Psalms 107

Psalms 107:1

Disobedient and Forgetful

Despite God’s works and God’s law, “the sons of Ephraim” have departed from God (Psalms 78:9). The sons of Ephraim are the ten tribes. Beginning in Psalms 78:12, they are associated with all the people of Israel. In other words, Ephraim’s behavior represents the behavior of all the people. When Reuben forfeited the firstborn right because of his behavior, Joseph, Rachel’s firstborn, received that right. Ephraim, the son of Joseph, the superior of Manasseh (Genesis 48:17-20), became the leader. When Israel took possession of the land of Canaan, it was under the leadership of Joshua, who was of the tribe of Ephraim. When the ark of the covenant was given a resting place in the land, it was at Shiloh, which was in Ephraim.

Ephraim was the most privileged tribe, but he failed time and again. The sons of Ephraim were “archers equipped with bows”, but at the time when they should have used their weapons and skill, that is, “in the day of battle”, they had turned back and fled. It is not known which event is involved here. Nor is it important. What is important is that the interests of God were not on their mind. They placed more value on their own lives than they on working for God and His people.

Their cowardly attitude in the day of battle was the result of a wrong mind of the heart. This was evident from the fact that they had not kept the covenant of God. This is evident from the accusation brought against them, that they “did not keep the covenant of God” (Psalms 78:10). When we do not keep something, it means that we become vulnerable to wrong choices or open ourselves up to calamity. ‘Not to keep’ also means ‘not to guard’, which means something can be damaged or taken away.

In addition to the culpable failure to observe God’s covenant, there was the deliberate refusal to “walk in His law”. The “law” here is “the teaching” of God. It is the same word as “maskil” in Psalms 78:1. Through teaching one learns to know the words of God and thereby His will.

Thus they had turned their backs on God; they had lost sight of Him and He was not in their heart any longer. God was not their hope (Psalms 78:7), so they “forgot His deeds and His miracles that He had shown them” (Psalms 78:11). In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses regularly holds up to the people what they had seen with their own eyes of God’s deeds and would yet see (Deuteronomy 4:3; 9; 34; Deuteronomy 7:19; 22; Deuteronomy 9:4; Deuteronomy 10:21; Deuteronomy 11:7; 23).

God shows us His deeds and His miracles to confirm His Word and strengthen our faith. However, if there is no personal relationship with Him, His deeds in the past no longer have any effect on us because faith is lacking. Those who forget the miracle of the cleansing of their past sins become blind and shortsighted (2 Peter 1:9).

Psalms 107:2

Disobedient and Forgetful

Despite God’s works and God’s law, “the sons of Ephraim” have departed from God (Psalms 78:9). The sons of Ephraim are the ten tribes. Beginning in Psalms 78:12, they are associated with all the people of Israel. In other words, Ephraim’s behavior represents the behavior of all the people. When Reuben forfeited the firstborn right because of his behavior, Joseph, Rachel’s firstborn, received that right. Ephraim, the son of Joseph, the superior of Manasseh (Genesis 48:17-20), became the leader. When Israel took possession of the land of Canaan, it was under the leadership of Joshua, who was of the tribe of Ephraim. When the ark of the covenant was given a resting place in the land, it was at Shiloh, which was in Ephraim.

Ephraim was the most privileged tribe, but he failed time and again. The sons of Ephraim were “archers equipped with bows”, but at the time when they should have used their weapons and skill, that is, “in the day of battle”, they had turned back and fled. It is not known which event is involved here. Nor is it important. What is important is that the interests of God were not on their mind. They placed more value on their own lives than they on working for God and His people.

Their cowardly attitude in the day of battle was the result of a wrong mind of the heart. This was evident from the fact that they had not kept the covenant of God. This is evident from the accusation brought against them, that they “did not keep the covenant of God” (Psalms 78:10). When we do not keep something, it means that we become vulnerable to wrong choices or open ourselves up to calamity. ‘Not to keep’ also means ‘not to guard’, which means something can be damaged or taken away.

In addition to the culpable failure to observe God’s covenant, there was the deliberate refusal to “walk in His law”. The “law” here is “the teaching” of God. It is the same word as “maskil” in Psalms 78:1. Through teaching one learns to know the words of God and thereby His will.

Thus they had turned their backs on God; they had lost sight of Him and He was not in their heart any longer. God was not their hope (Psalms 78:7), so they “forgot His deeds and His miracles that He had shown them” (Psalms 78:11). In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses regularly holds up to the people what they had seen with their own eyes of God’s deeds and would yet see (Deuteronomy 4:3; 9; 34; Deuteronomy 7:19; 22; Deuteronomy 9:4; Deuteronomy 10:21; Deuteronomy 11:7; 23).

God shows us His deeds and His miracles to confirm His Word and strengthen our faith. However, if there is no personal relationship with Him, His deeds in the past no longer have any effect on us because faith is lacking. Those who forget the miracle of the cleansing of their past sins become blind and shortsighted (2 Peter 1:9).

Psalms 107:3

God Delivers and Cares

Asaph goes on to quote examples of what God “wrought before [the eyes of] their fathers” in terms of “wonders”. He begins with the wonders “in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:12). Zoan or Tanis was the capital of Egypt in the time of Moses. The people of Israel lived in a suburb twenty miles from Zoan known as Avaris. The writer (TJ) visited Avaris and saw a cemetery of male babies. [Those interested can read about this in T. Mahoney’s book Patterns of evidence.] Asaph here recalls the wonder of deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. This is the great first wonder, from which all subsequent wonders have sprung.

How clearly God intervened then by means of all the plagues He brought upon Egypt. What to Egypt were plagues, were wonders of God to God’s people (Exodus 3:20; Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:3; Exodus 11:9-10). Zoan is the name of the ancient capital of Egypt, the seat of wisdom (Isaiah 19:11). But that wisdom failed to stop any of God’s plagues on Egypt.

And how He devoted Himself to them afterwards. When they stood before the Red Sea and could not move, “He divided the sea and caused them to pass through” (Psalms 78:13). God divided the waters. The word “divide” indicates that God did a powerful act. As a result, there was a wall of water to the left and right of the people (Exodus 14:21-22). God rules over all the elements of nature because He made them.

Once in the wilderness He led His people (Psalms 78:14). He did this “with the cloud by day” and “all night with a light of fire”. To lead them through the wilderness in this way is a great wonder. The cloud by day was not only a guidance, but also a kind of umbrella to protect against the heat of the sun. The shining fire was not lacking for a moment in the night. It was no ordinary light, but fire that spread light. This indicates that the God Who led His people in the night did so as a God Who also sees and judges sin in the darkness (Hebrews 12:29).

As easily as God divided the sea (Psalms 78:13), “He split the rocks” (Psalms 78:15). This is another wonder. The place of action is “the wilderness”. A wilderness is a barren place where death reigns and where there is a lack of water. God gave His people water from the split rock and “gave [them] abundant drink like the ocean depths”.

Out of the rock He brought forth “streams” and “caused waters to run down like rivers” (Psalms 78:16). Everything speaks of a tremendous, unceasing flow of water. That they always had water to drink, they owed to God’s care for them. God was able to give them that care because He was looking forward to the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.

That is why in 1 Corinthians 10 it is said of this rock from which streams of water came: “And the rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). Christ is the source and foundation of blessing. Every blessing that God has ever bestowed and ever will bestow upon His people, He bestows only because Christ is the people’s Redeemer. He became that because, like the rock, He was smitten. He was smitten by God for the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:10; Zechariah 13:7).

For us, who live in the time after Christ’s coming and ascension, it is no different. We too owe every blessing to Christ and the work He accomplished. The water in abundance speaks of His Spirit, which He gives without measure to those who believe (John 7:38-39; John 3:34). The water also speaks of His Word, in which all blessings are displayed for us (Ephesians 5:26). It is the water of the Word that becomes alive by the working of the Holy Spirit. Living water in Hebrew is water that has been flowing.

At the Feast of Booths, a priest with a golden pitcher scooped water from the well of Siloam each day of the seven days of the feast. With loud cheering (Isaiah 12:3), the water was poured out by the high priest into a silver basin next to the bronze altar of burnt offering, as a reminder of the water from the rock in the wilderness. On the eighth day of the feast the Lord Jesus indicated that He was the fulfillment of this prophetic shadowing (John 7:37-39).

Psalms 107:4

God Delivers and Cares

Asaph goes on to quote examples of what God “wrought before [the eyes of] their fathers” in terms of “wonders”. He begins with the wonders “in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:12). Zoan or Tanis was the capital of Egypt in the time of Moses. The people of Israel lived in a suburb twenty miles from Zoan known as Avaris. The writer (TJ) visited Avaris and saw a cemetery of male babies. [Those interested can read about this in T. Mahoney’s book Patterns of evidence.] Asaph here recalls the wonder of deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. This is the great first wonder, from which all subsequent wonders have sprung.

How clearly God intervened then by means of all the plagues He brought upon Egypt. What to Egypt were plagues, were wonders of God to God’s people (Exodus 3:20; Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:3; Exodus 11:9-10). Zoan is the name of the ancient capital of Egypt, the seat of wisdom (Isaiah 19:11). But that wisdom failed to stop any of God’s plagues on Egypt.

And how He devoted Himself to them afterwards. When they stood before the Red Sea and could not move, “He divided the sea and caused them to pass through” (Psalms 78:13). God divided the waters. The word “divide” indicates that God did a powerful act. As a result, there was a wall of water to the left and right of the people (Exodus 14:21-22). God rules over all the elements of nature because He made them.

Once in the wilderness He led His people (Psalms 78:14). He did this “with the cloud by day” and “all night with a light of fire”. To lead them through the wilderness in this way is a great wonder. The cloud by day was not only a guidance, but also a kind of umbrella to protect against the heat of the sun. The shining fire was not lacking for a moment in the night. It was no ordinary light, but fire that spread light. This indicates that the God Who led His people in the night did so as a God Who also sees and judges sin in the darkness (Hebrews 12:29).

As easily as God divided the sea (Psalms 78:13), “He split the rocks” (Psalms 78:15). This is another wonder. The place of action is “the wilderness”. A wilderness is a barren place where death reigns and where there is a lack of water. God gave His people water from the split rock and “gave [them] abundant drink like the ocean depths”.

Out of the rock He brought forth “streams” and “caused waters to run down like rivers” (Psalms 78:16). Everything speaks of a tremendous, unceasing flow of water. That they always had water to drink, they owed to God’s care for them. God was able to give them that care because He was looking forward to the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.

That is why in 1 Corinthians 10 it is said of this rock from which streams of water came: “And the rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). Christ is the source and foundation of blessing. Every blessing that God has ever bestowed and ever will bestow upon His people, He bestows only because Christ is the people’s Redeemer. He became that because, like the rock, He was smitten. He was smitten by God for the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:10; Zechariah 13:7).

For us, who live in the time after Christ’s coming and ascension, it is no different. We too owe every blessing to Christ and the work He accomplished. The water in abundance speaks of His Spirit, which He gives without measure to those who believe (John 7:38-39; John 3:34). The water also speaks of His Word, in which all blessings are displayed for us (Ephesians 5:26). It is the water of the Word that becomes alive by the working of the Holy Spirit. Living water in Hebrew is water that has been flowing.

At the Feast of Booths, a priest with a golden pitcher scooped water from the well of Siloam each day of the seven days of the feast. With loud cheering (Isaiah 12:3), the water was poured out by the high priest into a silver basin next to the bronze altar of burnt offering, as a reminder of the water from the rock in the wilderness. On the eighth day of the feast the Lord Jesus indicated that He was the fulfillment of this prophetic shadowing (John 7:37-39).

Psalms 107:5

God Delivers and Cares

Asaph goes on to quote examples of what God “wrought before [the eyes of] their fathers” in terms of “wonders”. He begins with the wonders “in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:12). Zoan or Tanis was the capital of Egypt in the time of Moses. The people of Israel lived in a suburb twenty miles from Zoan known as Avaris. The writer (TJ) visited Avaris and saw a cemetery of male babies. [Those interested can read about this in T. Mahoney’s book Patterns of evidence.] Asaph here recalls the wonder of deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. This is the great first wonder, from which all subsequent wonders have sprung.

