"The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 78:1-3,
"My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us."
Two main themes appear to me in this "parable" of Asaph. The first is the acknowledgement of Israel's lack of faith in their God - despite the very many compelling things God had done for the nation that should have brought it. The second is God's fury over this very lack of faith in him as expressed in their idolatry.
Of the things that should have persuaded Israel's faith in God:
God divided the sea so Israel could escape Egypt's army during their exodus from their enslavement in Egypt, verse 13.
God led the nation with "cloud by day and with light from the fire all night", verse 14.
God split rocks in the wilderness to provide water for the nation as they made their way, verses 15-16.
God provided Israel with manna from heaven to eat, verses 23-24, and meat, verses 26-29.
God performed miracles in Egypt that brought them deliverance from their enslavement there, verses 42-53.
God brought Israel to the land he had given them, verse 54.
God drove out the existing nations living in the land God had given them, verse 55, and settled them there..
Despite all this the Israelites rebelled against God, they were "disloyal and faithless", verse 57. As a result God was furious with them, verses 21, 59 and 62. The expression of Israel's rejection of God was their pursuit of idols and their worship of them, "They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. When God heard them, he was furious; he rejected Israel completely", verses 58-59.
This psalm very well expresses Israel's history with God from the time of their exodus from Egypt to their return to the land from their Babylonian captivity. Much of the Old Testament is given to the themes Asaph presents in Psalm 78. To understand Psalm 78 is to understand the bulk of Israel's history provided us in the Old Testament, kind of a "Cliff Notes" introduction to Exodus through Ezra/Nehemiah/Esther as well as the books of the prophets at the end of our Old Testament.
The actions of God against his idolatrous people were so effective that Paul claimed in his day that even those who rejected Jesus Christ at that time were zealous (in their own misguided way) for God, Romans 10:1-2, "Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge." By this time Israel had completely abandoned idol worship. - a condition God pursued and accomplished among them prior to sending his Son among them.
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us."
Two main themes appear to me in this "parable" of Asaph. The first is the acknowledgement of Israel's lack of faith in their God - despite the very many compelling things God had done for the nation that should have brought it. The second is God's fury over this very lack of faith in him as expressed in their idolatry.
Of the things that should have persuaded Israel's faith in God:
God divided the sea so Israel could escape Egypt's army during their exodus from their enslavement in Egypt, verse 13.
God led the nation with "cloud by day and with light from the fire all night", verse 14.
God split rocks in the wilderness to provide water for the nation as they made their way, verses 15-16.
God provided Israel with manna from heaven to eat, verses 23-24, and meat, verses 26-29.
God performed miracles in Egypt that brought them deliverance from their enslavement there, verses 42-53.
God brought Israel to the land he had given them, verse 54.
God drove out the existing nations living in the land God had given them, verse 55, and settled them there..
Despite all this the Israelites rebelled against God, they were "disloyal and faithless", verse 57. As a result God was furious with them, verses 21, 59 and 62. The expression of Israel's rejection of God was their pursuit of idols and their worship of them, "They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. When God heard them, he was furious; he rejected Israel completely", verses 58-59.
This psalm very well expresses Israel's history with God from the time of their exodus from Egypt to their return to the land from their Babylonian captivity. Much of the Old Testament is given to the themes Asaph presents in Psalm 78. To understand Psalm 78 is to understand the bulk of Israel's history provided us in the Old Testament, kind of a "Cliff Notes" introduction to Exodus through Ezra/Nehemiah/Esther as well as the books of the prophets at the end of our Old Testament.
The actions of God against his idolatrous people were so effective that Paul claimed in his day that even those who rejected Jesus Christ at that time were zealous (in their own misguided way) for God, Romans 10:1-2, "Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge." By this time Israel had completely abandoned idol worship. - a condition God pursued and accomplished among them prior to sending his Son among them.
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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