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.
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Psalms 78: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationPsalms 78
78
1A Psalme to give instruction committed to Asaph. Heare my doctrine, O my people: incline your eares vnto the wordes of my mouth. 2I will open my mouth in a parable: I will declare high sentences of olde. 3Which we haue heard and knowen, and our fathers haue tolde vs. 4Wee will not hide them from their children but to the generation to come we wil shewe the praises of the Lord his power also, and his wonderful woorkes that he hath done: 5How he established a testimonie in Iaakob, and ordeined a Law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they shoulde teache their children: 6That the posteritie might knowe it, and the children, which should be borne, should stand vp, and declare it to their children: 7That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements: 8And not to bee as their fathers, a disobedient and rebellious generation: a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirite was not faithfull vnto God. 9The children of Ephraim being armed and shooting with the bowe, turned backe in the day of battell. 10They kept not the couenant of God, but refused to walke in his Lawe, 11And forgate his Actes, and his wonderfull woorkes that he had shewed them. 12Hee did marueilous thinges in the sight of their fathers in the lande of Egypt: euen in the fielde of Zoan. 13He deuided the Sea, and led them through: he made also the waters to stand as an heape. 14In the day time also hee led them with a cloude, and all the night with a light of fire. 15He claue the rockes in the wildernes, and gaue them drinke as of the great depths. 16He brought floods also out of the stonie rocke; so that hee made the waters to descend like the riuers. 17Yet they sinned stil against him, and prouoked the Highest in the wildernesse, 18And tempted God in their heartes in requiring meate for their lust. 19They spake against God also, saying, Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse? 20Behold, he smote the rocke, that the water gushed out, and the streames ouerflowed: can hee giue bread also? or prepare flesh for his people? 21Therefore the Lord heard and was angrie, and the fire was kindled in Iaakob, and also wrath came vpon Israel, 22Because they beleeued not in God, and trusted not in his helpe. 23Yet he had comanded the clouds aboue, and had opened the doores of heauen, 24And had rained downe MAN vpon them for to eate, and had giuen them of the wheate of heauen. 25Man did eate the bread of Angels: hee sent them meate ynough. 26He caused the Eastwinde to passe in the heauen, and through his power he brought in the Southwinde. 27Hee rained flesh also vpon them as dust, and feathered foule as the sand of the sea. 28And hee made it fall in the middes of their campe euen round about their habitations. 29So they did eate and were well filled: for he gaue them their desire. 30They were not turned from their lust, but the meate was yet in their mouthes, 31When the wrath of God came euen vpon them, and slew the strongest of them, and smote downe the chosen men in Israel. 32For all this, they sinned stil, and beleeued not his wonderous woorkes. 33Therefore their daies did hee consume in vanitie, and their yeeres hastily. 34And when hee slewe them, they sought him and they returned, and sought God earely. 35And they remembred that God was their strength, and the most high God their redeemer. 36But they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue. 37For their heart was not vpright with him: neither were they faithfull in his couenant. 38Yet he being merciful forgaue their iniquitie, and destroied them not, but oft times called backe his anger, and did not stirre vp all his wrath. 39For he remembered that they were flesh: yea, a winde that passeth and commeth not againe. 40How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernes? and grieue him in the desert? 41Yea, they returned, and tempted God, and limited the Holie one of Israel. 42They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he deliuered them from the enemie, 43Nor him that set his signes in Egypt, and his wonders in the fielde of Zoan, 44And turned their riuers into blood, and their floods, that they could not drinke. 45Hee sent a swarme of flies among them, which deuoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them. 46He gaue also their fruites vnto the caterpiller, and their labour vnto the grassehopper. 47He destroied their vines with haile, and their wilde figge trees with the hailestone. 48He gaue their cattell also to the haile, and their flockes to the thunderboltes. 49Hee cast vpon them the fiercenesse of his anger, indignation and wrath, and vexation by the sending out of euill Angels. 50He made a way to his anger: he spared not their soule from death, but gaue their life to the pestilence, 51And smote al the firstborne in Egypt, euen the beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham. 52But hee made his people to goe out like sheepe, and led them in the wildernes like a flocke. 53Yea, he caried them out safely, and they feared not, and the Sea couered their enemies. 54And he brought them vnto the borders of his Sanctuarie: euen to this Mountaine, which his right hand purchased. 55He cast out the heathe also before them, and caused them to fall to the lot of his inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles. 56Yet they tempted, and prouoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies, 57But turned backe and delt falsely like their fathers: they turned like a deceitfull bowe. 58And they prouoked him to anger with their high places, and mooued him to wrath with their grauen images. 59God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel, 60So that hee forsooke the habitation of Shilo, euen the Tabernacle where hee dwelt among men, 61And deliuered his power into captiuitie, and his beautie into the enemies hand. 62And hee gaue vp his people to the sworde, and was angrie with his inheritance. 63The fire deuoured their chosen men, and their maides were not praised. 64Their Priestes fell by the sworde, and their widowes lamented not. 65But the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe, and as a strong man that after his wine crieth out, 66And smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetuall shame. 67Yet he refused the tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: 68But chose the tribe of Iudah, and mount Zion which he loued. 69And he built his Sanctuarie as an high palace, like the earth, which he stablished for euer. 70He chose Dauid also his seruant, and tooke him from the shepefolds. 71Euen from behinde the ewes with yong brought he him to feede his people in Iaakob, and his inheritance in Israel. 72So he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart, and guided them by the discretion of his hands.
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