A maskil of Asaph
78:Title Maskil was probably a literary or musical term.⚜
78
📚Give ear, O my people,to my law.
Bow down your ears to the words
of my mouth.
78:1 In this psalm Asaph speaks as a prophet (see Matt 13:35 where v 2 of this psalm is referred to). Here we have a contrast between God’s grace and mighty deeds, and Israel’s rebellion and sin. It was intended as an exhortation and a warning to the people based on their history (see also Psalms 105 and 106). It also gives the reason why the tribe of Ephraim was put down and Judah exalted. It teaches the true meaning of the events of history, and we can learn much needed lessons from it for today. \fp Men often slander God because He does not give them all they desire, or behave as they think He ought, or because He punishes sin and rebellion. In this psalm we see God’s true righteous character and man’s depravity very strikingly and clearly revealed. Here we can learn much of what God is and what we are. We have no grounds for thinking that by nature we are in any way better than the people of Israel described here. And we have no excuse if we indulge in their rebellion and sins, if we have as much light and revelation from God as they had (and with the New Testament in our hands we have much more light than they had). There is much in this psalm on the fruits and penalties of unbelief. Unbelief causes people \fp To turn back (v 9), \fp Be disobedient (v 10), \fp Be forgetful of God’s great mercies (v 11), \fp Go on sinning and rebelling (v 17), \fp Live a life of futility (v 33), \fp Flatter and lie (v 36), \fp Limit God (v 41), \fp And be disloyal and unreliable (v 57). \fp And unbelief brings on men the anger of God and great loss.⚜
2 📚I will open my mouth
in a parable;
I will utter difficult sayings
of old,
78:2 These words are applied to the teaching method of the Lord Jesus in Matt 13:35.⚜
3 📚Which we have heard
and known,
and which our fathers
have told us.
4 📚We will not hide them
from their children,
declaring to the generation
to come the praises of the LORD,
and his strength, and his wonderful
deeds which he has done.
5 📚For he established a testimony
in Jacob,
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers,
that they should make them known
to their children,
6 📚That the generation to come
might know them,
the children who would be born;
who should arise and declare
them to their children,
7 📚That they might set their hope
on God,
and not forget the works
of God,
but keep his commandments,
8 📚And might not be like
their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that did not
prepare their heart rightly,
and whose spirit was not steadfast
with God.
78:2-8 These verses, particularly vs 7,8, give the reason why Asaph wrote this psalm. He is doing what God commanded His people to do (Ex 12:26-27; 13:8-9; Deut 4:9-10; 6:7, 20-25; 11:19; 32:46). It is the solemn responsibility of parents to train up their children in the discipline and teaching of the Lord (Eph 6:4), and each generation of believers must instruct the next generation.⚜
78:7-8 There are two kinds of examples in the Bible – good ones which we should follow, and bad ones which we should avoid. The brief history of Israel recorded in the rest of this psalm gives many of the second kind of example. Those people went astray for the three reasons given in v 8 – they would not obey God; they would not make their hearts right with Him; they would not be faithful to Him. The second of these reasons is the cause of the other two. Preparing the heart and making sure the inner life is right with God is the most important duty of all. It is far more important than any outward service, for without it outward service will not be pleasing and acceptable to God (Prov 4:23; Luke 6:45).⚜
9 📚The children of Ephraim,
armed and carrying bows,
turned back in the day of battle.
78:9 During and after the conquest of Canaan Ephraim rose to a place of prominence among the tribes. Joshua and Gideon were both from this tribe. Ephraim is mentioned particularly because it failed in its leadership. We do not know to what battle Asaph refers – possibly to the times in general described in the book of Judges.⚜
10 📚They did not keep the covenant
of God,
and refused to walk in his law,
11 📚And they forgot his deeds
and his wonders that he had
shown them.
78:10-11 This was true, not merely of Ephraim, but of the whole nation. However, it was more markedly true in Ephraim than in the other tribes.⚜
12 📚He did marvellous things
in the sight of their fathers,
in the land of Egypt, in
the field of Zoan.
78:12 See Exodus chapters 7–13. Zoan was the city of Pharaoh, the capital of that part of Egypt near Goshen where the people of Israel lived.⚜
13 📚He divided the sea
and caused them to
pass through,
and he made the waters stand
like a heap.
14 📚Also in the daytime he led
them with a cloud,
and all the night with a light
of the fire.
15 📚He split the rocks
in the wilderness,
and gave them drink as
out of the great depths.
16 📚He also brought streams out
of the rock,
and caused waters to run down
like rivers.
17 📚And they sinned still more
against him by provoking
the Most High in the desert.