How clearly God intervened then by means of all the plagues He brought upon Egypt. What to Egypt were plagues, were wonders of God to God’s people (Exodus 3:20; Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:3; Exodus 11:9-10). Zoan is the name of the ancient capital of Egypt, the seat of wisdom (Isaiah 19:11). But that wisdom failed to stop any of God’s plagues on Egypt.

And how He devoted Himself to them afterwards. When they stood before the Red Sea and could not move, “He divided the sea and caused them to pass through” (Psalms 78:13). God divided the waters. The word “divide” indicates that God did a powerful act. As a result, there was a wall of water to the left and right of the people (Exodus 14:21-22). God rules over all the elements of nature because He made them.

Once in the wilderness He led His people (Psalms 78:14). He did this “with the cloud by day” and “all night with a light of fire”. To lead them through the wilderness in this way is a great wonder. The cloud by day was not only a guidance, but also a kind of umbrella to protect against the heat of the sun. The shining fire was not lacking for a moment in the night. It was no ordinary light, but fire that spread light. This indicates that the God Who led His people in the night did so as a God Who also sees and judges sin in the darkness (Hebrews 12:29).

As easily as God divided the sea (Psalms 78:13), “He split the rocks” (Psalms 78:15). This is another wonder. The place of action is “the wilderness”. A wilderness is a barren place where death reigns and where there is a lack of water. God gave His people water from the split rock and “gave [them] abundant drink like the ocean depths”.

Out of the rock He brought forth “streams” and “caused waters to run down like rivers” (Psalms 78:16). Everything speaks of a tremendous, unceasing flow of water. That they always had water to drink, they owed to God’s care for them. God was able to give them that care because He was looking forward to the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.

That is why in 1 Corinthians 10 it is said of this rock from which streams of water came: “And the rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). Christ is the source and foundation of blessing. Every blessing that God has ever bestowed and ever will bestow upon His people, He bestows only because Christ is the people’s Redeemer. He became that because, like the rock, He was smitten. He was smitten by God for the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:10; Zechariah 13:7).

For us, who live in the time after Christ’s coming and ascension, it is no different. We too owe every blessing to Christ and the work He accomplished. The water in abundance speaks of His Spirit, which He gives without measure to those who believe (John 7:38-39; John 3:34). The water also speaks of His Word, in which all blessings are displayed for us (Ephesians 5:26). It is the water of the Word that becomes alive by the working of the Holy Spirit. Living water in Hebrew is water that has been flowing.

At the Feast of Booths, a priest with a golden pitcher scooped water from the well of Siloam each day of the seven days of the feast. With loud cheering (Isaiah 12:3), the water was poured out by the high priest into a silver basin next to the bronze altar of burnt offering, as a reminder of the water from the rock in the wilderness. On the eighth day of the feast the Lord Jesus indicated that He was the fulfillment of this prophetic shadowing (John 7:37-39).

Psalms 107:6

God Delivers and Cares

Asaph goes on to quote examples of what God “wrought before [the eyes of] their fathers” in terms of “wonders”. He begins with the wonders “in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:12). Zoan or Tanis was the capital of Egypt in the time of Moses. The people of Israel lived in a suburb twenty miles from Zoan known as Avaris. The writer (TJ) visited Avaris and saw a cemetery of male babies. [Those interested can read about this in T. Mahoney’s book Patterns of evidence.] Asaph here recalls the wonder of deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. This is the great first wonder, from which all subsequent wonders have sprung.

How clearly God intervened then by means of all the plagues He brought upon Egypt. What to Egypt were plagues, were wonders of God to God’s people (Exodus 3:20; Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:3; Exodus 11:9-10). Zoan is the name of the ancient capital of Egypt, the seat of wisdom (Isaiah 19:11). But that wisdom failed to stop any of God’s plagues on Egypt.

And how He devoted Himself to them afterwards. When they stood before the Red Sea and could not move, “He divided the sea and caused them to pass through” (Psalms 78:13). God divided the waters. The word “divide” indicates that God did a powerful act. As a result, there was a wall of water to the left and right of the people (Exodus 14:21-22). God rules over all the elements of nature because He made them.

Once in the wilderness He led His people (Psalms 78:14). He did this “with the cloud by day” and “all night with a light of fire”. To lead them through the wilderness in this way is a great wonder. The cloud by day was not only a guidance, but also a kind of umbrella to protect against the heat of the sun. The shining fire was not lacking for a moment in the night. It was no ordinary light, but fire that spread light. This indicates that the God Who led His people in the night did so as a God Who also sees and judges sin in the darkness (Hebrews 12:29).

As easily as God divided the sea (Psalms 78:13), “He split the rocks” (Psalms 78:15). This is another wonder. The place of action is “the wilderness”. A wilderness is a barren place where death reigns and where there is a lack of water. God gave His people water from the split rock and “gave [them] abundant drink like the ocean depths”.

Out of the rock He brought forth “streams” and “caused waters to run down like rivers” (Psalms 78:16). Everything speaks of a tremendous, unceasing flow of water. That they always had water to drink, they owed to God’s care for them. God was able to give them that care because He was looking forward to the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.

That is why in 1 Corinthians 10 it is said of this rock from which streams of water came: “And the rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). Christ is the source and foundation of blessing. Every blessing that God has ever bestowed and ever will bestow upon His people, He bestows only because Christ is the people’s Redeemer. He became that because, like the rock, He was smitten. He was smitten by God for the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:10; Zechariah 13:7).

For us, who live in the time after Christ’s coming and ascension, it is no different. We too owe every blessing to Christ and the work He accomplished. The water in abundance speaks of His Spirit, which He gives without measure to those who believe (John 7:38-39; John 3:34). The water also speaks of His Word, in which all blessings are displayed for us (Ephesians 5:26). It is the water of the Word that becomes alive by the working of the Holy Spirit. Living water in Hebrew is water that has been flowing.

At the Feast of Booths, a priest with a golden pitcher scooped water from the well of Siloam each day of the seven days of the feast. With loud cheering (Isaiah 12:3), the water was poured out by the high priest into a silver basin next to the bronze altar of burnt offering, as a reminder of the water from the rock in the wilderness. On the eighth day of the feast the Lord Jesus indicated that He was the fulfillment of this prophetic shadowing (John 7:37-39).

Psalms 107:7

God Delivers and Cares

Asaph goes on to quote examples of what God “wrought before [the eyes of] their fathers” in terms of “wonders”. He begins with the wonders “in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:12). Zoan or Tanis was the capital of Egypt in the time of Moses. The people of Israel lived in a suburb twenty miles from Zoan known as Avaris. The writer (TJ) visited Avaris and saw a cemetery of male babies. [Those interested can read about this in T. Mahoney’s book Patterns of evidence.] Asaph here recalls the wonder of deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. This is the great first wonder, from which all subsequent wonders have sprung.

How clearly God intervened then by means of all the plagues He brought upon Egypt. What to Egypt were plagues, were wonders of God to God’s people (Exodus 3:20; Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:3; Exodus 11:9-10). Zoan is the name of the ancient capital of Egypt, the seat of wisdom (Isaiah 19:11). But that wisdom failed to stop any of God’s plagues on Egypt.

And how He devoted Himself to them afterwards. When they stood before the Red Sea and could not move, “He divided the sea and caused them to pass through” (Psalms 78:13). God divided the waters. The word “divide” indicates that God did a powerful act. As a result, there was a wall of water to the left and right of the people (Exodus 14:21-22). God rules over all the elements of nature because He made them.

Once in the wilderness He led His people (Psalms 78:14). He did this “with the cloud by day” and “all night with a light of fire”. To lead them through the wilderness in this way is a great wonder. The cloud by day was not only a guidance, but also a kind of umbrella to protect against the heat of the sun. The shining fire was not lacking for a moment in the night. It was no ordinary light, but fire that spread light. This indicates that the God Who led His people in the night did so as a God Who also sees and judges sin in the darkness (Hebrews 12:29).

As easily as God divided the sea (Psalms 78:13), “He split the rocks” (Psalms 78:15). This is another wonder. The place of action is “the wilderness”. A wilderness is a barren place where death reigns and where there is a lack of water. God gave His people water from the split rock and “gave [them] abundant drink like the ocean depths”.

Out of the rock He brought forth “streams” and “caused waters to run down like rivers” (Psalms 78:16). Everything speaks of a tremendous, unceasing flow of water. That they always had water to drink, they owed to God’s care for them. God was able to give them that care because He was looking forward to the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.

That is why in 1 Corinthians 10 it is said of this rock from which streams of water came: “And the rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). Christ is the source and foundation of blessing. Every blessing that God has ever bestowed and ever will bestow upon His people, He bestows only because Christ is the people’s Redeemer. He became that because, like the rock, He was smitten. He was smitten by God for the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:10; Zechariah 13:7).

For us, who live in the time after Christ’s coming and ascension, it is no different. We too owe every blessing to Christ and the work He accomplished. The water in abundance speaks of His Spirit, which He gives without measure to those who believe (John 7:38-39; John 3:34). The water also speaks of His Word, in which all blessings are displayed for us (Ephesians 5:26). It is the water of the Word that becomes alive by the working of the Holy Spirit. Living water in Hebrew is water that has been flowing.

At the Feast of Booths, a priest with a golden pitcher scooped water from the well of Siloam each day of the seven days of the feast. With loud cheering (Isaiah 12:3), the water was poured out by the high priest into a silver basin next to the bronze altar of burnt offering, as a reminder of the water from the rock in the wilderness. On the eighth day of the feast the Lord Jesus indicated that He was the fulfillment of this prophetic shadowing (John 7:37-39).

Psalms 107:8

The People Put God to the Test

The word “yet” (Psalms 78:17) indicates the contrast with the foregoing. God had abundantly proved His might and His provision. “Yet” it had no beneficial effect on the unfaithfulness of God’s people. It is a dramatic observation: “They still continued to sin against Him” (cf. Numbers 21:4-7) and that, even though God had done so much good for them. This shows great ingratitude.

They rebelled “against the Most High in the desert”. It was not only ingratitude, but great insolence and audacity. They were in the desert, totally dependent on Him. Instead of humbling themselves before Him they were presumptuous against “the Most High”. By calling God so, Asaph shows the enormous contrast between man and God.

“In their heart” they “put” the Most High God “to the test” (Psalms 78:18). They wanted Him to prove that He really cared for them. Then they would believe in Him and obey Him. He had to provide them with “food according to their desire”. After all the evidence God had given of His faithful care, this was not weakness, but rebellion.

They had grown to dislike the manna and wanted food according to their own tastes (Numbers 11:5). In picture it means that they disliked Christ and were longing for the food of the world. The manna is a picture of Christ (John 6:30-33). When He no longer fills the heart, it is the beginning of decline in spiritual life.

The people “spoke against God” (Psalms 78:19). They spoke from a rebellious, unbelieving heart. God did “prepare a table in the wilderness” for them all along the wilderness journey. And then they boldly asked if God could “prepare a table in the wilderness”! This is not doubting God, but denying God. This showed the hardness (cf. Mark 6:51-52) and apostasy of their hearts.

With respect to the wonder of the abundance of water He had given to them from the rock, we see the same thing. They knew it: “He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing” (Psalms 78:20). Did that wonder and abundant provision have any effect on their trust in God? Not at all (cf. John 2:23-25). On the contrary, they wondered if He could also give bread and provide meat for His people. Instead of trusting God after the redemption and care He showed, they challenged Him to show His power again.

The people’s reaction to past wonders shows that those wonders do not guarantee trust in God when new difficulties come. It is good that we remember wonders. That memory only has a beneficial effect on our faith if we believe and trust Him today in new difficulties.

