and disgracing them for time and eternity.
67He rejected Joseph’s family, the tribe of Ephraim.
68He chose instead the tribe of Judah # 78:68 The place of God’s dwelling was moved from the land of Ephraim (Shiloh) to the land of Judah (Jerusalem).
and Mount Zion, which he loves.
69There he built his towering temple,
strong and enduring as the earth itself.
70God also chose his beloved one, David.
He promoted him from caring for sheep
and made him his prophetic servant.
71-72God prepared David and took this gentle shepherd-king
and presented him before the people
as the one who would love and care for them
with integrity, a pure heart, and the anointing
to lead Israel, his holy inheritance.
Currently Selected:
Psalms 78: TPT
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Passion Translation® is a registered trademark of Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc.
Copyright © 2020 Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc.
Learn More About The Passion TranslationPsalms 78
78
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
(Matthew 13:34–35)
A Maskil #78:0 Maskil is probably a musical or liturgical term; used for Psalms 32, 42, 44–45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88–89, and 142. of Asaph.
1Give ear, O my people, to my instruction;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden from the beginning,#78:2 Or from ancient times; see also LXX; cited in Matthew 13:35
3that we have heard and known
and our fathers have relayed to us.
4We will not hide them from their children,
but will declare to the next generation
the praises of the Lord and His might,
and the wonders He has performed.
5For He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
6that the coming generation would know them—
even children yet to be born—
to arise and tell their own children
7that they should put their confidence in God,
not forgetting His works,
but keeping His commandments.
8Then they will not be like their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose heart was not loyal,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9The archers of Ephraim
turned back on the day of battle.
10They failed to keep God’s covenant
and refused to live by His law.
11They forgot what He had done,
the wonders He had shown them.
12He worked wonders before their fathers
in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
13He split the sea and brought them through;
He set the waters upright like a wall.
14He led them with a cloud by day
and with a light of fire all night.
15He split the rocks in the wilderness
and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.
16He brought streams from the stone
and made water flow down like rivers.
17But they continued to sin against Him,
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.
18They willfully tested God
by demanding the food they craved.
19They spoke against God, saying,
“Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?
20When He struck the rock, water gushed out
and torrents raged.
But can He also give bread
or supply His people with meat?”
21Therefore the Lord heard
and was filled with wrath;
so a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and His anger flared against Israel,
22because they did not believe God
or rely on His salvation.
23Yet He commanded the clouds above
and opened the doors of the heavens.
24He rained down manna for them to eat;
He gave them grain from heaven.#78:24 Cited in John 6:31
25Man ate the bread of angels;
He sent them food in abundance.
26He stirred the east wind from the heavens
and drove the south wind by His might.
27He rained meat on them like dust,
and winged birds like the sand of the sea.
28He felled them in the midst of their camp,
all around their dwellings.
29So they ate and were well filled,
for He gave them what they craved.
30Yet before they had filled their desire,
with the food still in their mouths,
31God’s anger flared against them,
and He put to death their strongest
and subdued the young men of Israel.
32In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;
despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.
33So He ended their days in futility,#78:33 Or in vapor
and their years in sudden terror.
34When He slew them, they would seek Him;
they repented and searched for God.
35And they remembered that God was their Rock,
that God Most High #78:35 Hebrew El-Elyon was their Redeemer.
36But they deceived Him with their mouths,
and lied to Him with their tongues.
37Their hearts were disloyal to Him,
and they were unfaithful to His covenant.
38And yet He was compassionate;
He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them.
He often restrained His anger
and did not unleash His full wrath.
39He remembered that they were but flesh,
a passing breeze that does not return.
40How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness
and grieved Him in the desert!
41Again and again they tested God
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42They did not remember His power #78:42 Or His hand—
the day He redeemed them from the adversary,
43when He performed His signs in Egypt
and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.
44He turned their rivers to blood,
and from their streams they could not drink.
45He sent swarms of flies that devoured them,
and frogs that devastated them.
46He gave their crops to the grasshopper,
the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47He killed their vines with hailstones
and their sycamore-figs with sleet.#78:47 Or frost or driving rain
48He abandoned their cattle to the hail
and their livestock to bolts of lightning.
49He unleashed His fury against them,
wrath, indignation, and calamity—
a band of destroying angels.
50He cleared a path for His anger;
He did not spare them from death
but delivered their lives to the plague.
51He struck all the firstborn of Egypt,
the virility in the tents of Ham.
52He led out His people like sheep
and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
53He led them safely, so they did not fear,
but the sea engulfed their enemies.
54He brought them to His holy land,
to the mountain His right hand had acquired.
55He drove out nations before them
and apportioned their inheritance;
He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56But they tested and disobeyed God Most High,
for they did not keep His decrees.
57They turned back and were faithless like their fathers,
twisted like a faulty bow.
58They enraged Him with their high places
and provoked His jealousy with their idols.
59On hearing it, God was furious
and rejected Israel completely.
60He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,
the tent He had pitched among men.
61He delivered His strength to captivity,
and His splendor to the hand of the adversary.
62He surrendered His people to the sword
because He was enraged by His heritage.
63Fire consumed His young men,
and their maidens were left without wedding songs.
64His priests fell by the sword,
but their widows could not lament.
65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a mighty warrior overcome by wine.
66He beat back His foes;
He put them to everlasting shame.
67He rejected the tent of Joseph
and refused the tribe of Ephraim.
68But He chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which He loved.
69He built His sanctuary like the heights,
like the earth He has established forever.
70He chose David His servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71from tending the ewes He brought him
to be shepherd of His people Jacob,
of Israel His inheritance.
72So David shepherded them with integrity of heart
and guided them with skillful hands.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.