78:17 A sad verse indeed. All God’s miracles on their behalf did not work in them an effective change, did not produce a living faith or obedient heart. Actually miracles by themselves never produce true faith and obedience (vs 22,32; Matt 11:20-24; John 6:26). To produce these God’s work in the heart is required and true repentance. The awful depravity of human nature is not overcome by outward things, including powerful miracles.⚜
18 📚And they tempted God
in their heart by asking for
their desired food.
19 📚Yes, they spoke against God.
They said, “Can God prepare
a table in the wilderness?
20 📚Look, he struck the rock,
so that the waters gushed out,
and the streams overflowed.
Can he give bread also?
Can he provide meat for his people?”
21 📚Therefore the LORD heard
this and was angry.
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and anger also came up against
Israel,
22 📚Because they did not believe
in God,
and did not trust in his salvation,
78:22 Here is the reason for God’s anger. Their unbelief was in the face of great evidence of God’s power and goodness. It was willful, blameworthy unbelief. Doubting so great a God Who had displayed such great grace was a great sin.⚜
23 📚Though he had commanded
the clouds from above,
and had opened the doors
of heaven,
24 📚And had rained down manna
on them to eat,
and had given them the grain
of heaven.
25 📚Man ate angels’ food.
He sent them food to the full.
26 📚He caused an east wind
to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he brought
in the south wind.
27 📚He also rained meat on them
like dust,
and feathered birds like the sand
of the sea,
28 And let them fall in the
middle of their camp,
around their homes.
29 📚So they ate, and were well
satisfied,
for he gave them their own desire;
30 📚They were not turned away
from their craving.
But while their food was still
in their mouths,
31 📚The wrath of God came on them,
and killed the stoutest of them,
and struck down the chosen
men of Israel.
32 📚In spite of all this
they still sinned,
and did not believe even though
they saw his wonderful
works.
33 📚Therefore, he consumed their
days in futility,
and their years in trouble.
78:33 Israel went around in the desert for forty years without a goal. Emptiness of heart and futility of life and fear of the future and death – these are the sad fruits of sin, rebellion and unbelief. If our lives are fruitless and vain and empty and plagued by various fears, let us learn to trace these things to their true source.⚜
34 📚When he killed them, then they sought him,
and they turned back and soon
inquired after God.
35 📚And they remembered
that God was their rock,
and the high God their redeemer.
78:35 The Hebrew word translated here “redeemer” (goel) is used 46 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, sometimes of God, sometimes of men. It had various meanings. A redeemer was one who delivered from trouble and bondage (Gen 48:16; Deut 13:5); a close relative who would buy a person’s lost property and restore it to him (Lev 25:25); an avenger of a family member who had been killed (Num 35:12); a close relative who would marry the widow of a family member and raise up progeny for him, besides buying up her lost property (Ruth 2:20); and one who takes the side of his people against oppressors (Prov 23:11). As Redeemer God saved His people from bondage, restored them to the land, and punished their enemies (Isa 49:25-26; Jer 50:33-34).
In the New Testament the word has more spiritual meanings. There the Lord Jesus is the Redeemer. He paid the price to release us from sin’s bondage. The price was His own blood. By His blood believers have forgiveness, freedom, and an eternal inheritance. Jesus stands up for believers against their spiritual enemy Satan. He will destroy this one who has brought death on the human race, and will restore to man all that he lost by falling into Satan’s hands. The Lord Jesus has redeemed His people that collectively they might become His holy, spiritual “bride” to bring forth fruit for God. See Matt 20:28; 26:28; Rom 3:24; 7:1-4; 8:23; Gal 3:13-14; Eph 1:7, 14; 4:30; 5:25-33; Col 1:14; Heb 9:12; 1 Pet 1:4, 18, 19; Rev 1:5; 5:9-10; 19:6-9.⚜
36 📚Nevertheless they flattered him
with their mouth and lied to him
with their tongues.
37 📚For their heart was not right
with him,
they were not firm in his covenant.
78:36-37 Will men lie to God and try to deceive Him? Yes, of course. Men will try anything to evade the responsibility of truly repenting and living a life of obedience to God.⚜
38 📚But he, being full
of compassion, forgave
their wickedness,
and did not destroy them.
Yes, many times he turned his
anger away,
and did not stir up all his wrath.
78:38 Ex 34:6; Num 14:18-20; Isa 48:9. If God did not restrain His just anger against men, none of them would be left alive.⚜
39 📚For he remembered that
they were but flesh,
a wind that passes away and
does not come again.
40 📚How often they provoked him
in the wilderness,
and grieved him in the desert!
41 📚Yes, they turned back and tested
God,
and limited 📖 the Holy One of Israel.