Relying on past experiences is counterproductive if we lack faith in the present difficulties. Experience can strengthen faith, but faith must be present in order to use this experience (cf. 2 Peter 1:6). If we are in difficulties and there is faith, then that faith is in God Who did not spare His own Son. This faith is expressed in the firm confidence that with His Son God will also grant us all things (Romans 8:31-32).

The LORD has heard all these haughty challenges to His address (Psalms 78:21). The name LORD is not used much in these psalms. That that Name is used here highlights the fact that the sin of the people is a sin against the covenant with the LORD. This deliberate denial of His performance in goodness in the past has aroused His wrath. As if the LORD would not keep His own covenant. It is not possible to be indifferent to this. The fire of His wrath, “was kindled against Jacob”. Jacob is again the name of God’s people seen in their practice (Psalms 78:5).

“His anger also mounted against Israel”. Israel is again (Psalms 78:5) the name for God’s people in what they have become through Him. Because they behaved so unworthily of their position, God’s wrath flared up against them (Numbers 11:1-3). God is slow to anger, but His wrath flares up when there is persistence in sin. He is not mocked (Galatians 6:7a). His wrath was manifested by fulfilling their lusts, the fulfillment of which was at the same time a judgment from God on their unbelief (Psalms 78:31).

The reason for the flare-up of God’s wrath was that they “did not believe in God” and “did not trust in His salvation” (Psalms 78:22). Instead of trusting the LORD because of the redemption and wonder signs He performed, the Israelites used these same wonder signs as an argument to doubt that God had the power to redeem.

Unbelief is a serious sin. From it come all other sins. Not believing in God means rejecting Him as not worth believing in. It is directly related to trusting in Him. They did not trust in His promises to give them His salvation, that is, to bless them with His peace. And this while He had already given them His salvation in the rescue from slavery.

Psalms 107:9

The People Put God to the Test

The word “yet” (Psalms 78:17) indicates the contrast with the foregoing. God had abundantly proved His might and His provision. “Yet” it had no beneficial effect on the unfaithfulness of God’s people. It is a dramatic observation: “They still continued to sin against Him” (cf. Numbers 21:4-7) and that, even though God had done so much good for them. This shows great ingratitude.

They rebelled “against the Most High in the desert”. It was not only ingratitude, but great insolence and audacity. They were in the desert, totally dependent on Him. Instead of humbling themselves before Him they were presumptuous against “the Most High”. By calling God so, Asaph shows the enormous contrast between man and God.

“In their heart” they “put” the Most High God “to the test” (Psalms 78:18). They wanted Him to prove that He really cared for them. Then they would believe in Him and obey Him. He had to provide them with “food according to their desire”. After all the evidence God had given of His faithful care, this was not weakness, but rebellion.

They had grown to dislike the manna and wanted food according to their own tastes (Numbers 11:5). In picture it means that they disliked Christ and were longing for the food of the world. The manna is a picture of Christ (John 6:30-33). When He no longer fills the heart, it is the beginning of decline in spiritual life.

The people “spoke against God” (Psalms 78:19). They spoke from a rebellious, unbelieving heart. God did “prepare a table in the wilderness” for them all along the wilderness journey. And then they boldly asked if God could “prepare a table in the wilderness”! This is not doubting God, but denying God. This showed the hardness (cf. Mark 6:51-52) and apostasy of their hearts.

With respect to the wonder of the abundance of water He had given to them from the rock, we see the same thing. They knew it: “He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing” (Psalms 78:20). Did that wonder and abundant provision have any effect on their trust in God? Not at all (cf. John 2:23-25). On the contrary, they wondered if He could also give bread and provide meat for His people. Instead of trusting God after the redemption and care He showed, they challenged Him to show His power again.

The people’s reaction to past wonders shows that those wonders do not guarantee trust in God when new difficulties come. It is good that we remember wonders. That memory only has a beneficial effect on our faith if we believe and trust Him today in new difficulties.

Relying on past experiences is counterproductive if we lack faith in the present difficulties. Experience can strengthen faith, but faith must be present in order to use this experience (cf. 2 Peter 1:6). If we are in difficulties and there is faith, then that faith is in God Who did not spare His own Son. This faith is expressed in the firm confidence that with His Son God will also grant us all things (Romans 8:31-32).

The LORD has heard all these haughty challenges to His address (Psalms 78:21). The name LORD is not used much in these psalms. That that Name is used here highlights the fact that the sin of the people is a sin against the covenant with the LORD. This deliberate denial of His performance in goodness in the past has aroused His wrath. As if the LORD would not keep His own covenant. It is not possible to be indifferent to this. The fire of His wrath, “was kindled against Jacob”. Jacob is again the name of God’s people seen in their practice (Psalms 78:5).

“His anger also mounted against Israel”. Israel is again (Psalms 78:5) the name for God’s people in what they have become through Him. Because they behaved so unworthily of their position, God’s wrath flared up against them (Numbers 11:1-3). God is slow to anger, but His wrath flares up when there is persistence in sin. He is not mocked (Galatians 6:7a). His wrath was manifested by fulfilling their lusts, the fulfillment of which was at the same time a judgment from God on their unbelief (Psalms 78:31).

The reason for the flare-up of God’s wrath was that they “did not believe in God” and “did not trust in His salvation” (Psalms 78:22). Instead of trusting the LORD because of the redemption and wonder signs He performed, the Israelites used these same wonder signs as an argument to doubt that God had the power to redeem.

Unbelief is a serious sin. From it come all other sins. Not believing in God means rejecting Him as not worth believing in. It is directly related to trusting in Him. They did not trust in His promises to give them His salvation, that is, to bless them with His peace. And this while He had already given them His salvation in the rescue from slavery.

Psalms 107:10

The People Put God to the Test

The word “yet” (Psalms 78:17) indicates the contrast with the foregoing. God had abundantly proved His might and His provision. “Yet” it had no beneficial effect on the unfaithfulness of God’s people. It is a dramatic observation: “They still continued to sin against Him” (cf. Numbers 21:4-7) and that, even though God had done so much good for them. This shows great ingratitude.

They rebelled “against the Most High in the desert”. It was not only ingratitude, but great insolence and audacity. They were in the desert, totally dependent on Him. Instead of humbling themselves before Him they were presumptuous against “the Most High”. By calling God so, Asaph shows the enormous contrast between man and God.

“In their heart” they “put” the Most High God “to the test” (Psalms 78:18). They wanted Him to prove that He really cared for them. Then they would believe in Him and obey Him. He had to provide them with “food according to their desire”. After all the evidence God had given of His faithful care, this was not weakness, but rebellion.

They had grown to dislike the manna and wanted food according to their own tastes (Numbers 11:5). In picture it means that they disliked Christ and were longing for the food of the world. The manna is a picture of Christ (John 6:30-33). When He no longer fills the heart, it is the beginning of decline in spiritual life.

The people “spoke against God” (Psalms 78:19). They spoke from a rebellious, unbelieving heart. God did “prepare a table in the wilderness” for them all along the wilderness journey. And then they boldly asked if God could “prepare a table in the wilderness”! This is not doubting God, but denying God. This showed the hardness (cf. Mark 6:51-52) and apostasy of their hearts.

With respect to the wonder of the abundance of water He had given to them from the rock, we see the same thing. They knew it: “He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing” (Psalms 78:20). Did that wonder and abundant provision have any effect on their trust in God? Not at all (cf. John 2:23-25). On the contrary, they wondered if He could also give bread and provide meat for His people. Instead of trusting God after the redemption and care He showed, they challenged Him to show His power again.

The people’s reaction to past wonders shows that those wonders do not guarantee trust in God when new difficulties come. It is good that we remember wonders. That memory only has a beneficial effect on our faith if we believe and trust Him today in new difficulties.

Relying on past experiences is counterproductive if we lack faith in the present difficulties. Experience can strengthen faith, but faith must be present in order to use this experience (cf. 2 Peter 1:6). If we are in difficulties and there is faith, then that faith is in God Who did not spare His own Son. This faith is expressed in the firm confidence that with His Son God will also grant us all things (Romans 8:31-32).

The LORD has heard all these haughty challenges to His address (Psalms 78:21). The name LORD is not used much in these psalms. That that Name is used here highlights the fact that the sin of the people is a sin against the covenant with the LORD. This deliberate denial of His performance in goodness in the past has aroused His wrath. As if the LORD would not keep His own covenant. It is not possible to be indifferent to this. The fire of His wrath, “was kindled against Jacob”. Jacob is again the name of God’s people seen in their practice (Psalms 78:5).

“His anger also mounted against Israel”. Israel is again (Psalms 78:5) the name for God’s people in what they have become through Him. Because they behaved so unworthily of their position, God’s wrath flared up against them (Numbers 11:1-3). God is slow to anger, but His wrath flares up when there is persistence in sin. He is not mocked (Galatians 6:7a). His wrath was manifested by fulfilling their lusts, the fulfillment of which was at the same time a judgment from God on their unbelief (Psalms 78:31).

The reason for the flare-up of God’s wrath was that they “did not believe in God” and “did not trust in His salvation” (Psalms 78:22). Instead of trusting the LORD because of the redemption and wonder signs He performed, the Israelites used these same wonder signs as an argument to doubt that God had the power to redeem.

Unbelief is a serious sin. From it come all other sins. Not believing in God means rejecting Him as not worth believing in. It is directly related to trusting in Him. They did not trust in His promises to give them His salvation, that is, to bless them with His peace. And this while He had already given them His salvation in the rescue from slavery.

Psalms 107:11

The People Put God to the Test

The word “yet” (Psalms 78:17) indicates the contrast with the foregoing. God had abundantly proved His might and His provision. “Yet” it had no beneficial effect on the unfaithfulness of God’s people. It is a dramatic observation: “They still continued to sin against Him” (cf. Numbers 21:4-7) and that, even though God had done so much good for them. This shows great ingratitude.

They rebelled “against the Most High in the desert”. It was not only ingratitude, but great insolence and audacity. They were in the desert, totally dependent on Him. Instead of humbling themselves before Him they were presumptuous against “the Most High”. By calling God so, Asaph shows the enormous contrast between man and God.

“In their heart” they “put” the Most High God “to the test” (Psalms 78:18). They wanted Him to prove that He really cared for them. Then they would believe in Him and obey Him. He had to provide them with “food according to their desire”. After all the evidence God had given of His faithful care, this was not weakness, but rebellion.

They had grown to dislike the manna and wanted food according to their own tastes (Numbers 11:5). In picture it means that they disliked Christ and were longing for the food of the world. The manna is a picture of Christ (John 6:30-33). When He no longer fills the heart, it is the beginning of decline in spiritual life.

The people “spoke against God” (Psalms 78:19). They spoke from a rebellious, unbelieving heart. God did “prepare a table in the wilderness” for them all along the wilderness journey. And then they boldly asked if God could “prepare a table in the wilderness”! This is not doubting God, but denying God. This showed the hardness (cf. Mark 6:51-52) and apostasy of their hearts.

With respect to the wonder of the abundance of water He had given to them from the rock, we see the same thing. They knew it: “He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing” (Psalms 78:20). Did that wonder and abundant provision have any effect on their trust in God? Not at all (cf. John 2:23-25). On the contrary, they wondered if He could also give bread and provide meat for His people. Instead of trusting God after the redemption and care He showed, they challenged Him to show His power again.

The people’s reaction to past wonders shows that those wonders do not guarantee trust in God when new difficulties come. It is good that we remember wonders. That memory only has a beneficial effect on our faith if we believe and trust Him today in new difficulties.

Relying on past experiences is counterproductive if we lack faith in the present difficulties. Experience can strengthen faith, but faith must be present in order to use this experience (cf. 2 Peter 1:6). If we are in difficulties and there is faith, then that faith is in God Who did not spare His own Son. This faith is expressed in the firm confidence that with His Son God will also grant us all things (Romans 8:31-32).

The LORD has heard all these haughty challenges to His address (Psalms 78:21). The name LORD is not used much in these psalms. That that Name is used here highlights the fact that the sin of the people is a sin against the covenant with the LORD. This deliberate denial of His performance in goodness in the past has aroused His wrath. As if the LORD would not keep His own covenant. It is not possible to be indifferent to this. The fire of His wrath, “was kindled against Jacob”. Jacob is again the name of God’s people seen in their practice (Psalms 78:5).

