Day 155

Psalm 78 Part 2

God blessed and provided for Israel in the escape from Egypt and in the wilderness; Israel responded with complaining and unbelief. God did not ignore this; He heard it and He was furious with their sin against Him.

Keep in mind that the sins Asaph had in mind were the sins of ingratitude, testing God, and doubting His power and His care. These were sins God was furious with. We often think God takes little account of such sins. Are we guilty of ingratitude? 
Their dark sin is set against the white background of God’s goodness and constant care for them. He gave them and kept giving them ‘bread of heaven and angels’ food,’ and they ate to the full.

‘In spite of this they still sinned:’ In some ways, this is the most tragic line of this psalm. Despite all the blessings and the strongest of corrections, ‘they still sinned.’ Israel didn’t learn either from God’s goodness or from His wrath. 
God said that the generation of unbelieving people could not enter the Promised Land; that generation would be consumed in the wilderness (Num14:22-24). The futility was expressed in the idea that they came out of Egypt, but never into Canaan. The fear was expressed in their unwillingness to take the land by faith.

The previous long section of this psalm (verses 40 through 55) recounted God’s great faithfulness while in Egypt and as they went to Canaan. Yet once Israel came into the Promised Land, they ‘did not keep His testimonies, but turned back and acted unfaithfully.’ 
The figure of a ‘deceitful bow,’ in v57, well describes the people as failing to fulfil the purpose of their choice by God. As such a weapon does not shoot true and makes the arrow fly wide, however well-aimed and strongly drawn, so Israel foiled all Divine attempts and failed to carry God’s message to the world or to fulfil His will in themselves. The psalm ends on a hopeful note. It concludes with recognition of and gratitude for the goodness of God in the ‘integrity and skilfulness’ of David’s rule.