42 📚They did not remember
his hand,
or the day when he delivered
them from the enemy,
78:32-42 Neither gracious miracles nor severe punishments changed the hearts of the people. They were incorrigible. But the rest of mankind is no better than they, and by nature we ourselves are in no way superior (Rom 3:9). These verses are a sad commentary on man’s fallen nature in which we all share. People in general are sinful and unbelieving (v 32), turning to God only in time of trouble (v 34), but even then insincere (vs 36,37), feeble in all they can do (v 39), continually grieving God (v 40), setting limits to God’s power (v 41), and easily forgetful of all God’s mercies (v 42). This is what human nature reveals itself to be when put to the test. Even God does not attempt to reform it. He says it is worthy of death, and gives a new nature altogether to the believer in Christ (Rom 6:3-5; 7:4-6; 2 Cor 5:14-17; Eph 2:1-10; 4:22-24; Col 3:1-4).⚜
43 📚How he appointed his signs
in Egypt,
and his wonders in the field
of Zoan,
44 📚And turned their rivers
and their streams
into blood,
so that they could not drink.
45 📚He sent swarms of flies among
them which devoured them,
and frogs which destroyed them.
46 📚He also gave their crops
to the caterpillar,
and their labour to the locust.
47 📚He destroyed their vines
with hail,
and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 📚He also gave up their cattle
to the hail,
and their flocks to flaming
thunderbolts.
49 📚He cast on them the fierceness
of his anger, wrath, and
indignation, and trouble,
by sending destroying angels
among them.
50 📚He made a path for
his anger.
He did not spare their soul
from death,
but gave their life over to the plague,
51 📚And struck down all the firstborn
in Egypt,
the chief of their strength
in the tents of Ham,
78:43-51 Exodus chapters 7–13.⚜
52 📚But caused his own people
to go out like sheep,
and guided them in the wilderness
like a flock.
53 📚And he led them on safely,
so that they were not afraid;
but the sea overwhelmed
their enemies.
54 📚And he brought them
to his holy territory,
to this mountain,
which his right hand
had obtained.
55 📚He also drove out the nations
before them,
and apportioned an inheritance
to them,
and caused the tribes of Israel
to live in their tents.
56 📚Yet they tested and provoked
the Most High God,
and did not keep his testimonies,
57 📚But turned back and behaved
unfaithfully like their fathers.
They were turned aside like
a deceitful bow.
58 📚For they provoked him
to anger with their high places,
and moved him to jealousy
with their carved idols.
78:56-58 These verses speak of the sin of the generation following the death of Joshua (Jud 2:7-13). They soon fell into the grievous and forbidden sin of idolatry (Ex 20:3-5). A change of location did not mean a change of heart. They were as sinful and rebellious and unbelieving as their ancestors, as all men.⚜
59 📚When God heard this,
he was enraged,
and greatly abhorred 📖 Israel,
60 📚So that he forsook the tabernacle
at Shiloh,
the tent which he placed
among men,
78:60 Their sin was so great that God left the place He had chosen for His tabernacle. Shiloh was in the territory of Ephraim (v 9).⚜
61 📚And delivered his strength
into captivity,
and his glory into the enemy’s
hand.
78:61 The symbol of His strength and the place where His glory was displayed was the ark in the tabernacle. Because of the people’s sin He gave the ark into the hands of enemies (1 Sam 4:1-11).⚜
62 📚He also gave his people over
to the sword,
and was angry with his
inheritance.
63 📚The fire consumed their
young men,
and their maidens were not
given in marriage.
64 📚Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows made no
lamentation.
65 📚Then the Lord awoke like
one out of sleep,
and like a mighty man
who shouts because of wine.
66 📚And he beat back his enemies;
he put them to continual shame.
67 📚Moreover, he refused the tent
of Joseph,
and did not choose the tribe
of Ephraim,
68 📚But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which he loved.
69 📚And he built his sanctuary like
heights,
like the earth which he established
forever.
70 📚He also chose David his servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds,
71 📚From following the ewes great
with young.
He brought him to feed his people
Jacob, and his inheritance Israel.
72 📚So he shepherded them according
to the integrity of his heart,
and guided them by the skillfulness of
his hands.
78:65-72 In these concluding verses Asaph in poetic language describes a new work of God. He rejected the leadership of Ephraim, brought another tribe to power, caused a new king (David) to be anointed, chose a new place for the ark (Jerusalem), and crushed the enemies of Israel. This is a summary of events recorded in various chapters of 1 and 2 Samuel.⚜
78:72 David is the great Old Testament type of Christ as victorious warrior, king, and shepherd of His people.⚜