“His anger also mounted against Israel”. Israel is again (Psalms 78:5) the name for God’s people in what they have become through Him. Because they behaved so unworthily of their position, God’s wrath flared up against them (Numbers 11:1-3). God is slow to anger, but His wrath flares up when there is persistence in sin. He is not mocked (Galatians 6:7a). His wrath was manifested by fulfilling their lusts, the fulfillment of which was at the same time a judgment from God on their unbelief (Psalms 78:31).

The reason for the flare-up of God’s wrath was that they “did not believe in God” and “did not trust in His salvation” (Psalms 78:22). Instead of trusting the LORD because of the redemption and wonder signs He performed, the Israelites used these same wonder signs as an argument to doubt that God had the power to redeem.

Unbelief is a serious sin. From it come all other sins. Not believing in God means rejecting Him as not worth believing in. It is directly related to trusting in Him. They did not trust in His promises to give them His salvation, that is, to bless them with His peace. And this while He had already given them His salvation in the rescue from slavery.

Psalms 107:12

The People Put God to the Test

The word “yet” (Psalms 78:17) indicates the contrast with the foregoing. God had abundantly proved His might and His provision. “Yet” it had no beneficial effect on the unfaithfulness of God’s people. It is a dramatic observation: “They still continued to sin against Him” (cf. Numbers 21:4-7) and that, even though God had done so much good for them. This shows great ingratitude.

They rebelled “against the Most High in the desert”. It was not only ingratitude, but great insolence and audacity. They were in the desert, totally dependent on Him. Instead of humbling themselves before Him they were presumptuous against “the Most High”. By calling God so, Asaph shows the enormous contrast between man and God.

“In their heart” they “put” the Most High God “to the test” (Psalms 78:18). They wanted Him to prove that He really cared for them. Then they would believe in Him and obey Him. He had to provide them with “food according to their desire”. After all the evidence God had given of His faithful care, this was not weakness, but rebellion.

They had grown to dislike the manna and wanted food according to their own tastes (Numbers 11:5). In picture it means that they disliked Christ and were longing for the food of the world. The manna is a picture of Christ (John 6:30-33). When He no longer fills the heart, it is the beginning of decline in spiritual life.

The people “spoke against God” (Psalms 78:19). They spoke from a rebellious, unbelieving heart. God did “prepare a table in the wilderness” for them all along the wilderness journey. And then they boldly asked if God could “prepare a table in the wilderness”! This is not doubting God, but denying God. This showed the hardness (cf. Mark 6:51-52) and apostasy of their hearts.

With respect to the wonder of the abundance of water He had given to them from the rock, we see the same thing. They knew it: “He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing” (Psalms 78:20). Did that wonder and abundant provision have any effect on their trust in God? Not at all (cf. John 2:23-25). On the contrary, they wondered if He could also give bread and provide meat for His people. Instead of trusting God after the redemption and care He showed, they challenged Him to show His power again.

The people’s reaction to past wonders shows that those wonders do not guarantee trust in God when new difficulties come. It is good that we remember wonders. That memory only has a beneficial effect on our faith if we believe and trust Him today in new difficulties.

Relying on past experiences is counterproductive if we lack faith in the present difficulties. Experience can strengthen faith, but faith must be present in order to use this experience (cf. 2 Peter 1:6). If we are in difficulties and there is faith, then that faith is in God Who did not spare His own Son. This faith is expressed in the firm confidence that with His Son God will also grant us all things (Romans 8:31-32).

The LORD has heard all these haughty challenges to His address (Psalms 78:21). The name LORD is not used much in these psalms. That that Name is used here highlights the fact that the sin of the people is a sin against the covenant with the LORD. This deliberate denial of His performance in goodness in the past has aroused His wrath. As if the LORD would not keep His own covenant. It is not possible to be indifferent to this. The fire of His wrath, “was kindled against Jacob”. Jacob is again the name of God’s people seen in their practice (Psalms 78:5).

“His anger also mounted against Israel”. Israel is again (Psalms 78:5) the name for God’s people in what they have become through Him. Because they behaved so unworthily of their position, God’s wrath flared up against them (Numbers 11:1-3). God is slow to anger, but His wrath flares up when there is persistence in sin. He is not mocked (Galatians 6:7a). His wrath was manifested by fulfilling their lusts, the fulfillment of which was at the same time a judgment from God on their unbelief (Psalms 78:31).

The reason for the flare-up of God’s wrath was that they “did not believe in God” and “did not trust in His salvation” (Psalms 78:22). Instead of trusting the LORD because of the redemption and wonder signs He performed, the Israelites used these same wonder signs as an argument to doubt that God had the power to redeem.

Unbelief is a serious sin. From it come all other sins. Not believing in God means rejecting Him as not worth believing in. It is directly related to trusting in Him. They did not trust in His promises to give them His salvation, that is, to bless them with His peace. And this while He had already given them His salvation in the rescue from slavery.

Psalms 107:13

The People Put God to the Test

The word “yet” (Psalms 78:17) indicates the contrast with the foregoing. God had abundantly proved His might and His provision. “Yet” it had no beneficial effect on the unfaithfulness of God’s people. It is a dramatic observation: “They still continued to sin against Him” (cf. Numbers 21:4-7) and that, even though God had done so much good for them. This shows great ingratitude.

They rebelled “against the Most High in the desert”. It was not only ingratitude, but great insolence and audacity. They were in the desert, totally dependent on Him. Instead of humbling themselves before Him they were presumptuous against “the Most High”. By calling God so, Asaph shows the enormous contrast between man and God.

“In their heart” they “put” the Most High God “to the test” (Psalms 78:18). They wanted Him to prove that He really cared for them. Then they would believe in Him and obey Him. He had to provide them with “food according to their desire”. After all the evidence God had given of His faithful care, this was not weakness, but rebellion.

They had grown to dislike the manna and wanted food according to their own tastes (Numbers 11:5). In picture it means that they disliked Christ and were longing for the food of the world. The manna is a picture of Christ (John 6:30-33). When He no longer fills the heart, it is the beginning of decline in spiritual life.

The people “spoke against God” (Psalms 78:19). They spoke from a rebellious, unbelieving heart. God did “prepare a table in the wilderness” for them all along the wilderness journey. And then they boldly asked if God could “prepare a table in the wilderness”! This is not doubting God, but denying God. This showed the hardness (cf. Mark 6:51-52) and apostasy of their hearts.

With respect to the wonder of the abundance of water He had given to them from the rock, we see the same thing. They knew it: “He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing” (Psalms 78:20). Did that wonder and abundant provision have any effect on their trust in God? Not at all (cf. John 2:23-25). On the contrary, they wondered if He could also give bread and provide meat for His people. Instead of trusting God after the redemption and care He showed, they challenged Him to show His power again.

The people’s reaction to past wonders shows that those wonders do not guarantee trust in God when new difficulties come. It is good that we remember wonders. That memory only has a beneficial effect on our faith if we believe and trust Him today in new difficulties.

Relying on past experiences is counterproductive if we lack faith in the present difficulties. Experience can strengthen faith, but faith must be present in order to use this experience (cf. 2 Peter 1:6). If we are in difficulties and there is faith, then that faith is in God Who did not spare His own Son. This faith is expressed in the firm confidence that with His Son God will also grant us all things (Romans 8:31-32).

The LORD has heard all these haughty challenges to His address (Psalms 78:21). The name LORD is not used much in these psalms. That that Name is used here highlights the fact that the sin of the people is a sin against the covenant with the LORD. This deliberate denial of His performance in goodness in the past has aroused His wrath. As if the LORD would not keep His own covenant. It is not possible to be indifferent to this. The fire of His wrath, “was kindled against Jacob”. Jacob is again the name of God’s people seen in their practice (Psalms 78:5).

“His anger also mounted against Israel”. Israel is again (Psalms 78:5) the name for God’s people in what they have become through Him. Because they behaved so unworthily of their position, God’s wrath flared up against them (Numbers 11:1-3). God is slow to anger, but His wrath flares up when there is persistence in sin. He is not mocked (Galatians 6:7a). His wrath was manifested by fulfilling their lusts, the fulfillment of which was at the same time a judgment from God on their unbelief (Psalms 78:31).

The reason for the flare-up of God’s wrath was that they “did not believe in God” and “did not trust in His salvation” (Psalms 78:22). Instead of trusting the LORD because of the redemption and wonder signs He performed, the Israelites used these same wonder signs as an argument to doubt that God had the power to redeem.

Unbelief is a serious sin. From it come all other sins. Not believing in God means rejecting Him as not worth believing in. It is directly related to trusting in Him. They did not trust in His promises to give them His salvation, that is, to bless them with His peace. And this while He had already given them His salvation in the rescue from slavery.

Psalms 107:14

Bread, Meat and Gluttony

Once again Asaph points out, and now in more detail and more impressively, how God provided His people in the wilderness with everything they needed. In beautiful, poetic language he speaks of how God had commanded “the clouds above” and “opened the doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23). All the elements of nature are under His command. He has brought about the whole creation by the utterance of commands (Psalms 33:9). When necessary, He intervenes in the natural course of creation and commands the individual elements to do as He pleases (Joshua 10:12-13).

Heaven is the storehouse of food for His people. He opened it and “rained down manna upon them to eat” (Psalms 78:24). The fact that God rained manna indicates that He gave His people life, blessed them, and did so in abundance. This manna was no ordinary bread either. Asaph calls it “food from heaven”. The manna was of heavenly origin, it was bread from heaven (Psalms 105:40; Exodus 16:4; John 6:31; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3). By this the Israelites could know that heaven, that God Himself, cared for them. God wanted them to know that they were dependent on Him.

Of this heavenly food “man” ate, that is, all the people (Psalms 78:25). There was no lack, for God gave “in abundance”. He never gives meagerly; He does not ‘tip’. When He gives, it is always according to the riches of His grace. When God gives, the believer will always find that His cup will overflow (Psalms 23:5b).

The heavenly wheat is called “the bread of angels” and “food”, or “provision”. ‘Bread of angels’ means that this food was given by them to God’s people. ‘Provision’ emphasizes that it was food eaten during a journey. It is a main part of the meal, not a side dish.

The wind is also under His command (Psalms 78:26). He makes use of it when He wills and determines from which side the wind must come. To give His people meat, He did not, as with the manna, open the doors of heaven. He used the wind. Here He caused “the east wind to blow in the heavens” and He directed “by His power … the south wind”.

As He did with the manna, “He rained meat upon them” (Psalms 78:27). He made meat rain down on them “like dust”. He sent “winged fowl like the sand of the seas”, that is, in such an immense quantity that they could eat themselves to death (Numbers 11:33). He also determined where the meat in the camp, which Asaph calls “their [literally His] camp”, ended up (Psalms 78:28). It fell “in the midst of His camp” and “around His dwellings”. God dwelt with His people.

The thought of His presence among them should have deterred them from following their lusts. There was no question of that, however. It also fell “around His dwellings”, that is, the tabernacle with its various rooms. When He dropped it there, would the people then come to their senses?

But there was no thought of God with them. When they had received what they had desired, they attacked the food and “were filled” (Psalms 78:29). There was no thanks to God. With their stomachs full, they looked with covetous eyes at the stock of meat that was still there. Their stomachs were full, but still they were not satisfied, that is, their desire, their lust, was not satisfied (Psalms 78:30). They continued to insatiably wallow and chew on the last bit of meat they had been able to stuff into their mouths and had not yet swallowed.

While their food was in their mouths, “the anger of God rose against them” (Psalms 78:31; Numbers 11:33). Sometimes God waits a long time to express His anger. When He admonishes us to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19), He is admonishing us to show a feature of Himself. Here God was quick to show His anger because it was a sin of apostasy that revealed a long-standing aversion to His people.

