Psalm 78 A Contemplation by Asaph Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth on a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children. Tell unto the generation to come to the praises of God, his strength and his wondrous deeds that he has done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children, that the generation to come might know even the children who should be born, who should arise until their children, that they might set their hope in God. and not forget God's deeds, but keep His commandments, and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn't make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God. The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They didn't keep God's covenant and refused to walk in His law. They forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them. He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zion. He split the sea and caused them to pass through. He made the water stand as a heap. In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire. He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. Yet they still went on to sin against him. to rebel against the Most High in the desert. They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire. Yes, they spoke against God. They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Behold, they struck the rock so that waters gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people? Therefore God heard and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob. Anger also went up against Israel because they didn't believe in God and didn't trust in his salvation. Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven. He rained down man on them to eat. and gave them food from the sky. Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full. He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind. He rained also meat on them as a dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas. He let them fall in the middle of their camp. around their habitations. So they ate and were well filled. He gave them their own desire. They didn't turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths when the anger of God went up against them. killed some of their fattest, and struck down the young men of Israel. For all this they still sinned, and didn't believe in his wondrous works. Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror. When he killed them, then they inquired after him. Psalm 78. They returned and sought God earnestly. A contemplation by Asaph. They remembered that God was their rock. Hear my teaching, my people. The Most High God. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth. But they flattered him with their mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable. for their heart was not right with him, which we have heard and known. And our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children. Yes, many times he turned to the praises of God, and didn't stir up all his wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, the wind that passes away and doesn't come again. How often they rebelled against them in the wilderness, and grieved them in the desert. They turned again and tempted God, and provoked only one of Israel, who should be born. They didn't remember this time, nor the day when He redeemed them from the embers thereof. How He set aside for Egypt God's deeds, His wonders, and fulfilled His commandments. It might not be as their father lives a stubborn and rebellious generation, so that he could not drain the generation he sent among their hard supplies which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them. The children have every ingredient to decay and bow in early battle. He destroyed their guns with hail. and refused to walk in his law. He gave over their livestock also to the hill and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, and the land of Egypt and the fields of Noah. He split the seed and caused them to pass through. He made a path for his anger. In a day time he also led them with a cloud, and gave their lives over to the pestilence. With a light of fire he struck all the firstborn. He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them to drink abundantly as out of the dust. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the most high in the desert, to tempt God in their heart. By asking food according to their desire, he also drove out the nations before them. He seconded them for an arid table in the wilderness, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. Yet he tempted and rebelled against the low-tide god. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people? Until Fredrod heard and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob. Anger also went up against Israel at their high places, because they didn't believe him to God. They didn't trust in his salvation. When God heard this, he was angry and greatly abhorred Israel. So then he abandoned the tent and gave the food from the sky. Man ate the bread of angels. He delivered his strength into captivity. He caused his glory into the adversary's hand. By his power he also gave his people over to the sword. He rained all his anger on them as an inheritance. He fired a bow at them on the seas. Their virgins had no wittle of their camp. Their priests fell by the sword, so they ate. Their widows couldn't weep. They were well-filled, and the Lord awakened and gave them their own sleep. They didn't yearn for shouts by reason of wine. Their food was yet in their mouths. When the anger of God went up, He put them to a perpetual repose. He killed some of their fasts. Moreover, He rejected and turned down the young men of Israel and didn't choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah and didn't believe in His wonders or in which He loved. He built their sanctuary like the heights, like their earth which He established forever. When He killed them, then just they inquired after Him. They returned and sought God earnestly. From following the youths that have their yonk, He brought Him to be the Shepherd of the Redeemer, His people. But they flattered Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue. For their heart was not right with Him. He guided them by the skillfulness of his hands, but he, being merciful, forgave iniquity and didn't destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away and didn't stir up all his wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away and doesn't come again. How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert. They turned again and tempted God. and provoked the Holy One of Israel. They didn't remember His hand, nor the day when He redeemed them from the adversary, how He set His signs in Egypt, His wonders in the field of Zohan. He turned their rivers into blood in their streams, so that they could not drink. He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them. He gave also their increase to the caterpillar and their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost. He gave over their livestock also to the hill and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil. He made a path for his anger. He didn't spare their soul from death, but gave their lives over to the pestilence, and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham. But he let out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. He led them safely so they weren't afraid, but to see overwhelmed their enemies. He brought them to the border of a sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken. He also drove out the nations before them, a lot of them for an inheritance by lying, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn't keep His testimonies, but turned back and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. for they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images. When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel, so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men, and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary's hand. He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance. Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn't weep. Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of whine. He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach. Moreover, he rejected a tent of Joseph, and didn't choose a tribe of Ephraim, but chose a tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved. He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever. He also chose David as servant, and took him from the sheepfolds, from following the ewes that have their young. He brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people. and Israel his inheritance. So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.