God Himself judged. His death sentence struck “some of their stoutest ones”. The “stoutest ones” are those who have indulged themselves the most, the most voracious. Another category affected by His judgment included “the choice men of Israel”, the most prominent, the most influential, the strongest and most responsible. Literally it says “the young men of Israel”. This is reminiscent of the admonition we receive to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Psalms 107:15

Bread, Meat and Gluttony

Once again Asaph points out, and now in more detail and more impressively, how God provided His people in the wilderness with everything they needed. In beautiful, poetic language he speaks of how God had commanded “the clouds above” and “opened the doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23). All the elements of nature are under His command. He has brought about the whole creation by the utterance of commands (Psalms 33:9). When necessary, He intervenes in the natural course of creation and commands the individual elements to do as He pleases (Joshua 10:12-13).

Heaven is the storehouse of food for His people. He opened it and “rained down manna upon them to eat” (Psalms 78:24). The fact that God rained manna indicates that He gave His people life, blessed them, and did so in abundance. This manna was no ordinary bread either. Asaph calls it “food from heaven”. The manna was of heavenly origin, it was bread from heaven (Psalms 105:40; Exodus 16:4; John 6:31; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3). By this the Israelites could know that heaven, that God Himself, cared for them. God wanted them to know that they were dependent on Him.

Of this heavenly food “man” ate, that is, all the people (Psalms 78:25). There was no lack, for God gave “in abundance”. He never gives meagerly; He does not ‘tip’. When He gives, it is always according to the riches of His grace. When God gives, the believer will always find that His cup will overflow (Psalms 23:5b).

The heavenly wheat is called “the bread of angels” and “food”, or “provision”. ‘Bread of angels’ means that this food was given by them to God’s people. ‘Provision’ emphasizes that it was food eaten during a journey. It is a main part of the meal, not a side dish.

The wind is also under His command (Psalms 78:26). He makes use of it when He wills and determines from which side the wind must come. To give His people meat, He did not, as with the manna, open the doors of heaven. He used the wind. Here He caused “the east wind to blow in the heavens” and He directed “by His power … the south wind”.

As He did with the manna, “He rained meat upon them” (Psalms 78:27). He made meat rain down on them “like dust”. He sent “winged fowl like the sand of the seas”, that is, in such an immense quantity that they could eat themselves to death (Numbers 11:33). He also determined where the meat in the camp, which Asaph calls “their [literally His] camp”, ended up (Psalms 78:28). It fell “in the midst of His camp” and “around His dwellings”. God dwelt with His people.

The thought of His presence among them should have deterred them from following their lusts. There was no question of that, however. It also fell “around His dwellings”, that is, the tabernacle with its various rooms. When He dropped it there, would the people then come to their senses?

But there was no thought of God with them. When they had received what they had desired, they attacked the food and “were filled” (Psalms 78:29). There was no thanks to God. With their stomachs full, they looked with covetous eyes at the stock of meat that was still there. Their stomachs were full, but still they were not satisfied, that is, their desire, their lust, was not satisfied (Psalms 78:30). They continued to insatiably wallow and chew on the last bit of meat they had been able to stuff into their mouths and had not yet swallowed.

While their food was in their mouths, “the anger of God rose against them” (Psalms 78:31; Numbers 11:33). Sometimes God waits a long time to express His anger. When He admonishes us to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19), He is admonishing us to show a feature of Himself. Here God was quick to show His anger because it was a sin of apostasy that revealed a long-standing aversion to His people.

God Himself judged. His death sentence struck “some of their stoutest ones”. The “stoutest ones” are those who have indulged themselves the most, the most voracious. Another category affected by His judgment included “the choice men of Israel”, the most prominent, the most influential, the strongest and most responsible. Literally it says “the young men of Israel”. This is reminiscent of the admonition we receive to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Psalms 107:16

Bread, Meat and Gluttony

Once again Asaph points out, and now in more detail and more impressively, how God provided His people in the wilderness with everything they needed. In beautiful, poetic language he speaks of how God had commanded “the clouds above” and “opened the doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23). All the elements of nature are under His command. He has brought about the whole creation by the utterance of commands (Psalms 33:9). When necessary, He intervenes in the natural course of creation and commands the individual elements to do as He pleases (Joshua 10:12-13).

Heaven is the storehouse of food for His people. He opened it and “rained down manna upon them to eat” (Psalms 78:24). The fact that God rained manna indicates that He gave His people life, blessed them, and did so in abundance. This manna was no ordinary bread either. Asaph calls it “food from heaven”. The manna was of heavenly origin, it was bread from heaven (Psalms 105:40; Exodus 16:4; John 6:31; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3). By this the Israelites could know that heaven, that God Himself, cared for them. God wanted them to know that they were dependent on Him.

Of this heavenly food “man” ate, that is, all the people (Psalms 78:25). There was no lack, for God gave “in abundance”. He never gives meagerly; He does not ‘tip’. When He gives, it is always according to the riches of His grace. When God gives, the believer will always find that His cup will overflow (Psalms 23:5b).

The heavenly wheat is called “the bread of angels” and “food”, or “provision”. ‘Bread of angels’ means that this food was given by them to God’s people. ‘Provision’ emphasizes that it was food eaten during a journey. It is a main part of the meal, not a side dish.

The wind is also under His command (Psalms 78:26). He makes use of it when He wills and determines from which side the wind must come. To give His people meat, He did not, as with the manna, open the doors of heaven. He used the wind. Here He caused “the east wind to blow in the heavens” and He directed “by His power … the south wind”.

As He did with the manna, “He rained meat upon them” (Psalms 78:27). He made meat rain down on them “like dust”. He sent “winged fowl like the sand of the seas”, that is, in such an immense quantity that they could eat themselves to death (Numbers 11:33). He also determined where the meat in the camp, which Asaph calls “their [literally His] camp”, ended up (Psalms 78:28). It fell “in the midst of His camp” and “around His dwellings”. God dwelt with His people.

The thought of His presence among them should have deterred them from following their lusts. There was no question of that, however. It also fell “around His dwellings”, that is, the tabernacle with its various rooms. When He dropped it there, would the people then come to their senses?

But there was no thought of God with them. When they had received what they had desired, they attacked the food and “were filled” (Psalms 78:29). There was no thanks to God. With their stomachs full, they looked with covetous eyes at the stock of meat that was still there. Their stomachs were full, but still they were not satisfied, that is, their desire, their lust, was not satisfied (Psalms 78:30). They continued to insatiably wallow and chew on the last bit of meat they had been able to stuff into their mouths and had not yet swallowed.

While their food was in their mouths, “the anger of God rose against them” (Psalms 78:31; Numbers 11:33). Sometimes God waits a long time to express His anger. When He admonishes us to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19), He is admonishing us to show a feature of Himself. Here God was quick to show His anger because it was a sin of apostasy that revealed a long-standing aversion to His people.

God Himself judged. His death sentence struck “some of their stoutest ones”. The “stoutest ones” are those who have indulged themselves the most, the most voracious. Another category affected by His judgment included “the choice men of Israel”, the most prominent, the most influential, the strongest and most responsible. Literally it says “the young men of Israel”. This is reminiscent of the admonition we receive to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Psalms 107:17

Bread, Meat and Gluttony

Once again Asaph points out, and now in more detail and more impressively, how God provided His people in the wilderness with everything they needed. In beautiful, poetic language he speaks of how God had commanded “the clouds above” and “opened the doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23). All the elements of nature are under His command. He has brought about the whole creation by the utterance of commands (Psalms 33:9). When necessary, He intervenes in the natural course of creation and commands the individual elements to do as He pleases (Joshua 10:12-13).

Heaven is the storehouse of food for His people. He opened it and “rained down manna upon them to eat” (Psalms 78:24). The fact that God rained manna indicates that He gave His people life, blessed them, and did so in abundance. This manna was no ordinary bread either. Asaph calls it “food from heaven”. The manna was of heavenly origin, it was bread from heaven (Psalms 105:40; Exodus 16:4; John 6:31; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3). By this the Israelites could know that heaven, that God Himself, cared for them. God wanted them to know that they were dependent on Him.

Of this heavenly food “man” ate, that is, all the people (Psalms 78:25). There was no lack, for God gave “in abundance”. He never gives meagerly; He does not ‘tip’. When He gives, it is always according to the riches of His grace. When God gives, the believer will always find that His cup will overflow (Psalms 23:5b).

The heavenly wheat is called “the bread of angels” and “food”, or “provision”. ‘Bread of angels’ means that this food was given by them to God’s people. ‘Provision’ emphasizes that it was food eaten during a journey. It is a main part of the meal, not a side dish.

The wind is also under His command (Psalms 78:26). He makes use of it when He wills and determines from which side the wind must come. To give His people meat, He did not, as with the manna, open the doors of heaven. He used the wind. Here He caused “the east wind to blow in the heavens” and He directed “by His power … the south wind”.

As He did with the manna, “He rained meat upon them” (Psalms 78:27). He made meat rain down on them “like dust”. He sent “winged fowl like the sand of the seas”, that is, in such an immense quantity that they could eat themselves to death (Numbers 11:33). He also determined where the meat in the camp, which Asaph calls “their [literally His] camp”, ended up (Psalms 78:28). It fell “in the midst of His camp” and “around His dwellings”. God dwelt with His people.

The thought of His presence among them should have deterred them from following their lusts. There was no question of that, however. It also fell “around His dwellings”, that is, the tabernacle with its various rooms. When He dropped it there, would the people then come to their senses?

But there was no thought of God with them. When they had received what they had desired, they attacked the food and “were filled” (Psalms 78:29). There was no thanks to God. With their stomachs full, they looked with covetous eyes at the stock of meat that was still there. Their stomachs were full, but still they were not satisfied, that is, their desire, their lust, was not satisfied (Psalms 78:30). They continued to insatiably wallow and chew on the last bit of meat they had been able to stuff into their mouths and had not yet swallowed.

While their food was in their mouths, “the anger of God rose against them” (Psalms 78:31; Numbers 11:33). Sometimes God waits a long time to express His anger. When He admonishes us to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19), He is admonishing us to show a feature of Himself. Here God was quick to show His anger because it was a sin of apostasy that revealed a long-standing aversion to His people.

God Himself judged. His death sentence struck “some of their stoutest ones”. The “stoutest ones” are those who have indulged themselves the most, the most voracious. Another category affected by His judgment included “the choice men of Israel”, the most prominent, the most influential, the strongest and most responsible. Literally it says “the young men of Israel”. This is reminiscent of the admonition we receive to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Psalms 107:18

Bread, Meat and Gluttony

Once again Asaph points out, and now in more detail and more impressively, how God provided His people in the wilderness with everything they needed. In beautiful, poetic language he speaks of how God had commanded “the clouds above” and “opened the doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23). All the elements of nature are under His command. He has brought about the whole creation by the utterance of commands (Psalms 33:9). When necessary, He intervenes in the natural course of creation and commands the individual elements to do as He pleases (Joshua 10:12-13).

Heaven is the storehouse of food for His people. He opened it and “rained down manna upon them to eat” (Psalms 78:24). The fact that God rained manna indicates that He gave His people life, blessed them, and did so in abundance. This manna was no ordinary bread either. Asaph calls it “food from heaven”. The manna was of heavenly origin, it was bread from heaven (Psalms 105:40; Exodus 16:4; John 6:31; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3). By this the Israelites could know that heaven, that God Himself, cared for them. God wanted them to know that they were dependent on Him.

Of this heavenly food “man” ate, that is, all the people (Psalms 78:25). There was no lack, for God gave “in abundance”. He never gives meagerly; He does not ‘tip’. When He gives, it is always according to the riches of His grace. When God gives, the believer will always find that His cup will overflow (Psalms 23:5b).

The heavenly wheat is called “the bread of angels” and “food”, or “provision”. ‘Bread of angels’ means that this food was given by them to God’s people. ‘Provision’ emphasizes that it was food eaten during a journey. It is a main part of the meal, not a side dish.

The wind is also under His command (Psalms 78:26). He makes use of it when He wills and determines from which side the wind must come. To give His people meat, He did not, as with the manna, open the doors of heaven. He used the wind. Here He caused “the east wind to blow in the heavens” and He directed “by His power … the south wind”.

As He did with the manna, “He rained meat upon them” (Psalms 78:27). He made meat rain down on them “like dust”. He sent “winged fowl like the sand of the seas”, that is, in such an immense quantity that they could eat themselves to death (Numbers 11:33). He also determined where the meat in the camp, which Asaph calls “their [literally His] camp”, ended up (Psalms 78:28). It fell “in the midst of His camp” and “around His dwellings”. God dwelt with His people.

The thought of His presence among them should have deterred them from following their lusts. There was no question of that, however. It also fell “around His dwellings”, that is, the tabernacle with its various rooms. When He dropped it there, would the people then come to their senses?

But there was no thought of God with them. When they had received what they had desired, they attacked the food and “were filled” (Psalms 78:29). There was no thanks to God. With their stomachs full, they looked with covetous eyes at the stock of meat that was still there. Their stomachs were full, but still they were not satisfied, that is, their desire, their lust, was not satisfied (Psalms 78:30). They continued to insatiably wallow and chew on the last bit of meat they had been able to stuff into their mouths and had not yet swallowed.

While their food was in their mouths, “the anger of God rose against them” (Psalms 78:31; Numbers 11:33). Sometimes God waits a long time to express His anger. When He admonishes us to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19), He is admonishing us to show a feature of Himself. Here God was quick to show His anger because it was a sin of apostasy that revealed a long-standing aversion to His people.

God Himself judged. His death sentence struck “some of their stoutest ones”. The “stoutest ones” are those who have indulged themselves the most, the most voracious. Another category affected by His judgment included “the choice men of Israel”, the most prominent, the most influential, the strongest and most responsible. Literally it says “the young men of Israel”. This is reminiscent of the admonition we receive to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Psalms 107:19

Bread, Meat and Gluttony

Once again Asaph points out, and now in more detail and more impressively, how God provided His people in the wilderness with everything they needed. In beautiful, poetic language he speaks of how God had commanded “the clouds above” and “opened the doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23). All the elements of nature are under His command. He has brought about the whole creation by the utterance of commands (Psalms 33:9). When necessary, He intervenes in the natural course of creation and commands the individual elements to do as He pleases (Joshua 10:12-13).

Heaven is the storehouse of food for His people. He opened it and “rained down manna upon them to eat” (Psalms 78:24). The fact that God rained manna indicates that He gave His people life, blessed them, and did so in abundance. This manna was no ordinary bread either. Asaph calls it “food from heaven”. The manna was of heavenly origin, it was bread from heaven (Psalms 105:40; Exodus 16:4; John 6:31; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3). By this the Israelites could know that heaven, that God Himself, cared for them. God wanted them to know that they were dependent on Him.

Of this heavenly food “man” ate, that is, all the people (Psalms 78:25). There was no lack, for God gave “in abundance”. He never gives meagerly; He does not ‘tip’. When He gives, it is always according to the riches of His grace. When God gives, the believer will always find that His cup will overflow (Psalms 23:5b).

The heavenly wheat is called “the bread of angels” and “food”, or “provision”. ‘Bread of angels’ means that this food was given by them to God’s people. ‘Provision’ emphasizes that it was food eaten during a journey. It is a main part of the meal, not a side dish.

The wind is also under His command (Psalms 78:26). He makes use of it when He wills and determines from which side the wind must come. To give His people meat, He did not, as with the manna, open the doors of heaven. He used the wind. Here He caused “the east wind to blow in the heavens” and He directed “by His power … the south wind”.

As He did with the manna, “He rained meat upon them” (Psalms 78:27). He made meat rain down on them “like dust”. He sent “winged fowl like the sand of the seas”, that is, in such an immense quantity that they could eat themselves to death (Numbers 11:33). He also determined where the meat in the camp, which Asaph calls “their [literally His] camp”, ended up (Psalms 78:28). It fell “in the midst of His camp” and “around His dwellings”. God dwelt with His people.

The thought of His presence among them should have deterred them from following their lusts. There was no question of that, however. It also fell “around His dwellings”, that is, the tabernacle with its various rooms. When He dropped it there, would the people then come to their senses?

But there was no thought of God with them. When they had received what they had desired, they attacked the food and “were filled” (Psalms 78:29). There was no thanks to God. With their stomachs full, they looked with covetous eyes at the stock of meat that was still there. Their stomachs were full, but still they were not satisfied, that is, their desire, their lust, was not satisfied (Psalms 78:30). They continued to insatiably wallow and chew on the last bit of meat they had been able to stuff into their mouths and had not yet swallowed.

While their food was in their mouths, “the anger of God rose against them” (Psalms 78:31; Numbers 11:33). Sometimes God waits a long time to express His anger. When He admonishes us to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19), He is admonishing us to show a feature of Himself. Here God was quick to show His anger because it was a sin of apostasy that revealed a long-standing aversion to His people.

God Himself judged. His death sentence struck “some of their stoutest ones”. The “stoutest ones” are those who have indulged themselves the most, the most voracious. Another category affected by His judgment included “the choice men of Israel”, the most prominent, the most influential, the strongest and most responsible. Literally it says “the young men of Israel”. This is reminiscent of the admonition we receive to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Psalms 107:20

Bread, Meat and Gluttony

Once again Asaph points out, and now in more detail and more impressively, how God provided His people in the wilderness with everything they needed. In beautiful, poetic language he speaks of how God had commanded “the clouds above” and “opened the doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23). All the elements of nature are under His command. He has brought about the whole creation by the utterance of commands (Psalms 33:9). When necessary, He intervenes in the natural course of creation and commands the individual elements to do as He pleases (Joshua 10:12-13).

Heaven is the storehouse of food for His people. He opened it and “rained down manna upon them to eat” (Psalms 78:24). The fact that God rained manna indicates that He gave His people life, blessed them, and did so in abundance. This manna was no ordinary bread either. Asaph calls it “food from heaven”. The manna was of heavenly origin, it was bread from heaven (Psalms 105:40; Exodus 16:4; John 6:31; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3). By this the Israelites could know that heaven, that God Himself, cared for them. God wanted them to know that they were dependent on Him.

Of this heavenly food “man” ate, that is, all the people (Psalms 78:25). There was no lack, for God gave “in abundance”. He never gives meagerly; He does not ‘tip’. When He gives, it is always according to the riches of His grace. When God gives, the believer will always find that His cup will overflow (Psalms 23:5b).

The heavenly wheat is called “the bread of angels” and “food”, or “provision”. ‘Bread of angels’ means that this food was given by them to God’s people. ‘Provision’ emphasizes that it was food eaten during a journey. It is a main part of the meal, not a side dish.

The wind is also under His command (Psalms 78:26). He makes use of it when He wills and determines from which side the wind must come. To give His people meat, He did not, as with the manna, open the doors of heaven. He used the wind. Here He caused “the east wind to blow in the heavens” and He directed “by His power … the south wind”.

As He did with the manna, “He rained meat upon them” (Psalms 78:27). He made meat rain down on them “like dust”. He sent “winged fowl like the sand of the seas”, that is, in such an immense quantity that they could eat themselves to death (Numbers 11:33). He also determined where the meat in the camp, which Asaph calls “their [literally His] camp”, ended up (Psalms 78:28). It fell “in the midst of His camp” and “around His dwellings”. God dwelt with His people.

The thought of His presence among them should have deterred them from following their lusts. There was no question of that, however. It also fell “around His dwellings”, that is, the tabernacle with its various rooms. When He dropped it there, would the people then come to their senses?

But there was no thought of God with them. When they had received what they had desired, they attacked the food and “were filled” (Psalms 78:29). There was no thanks to God. With their stomachs full, they looked with covetous eyes at the stock of meat that was still there. Their stomachs were full, but still they were not satisfied, that is, their desire, their lust, was not satisfied (Psalms 78:30). They continued to insatiably wallow and chew on the last bit of meat they had been able to stuff into their mouths and had not yet swallowed.

While their food was in their mouths, “the anger of God rose against them” (Psalms 78:31; Numbers 11:33). Sometimes God waits a long time to express His anger. When He admonishes us to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19), He is admonishing us to show a feature of Himself. Here God was quick to show His anger because it was a sin of apostasy that revealed a long-standing aversion to His people.

God Himself judged. His death sentence struck “some of their stoutest ones”. The “stoutest ones” are those who have indulged themselves the most, the most voracious. Another category affected by His judgment included “the choice men of Israel”, the most prominent, the most influential, the strongest and most responsible. Literally it says “the young men of Israel”. This is reminiscent of the admonition we receive to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Psalms 107:21

Bread, Meat and Gluttony

Once again Asaph points out, and now in more detail and more impressively, how God provided His people in the wilderness with everything they needed. In beautiful, poetic language he speaks of how God had commanded “the clouds above” and “opened the doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23). All the elements of nature are under His command. He has brought about the whole creation by the utterance of commands (Psalms 33:9). When necessary, He intervenes in the natural course of creation and commands the individual elements to do as He pleases (Joshua 10:12-13).

Heaven is the storehouse of food for His people. He opened it and “rained down manna upon them to eat” (Psalms 78:24). The fact that God rained manna indicates that He gave His people life, blessed them, and did so in abundance. This manna was no ordinary bread either. Asaph calls it “food from heaven”. The manna was of heavenly origin, it was bread from heaven (Psalms 105:40; Exodus 16:4; John 6:31; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3). By this the Israelites could know that heaven, that God Himself, cared for them. God wanted them to know that they were dependent on Him.

Of this heavenly food “man” ate, that is, all the people (Psalms 78:25). There was no lack, for God gave “in abundance”. He never gives meagerly; He does not ‘tip’. When He gives, it is always according to the riches of His grace. When God gives, the believer will always find that His cup will overflow (Psalms 23:5b).

The heavenly wheat is called “the bread of angels” and “food”, or “provision”. ‘Bread of angels’ means that this food was given by them to God’s people. ‘Provision’ emphasizes that it was food eaten during a journey. It is a main part of the meal, not a side dish.

The wind is also under His command (Psalms 78:26). He makes use of it when He wills and determines from which side the wind must come. To give His people meat, He did not, as with the manna, open the doors of heaven. He used the wind. Here He caused “the east wind to blow in the heavens” and He directed “by His power … the south wind”.

As He did with the manna, “He rained meat upon them” (Psalms 78:27). He made meat rain down on them “like dust”. He sent “winged fowl like the sand of the seas”, that is, in such an immense quantity that they could eat themselves to death (Numbers 11:33). He also determined where the meat in the camp, which Asaph calls “their [literally His] camp”, ended up (Psalms 78:28). It fell “in the midst of His camp” and “around His dwellings”. God dwelt with His people.

The thought of His presence among them should have deterred them from following their lusts. There was no question of that, however. It also fell “around His dwellings”, that is, the tabernacle with its various rooms. When He dropped it there, would the people then come to their senses?

But there was no thought of God with them. When they had received what they had desired, they attacked the food and “were filled” (Psalms 78:29). There was no thanks to God. With their stomachs full, they looked with covetous eyes at the stock of meat that was still there. Their stomachs were full, but still they were not satisfied, that is, their desire, their lust, was not satisfied (Psalms 78:30). They continued to insatiably wallow and chew on the last bit of meat they had been able to stuff into their mouths and had not yet swallowed.

While their food was in their mouths, “the anger of God rose against them” (Psalms 78:31; Numbers 11:33). Sometimes God waits a long time to express His anger. When He admonishes us to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19), He is admonishing us to show a feature of Himself. Here God was quick to show His anger because it was a sin of apostasy that revealed a long-standing aversion to His people.

God Himself judged. His death sentence struck “some of their stoutest ones”. The “stoutest ones” are those who have indulged themselves the most, the most voracious. Another category affected by His judgment included “the choice men of Israel”, the most prominent, the most influential, the strongest and most responsible. Literally it says “the young men of Israel”. This is reminiscent of the admonition we receive to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Psalms 107:22

Bread, Meat and Gluttony

Once again Asaph points out, and now in more detail and more impressively, how God provided His people in the wilderness with everything they needed. In beautiful, poetic language he speaks of how God had commanded “the clouds above” and “opened the doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23). All the elements of nature are under His command. He has brought about the whole creation by the utterance of commands (Psalms 33:9). When necessary, He intervenes in the natural course of creation and commands the individual elements to do as He pleases (Joshua 10:12-13).

Heaven is the storehouse of food for His people. He opened it and “rained down manna upon them to eat” (Psalms 78:24). The fact that God rained manna indicates that He gave His people life, blessed them, and did so in abundance. This manna was no ordinary bread either. Asaph calls it “food from heaven”. The manna was of heavenly origin, it was bread from heaven (Psalms 105:40; Exodus 16:4; John 6:31; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:3). By this the Israelites could know that heaven, that God Himself, cared for them. God wanted them to know that they were dependent on Him.

Of this heavenly food “man” ate, that is, all the people (Psalms 78:25). There was no lack, for God gave “in abundance”. He never gives meagerly; He does not ‘tip’. When He gives, it is always according to the riches of His grace. When God gives, the believer will always find that His cup will overflow (Psalms 23:5b).

The heavenly wheat is called “the bread of angels” and “food”, or “provision”. ‘Bread of angels’ means that this food was given by them to God’s people. ‘Provision’ emphasizes that it was food eaten during a journey. It is a main part of the meal, not a side dish.

The wind is also under His command (Psalms 78:26). He makes use of it when He wills and determines from which side the wind must come. To give His people meat, He did not, as with the manna, open the doors of heaven. He used the wind. Here He caused “the east wind to blow in the heavens” and He directed “by His power … the south wind”.

As He did with the manna, “He rained meat upon them” (Psalms 78:27). He made meat rain down on them “like dust”. He sent “winged fowl like the sand of the seas”, that is, in such an immense quantity that they could eat themselves to death (Numbers 11:33). He also determined where the meat in the camp, which Asaph calls “their [literally His] camp”, ended up (Psalms 78:28). It fell “in the midst of His camp” and “around His dwellings”. God dwelt with His people.

The thought of His presence among them should have deterred them from following their lusts. There was no question of that, however. It also fell “around His dwellings”, that is, the tabernacle with its various rooms. When He dropped it there, would the people then come to their senses?

But there was no thought of God with them. When they had received what they had desired, they attacked the food and “were filled” (Psalms 78:29). There was no thanks to God. With their stomachs full, they looked with covetous eyes at the stock of meat that was still there. Their stomachs were full, but still they were not satisfied, that is, their desire, their lust, was not satisfied (Psalms 78:30). They continued to insatiably wallow and chew on the last bit of meat they had been able to stuff into their mouths and had not yet swallowed.

While their food was in their mouths, “the anger of God rose against them” (Psalms 78:31; Numbers 11:33). Sometimes God waits a long time to express His anger. When He admonishes us to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19), He is admonishing us to show a feature of Himself. Here God was quick to show His anger because it was a sin of apostasy that revealed a long-standing aversion to His people.

God Himself judged. His death sentence struck “some of their stoutest ones”. The “stoutest ones” are those who have indulged themselves the most, the most voracious. Another category affected by His judgment included “the choice men of Israel”, the most prominent, the most influential, the strongest and most responsible. Literally it says “the young men of Israel”. This is reminiscent of the admonition we receive to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Psalms 107:23

Judgment, Compassion, Forgiveness

“In spite of all this”, that is, in spite of all His favors and in spite of His chastisements and in spite of His wonders, “they still sinned” (Psalms 78:32; cf. Revelation 16:8-11). God left no stone unturned to keep His people faithful to Him, or to bring them back to faithfulness to Him. There was a hardened heart with them that “did not believe in His wonderful works” (cf. John 12:37; Mark 8:16-21). The greatest wonders are of no avail if the will to believe is lacking.

As a result of their unbelief, “so”, for that reason, “He brought their days to an end in futility and their years in sudden terror” (Psalms 78:33). A life without involving God is “futile”, vanity, empty and meaningless. There is nothing of lasting value. That’s what life has been like for most of God’s people in the wilderness. When God is driven out of life, it is empty. That emptiness is filled with terror, with fear. This is a judgment of God.

This severe dealing with them, even “killing” them, had the effect of causing them to return and earnestly seek God (Psalms 78:34). This is always the purpose of any disciplinary action God brings upon His people. Discipline is an expression of His love and interest for them (Hebrews 12:5-11). He wanted to bless them, which could only happen if they lived in obedience to Him. When they deviated, He disciplined them so that they would return to Him and seek Him.

Through the discipline “they remembered that God was their rock” (Psalms 78:35; cf. Deuteronomy 32:4; 15; 31). They remembered that God was their only security and protection. They had forgotten that in following their own lusts. Through God’s discipline they were reminded of that again. It was not a vague reminder of God, but He was again great before their attention. He is the almighty “God”. He is “the Most High God”, the God Who is above all things and oversees all things. He was “their Redeemer”, Who had delivered them from Egypt.

Their confession, however, was no more than a lip confession (Psalms 78:36). Their return to God was hypocrisy (cf. John 6:26). Asaph is clear about this: they flattered God and lied to Him. With their mouth and their tongue they said all sorts of things they did not mean. They promised all kinds of things that they did not keep. They used flattery and lies to manipulate God. As if they could deceive God. All they cared about was being released from His discipline.

Their lip confession came from a heart that was “not steadfast toward Him” (Psalms 78:37). They were saying with their mouths something very different from what was in their heart. They had no desire to be with Him and do His will. They were also “not faithful in His covenant”. He had entered into a covenant relationship with them. That was about faithfulness. He was faithful, but they were unfaithful and had followed other gods in their heart.

In spite of what God’s people had done, all of this aversion and unfaithfulness is followed by a Divine “but” (Psalms 78:38). Instead of judging His reluctant people, “He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity”. His compassion consisted in forgiving [literally: covered over, atoned for] their iniquity. God is merciful, but He is also holy. Therefore, He must have a righteous basis for sparing His people. He has found this in the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary. There He atoned the iniquity.

By virtue of compassion and atonement, God did not destroy His people, but “often He restrained His anger”. God did not turn away His anger just once and did spare them, but He did so repeatedly. The people repeatedly provoked Him to anger in the wilderness, and just as repeatedly God did not pour out His full anger on them, but was compassionate. This is also how He still deals with us today.

God was able to act in this way because He foresaw the work of His Son (Romans 3:25). He did not turn His anger away from His Son, but brought it upon Him. Against His people He “did not arouse all His wrath”. He did arouse His full wrath against His Son in the hours when He was made sin by Him.

A proof of His compassion is that “He remembered that they were but flesh” (Psalms 78:39; cf. Psalms 103:14; Matthew 26:41). This mercy did not alleviate the guilt of His people, but shows a God Who knew His people through and through. His people thought they were strong and did not need God. This high opinion of themselves proves how fragile they were. In their pride they were blind to the fact that they were no more than “a wind that passes and does not return” (cf. Isaiah 2:22).

Psalms 107:24

Judgment, Compassion, Forgiveness

“In spite of all this”, that is, in spite of all His favors and in spite of His chastisements and in spite of His wonders, “they still sinned” (Psalms 78:32; cf. Revelation 16:8-11). God left no stone unturned to keep His people faithful to Him, or to bring them back to faithfulness to Him. There was a hardened heart with them that “did not believe in His wonderful works” (cf. John 12:37; Mark 8:16-21). The greatest wonders are of no avail if the will to believe is lacking.

As a result of their unbelief, “so”, for that reason, “He brought their days to an end in futility and their years in sudden terror” (Psalms 78:33). A life without involving God is “futile”, vanity, empty and meaningless. There is nothing of lasting value. That’s what life has been like for most of God’s people in the wilderness. When God is driven out of life, it is empty. That emptiness is filled with terror, with fear. This is a judgment of God.

This severe dealing with them, even “killing” them, had the effect of causing them to return and earnestly seek God (Psalms 78:34). This is always the purpose of any disciplinary action God brings upon His people. Discipline is an expression of His love and interest for them (Hebrews 12:5-11). He wanted to bless them, which could only happen if they lived in obedience to Him. When they deviated, He disciplined them so that they would return to Him and seek Him.

Through the discipline “they remembered that God was their rock” (Psalms 78:35; cf. Deuteronomy 32:4; 15; 31). They remembered that God was their only security and protection. They had forgotten that in following their own lusts. Through God’s discipline they were reminded of that again. It was not a vague reminder of God, but He was again great before their attention. He is the almighty “God”. He is “the Most High God”, the God Who is above all things and oversees all things. He was “their Redeemer”, Who had delivered them from Egypt.

Their confession, however, was no more than a lip confession (Psalms 78:36). Their return to God was hypocrisy (cf. John 6:26). Asaph is clear about this: they flattered God and lied to Him. With their mouth and their tongue they said all sorts of things they did not mean. They promised all kinds of things that they did not keep. They used flattery and lies to manipulate God. As if they could deceive God. All they cared about was being released from His discipline.

Their lip confession came from a heart that was “not steadfast toward Him” (Psalms 78:37). They were saying with their mouths something very different from what was in their heart. They had no desire to be with Him and do His will. They were also “not faithful in His covenant”. He had entered into a covenant relationship with them. That was about faithfulness. He was faithful, but they were unfaithful and had followed other gods in their heart.

In spite of what God’s people had done, all of this aversion and unfaithfulness is followed by a Divine “but” (Psalms 78:38). Instead of judging His reluctant people, “He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity”. His compassion consisted in forgiving [literally: covered over, atoned for] their iniquity. God is merciful, but He is also holy. Therefore, He must have a righteous basis for sparing His people. He has found this in the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary. There He atoned the iniquity.

By virtue of compassion and atonement, God did not destroy His people, but “often He restrained His anger”. God did not turn away His anger just once and did spare them, but He did so repeatedly. The people repeatedly provoked Him to anger in the wilderness, and just as repeatedly God did not pour out His full anger on them, but was compassionate. This is also how He still deals with us today.

God was able to act in this way because He foresaw the work of His Son (Romans 3:25). He did not turn His anger away from His Son, but brought it upon Him. Against His people He “did not arouse all His wrath”. He did arouse His full wrath against His Son in the hours when He was made sin by Him.

A proof of His compassion is that “He remembered that they were but flesh” (Psalms 78:39; cf. Psalms 103:14; Matthew 26:41). This mercy did not alleviate the guilt of His people, but shows a God Who knew His people through and through. His people thought they were strong and did not need God. This high opinion of themselves proves how fragile they were. In their pride they were blind to the fact that they were no more than “a wind that passes and does not return” (cf. Isaiah 2:22).

Psalms 107:25

Judgment, Compassion, Forgiveness

“In spite of all this”, that is, in spite of all His favors and in spite of His chastisements and in spite of His wonders, “they still sinned” (Psalms 78:32; cf. Revelation 16:8-11). God left no stone unturned to keep His people faithful to Him, or to bring them back to faithfulness to Him. There was a hardened heart with them that “did not believe in His wonderful works” (cf. John 12:37; Mark 8:16-21). The greatest wonders are of no avail if the will to believe is lacking.

As a result of their unbelief, “so”, for that reason, “He brought their days to an end in futility and their years in sudden terror” (Psalms 78:33). A life without involving God is “futile”, vanity, empty and meaningless. There is nothing of lasting value. That’s what life has been like for most of God’s people in the wilderness. When God is driven out of life, it is empty. That emptiness is filled with terror, with fear. This is a judgment of God.

This severe dealing with them, even “killing” them, had the effect of causing them to return and earnestly seek God (Psalms 78:34). This is always the purpose of any disciplinary action God brings upon His people. Discipline is an expression of His love and interest for them (Hebrews 12:5-11). He wanted to bless them, which could only happen if they lived in obedience to Him. When they deviated, He disciplined them so that they would return to Him and seek Him.

Through the discipline “they remembered that God was their rock” (Psalms 78:35; cf. Deuteronomy 32:4; 15; 31). They remembered that God was their only security and protection. They had forgotten that in following their own lusts. Through God’s discipline they were reminded of that again. It was not a vague reminder of God, but He was again great before their attention. He is the almighty “God”. He is “the Most High God”, the God Who is above all things and oversees all things. He was “their Redeemer”, Who had delivered them from Egypt.

Their confession, however, was no more than a lip confession (Psalms 78:36). Their return to God was hypocrisy (cf. John 6:26). Asaph is clear about this: they flattered God and lied to Him. With their mouth and their tongue they said all sorts of things they did not mean. They promised all kinds of things that they did not keep. They used flattery and lies to manipulate God. As if they could deceive God. All they cared about was being released from His discipline.

Their lip confession came from a heart that was “not steadfast toward Him” (Psalms 78:37). They were saying with their mouths something very different from what was in their heart. They had no desire to be with Him and do His will. They were also “not faithful in His covenant”. He had entered into a covenant relationship with them. That was about faithfulness. He was faithful, but they were unfaithful and had followed other gods in their heart.

In spite of what God’s people had done, all of this aversion and unfaithfulness is followed by a Divine “but” (Psalms 78:38). Instead of judging His reluctant people, “He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity”. His compassion consisted in forgiving [literally: covered over, atoned for] their iniquity. God is merciful, but He is also holy. Therefore, He must have a righteous basis for sparing His people. He has found this in the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary. There He atoned the iniquity.

By virtue of compassion and atonement, God did not destroy His people, but “often He restrained His anger”. God did not turn away His anger just once and did spare them, but He did so repeatedly. The people repeatedly provoked Him to anger in the wilderness, and just as repeatedly God did not pour out His full anger on them, but was compassionate. This is also how He still deals with us today.

God was able to act in this way because He foresaw the work of His Son (Romans 3:25). He did not turn His anger away from His Son, but brought it upon Him. Against His people He “did not arouse all His wrath”. He did arouse His full wrath against His Son in the hours when He was made sin by Him.

A proof of His compassion is that “He remembered that they were but flesh” (Psalms 78:39; cf. Psalms 103:14; Matthew 26:41). This mercy did not alleviate the guilt of His people, but shows a God Who knew His people through and through. His people thought they were strong and did not need God. This high opinion of themselves proves how fragile they were. In their pride they were blind to the fact that they were no more than “a wind that passes and does not return” (cf. Isaiah 2:22).

Psalms 107:26

Judgment, Compassion, Forgiveness

“In spite of all this”, that is, in spite of all His favors and in spite of His chastisements and in spite of His wonders, “they still sinned” (Psalms 78:32; cf. Revelation 16:8-11). God left no stone unturned to keep His people faithful to Him, or to bring them back to faithfulness to Him. There was a hardened heart with them that “did not believe in His wonderful works” (cf. John 12:37; Mark 8:16-21). The greatest wonders are of no avail if the will to believe is lacking.

As a result of their unbelief, “so”, for that reason, “He brought their days to an end in futility and their years in sudden terror” (Psalms 78:33). A life without involving God is “futile”, vanity, empty and meaningless. There is nothing of lasting value. That’s what life has been like for most of God’s people in the wilderness. When God is driven out of life, it is empty. That emptiness is filled with terror, with fear. This is a judgment of God.

This severe dealing with them, even “killing” them, had the effect of causing them to return and earnestly seek God (Psalms 78:34). This is always the purpose of any disciplinary action God brings upon His people. Discipline is an expression of His love and interest for them (Hebrews 12:5-11). He wanted to bless them, which could only happen if they lived in obedience to Him. When they deviated, He disciplined them so that they would return to Him and seek Him.

Through the discipline “they remembered that God was their rock” (Psalms 78:35; cf. Deuteronomy 32:4; 15; 31). They remembered that God was their only security and protection. They had forgotten that in following their own lusts. Through God’s discipline they were reminded of that again. It was not a vague reminder of God, but He was again great before their attention. He is the almighty “God”. He is “the Most High God”, the God Who is above all things and oversees all things. He was “their Redeemer”, Who had delivered them from Egypt.

Their confession, however, was no more than a lip confession (Psalms 78:36). Their return to God was hypocrisy (cf. John 6:26). Asaph is clear about this: they flattered God and lied to Him. With their mouth and their tongue they said all sorts of things they did not mean. They promised all kinds of things that they did not keep. They used flattery and lies to manipulate God. As if they could deceive God. All they cared about was being released from His discipline.

Their lip confession came from a heart that was “not steadfast toward Him” (Psalms 78:37). They were saying with their mouths something very different from what was in their heart. They had no desire to be with Him and do His will. They were also “not faithful in His covenant”. He had entered into a covenant relationship with them. That was about faithfulness. He was faithful, but they were unfaithful and had followed other gods in their heart.

In spite of what God’s people had done, all of this aversion and unfaithfulness is followed by a Divine “but” (Psalms 78:38). Instead of judging His reluctant people, “He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity”. His compassion consisted in forgiving [literally: covered over, atoned for] their iniquity. God is merciful, but He is also holy. Therefore, He must have a righteous basis for sparing His people. He has found this in the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary. There He atoned the iniquity.

By virtue of compassion and atonement, God did not destroy His people, but “often He restrained His anger”. God did not turn away His anger just once and did spare them, but He did so repeatedly. The people repeatedly provoked Him to anger in the wilderness, and just as repeatedly God did not pour out His full anger on them, but was compassionate. This is also how He still deals with us today.

God was able to act in this way because He foresaw the work of His Son (Romans 3:25). He did not turn His anger away from His Son, but brought it upon Him. Against His people He “did not arouse all His wrath”. He did arouse His full wrath against His Son in the hours when He was made sin by Him.

A proof of His compassion is that “He remembered that they were but flesh” (Psalms 78:39; cf. Psalms 103:14; Matthew 26:41). This mercy did not alleviate the guilt of His people, but shows a God Who knew His people through and through. His people thought they were strong and did not need God. This high opinion of themselves proves how fragile they were. In their pride they were blind to the fact that they were no more than “a wind that passes and does not return” (cf. Isaiah 2:22).

Psalms 107:27

Judgment, Compassion, Forgiveness

“In spite of all this”, that is, in spite of all His favors and in spite of His chastisements and in spite of His wonders, “they still sinned” (Psalms 78:32; cf. Revelation 16:8-11). God left no stone unturned to keep His people faithful to Him, or to bring them back to faithfulness to Him. There was a hardened heart with them that “did not believe in His wonderful works” (cf. John 12:37; Mark 8:16-21). The greatest wonders are of no avail if the will to believe is lacking.

As a result of their unbelief, “so”, for that reason, “He brought their days to an end in futility and their years in sudden terror” (Psalms 78:33). A life without involving God is “futile”, vanity, empty and meaningless. There is nothing of lasting value. That’s what life has been like for most of God’s people in the wilderness. When God is driven out of life, it is empty. That emptiness is filled with terror, with fear. This is a judgment of God.

This severe dealing with them, even “killing” them, had the effect of causing them to return and earnestly seek God (Psalms 78:34). This is always the purpose of any disciplinary action God brings upon His people. Discipline is an expression of His love and interest for them (Hebrews 12:5-11). He wanted to bless them, which could only happen if they lived in obedience to Him. When they deviated, He disciplined them so that they would return to Him and seek Him.

Through the discipline “they remembered that God was their rock” (Psalms 78:35; cf. Deuteronomy 32:4; 15; 31). They remembered that God was their only security and protection. They had forgotten that in following their own lusts. Through God’s discipline they were reminded of that again. It was not a vague reminder of God, but He was again great before their attention. He is the almighty “God”. He is “the Most High God”, the God Who is above all things and oversees all things. He was “their Redeemer”, Who had delivered them from Egypt.

Their confession, however, was no more than a lip confession (Psalms 78:36). Their return to God was hypocrisy (cf. John 6:26). Asaph is clear about this: they flattered God and lied to Him. With their mouth and their tongue they said all sorts of things they did not mean. They promised all kinds of things that they did not keep. They used flattery and lies to manipulate God. As if they could deceive God. All they cared about was being released from His discipline.

Their lip confession came from a heart that was “not steadfast toward Him” (Psalms 78:37). They were saying with their mouths something very different from what was in their heart. They had no desire to be with Him and do His will. They were also “not faithful in His covenant”. He had entered into a covenant relationship with them. That was about faithfulness. He was faithful, but they were unfaithful and had followed other gods in their heart.

In spite of what God’s people had done, all of this aversion and unfaithfulness is followed by a Divine “but” (Psalms 78:38). Instead of judging His reluctant people, “He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity”. His compassion consisted in forgiving [literally: covered over, atoned for] their iniquity. God is merciful, but He is also holy. Therefore, He must have a righteous basis for sparing His people. He has found this in the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary. There He atoned the iniquity.

By virtue of compassion and atonement, God did not destroy His people, but “often He restrained His anger”. God did not turn away His anger just once and did spare them, but He did so repeatedly. The people repeatedly provoked Him to anger in the wilderness, and just as repeatedly God did not pour out His full anger on them, but was compassionate. This is also how He still deals with us today.

God was able to act in this way because He foresaw the work of His Son (Romans 3:25). He did not turn His anger away from His Son, but brought it upon Him. Against His people He “did not arouse all His wrath”. He did arouse His full wrath against His Son in the hours when He was made sin by Him.

A proof of His compassion is that “He remembered that they were but flesh” (Psalms 78:39; cf. Psalms 103:14; Matthew 26:41). This mercy did not alleviate the guilt of His people, but shows a God Who knew His people through and through. His people thought they were strong and did not need God. This high opinion of themselves proves how fragile they were. In their pride they were blind to the fact that they were no more than “a wind that passes and does not return” (cf. Isaiah 2:22).

Psalms 107:28

Judgment, Compassion, Forgiveness

“In spite of all this”, that is, in spite of all His favors and in spite of His chastisements and in spite of His wonders, “they still sinned” (Psalms 78:32; cf. Revelation 16:8-11). God left no stone unturned to keep His people faithful to Him, or to bring them back to faithfulness to Him. There was a hardened heart with them that “did not believe in His wonderful works” (cf. John 12:37; Mark 8:16-21). The greatest wonders are of no avail if the will to believe is lacking.

As a result of their unbelief, “so”, for that reason, “He brought their days to an end in futility and their years in sudden terror” (Psalms 78:33). A life without involving God is “futile”, vanity, empty and meaningless. There is nothing of lasting value. That’s what life has been like for most of God’s people in the wilderness. When God is driven out of life, it is empty. That emptiness is filled with terror, with fear. This is a judgment of God.

This severe dealing with them, even “killing” them, had the effect of causing them to return and earnestly seek God (Psalms 78:34). This is always the purpose of any disciplinary action God brings upon His people. Discipline is an expression of His love and interest for them (Hebrews 12:5-11). He wanted to bless them, which could only happen if they lived in obedience to Him. When they deviated, He disciplined them so that they would return to Him and seek Him.

Through the discipline “they remembered that God was their rock” (Psalms 78:35; cf. Deuteronomy 32:4; 15; 31). They remembered that God was their only security and protection. They had forgotten that in following their own lusts. Through God’s discipline they were reminded of that again. It was not a vague reminder of God, but He was again great before their attention. He is the almighty “God”. He is “the Most High God”, the God Who is above all things and oversees all things. He was “their Redeemer”, Who had delivered them from Egypt.

Their confession, however, was no more than a lip confession (Psalms 78:36). Their return to God was hypocrisy (cf. John 6:26). Asaph is clear about this: they flattered God and lied to Him. With their mouth and their tongue they said all sorts of things they did not mean. They promised all kinds of things that they did not keep. They used flattery and lies to manipulate God. As if they could deceive God. All they cared about was being released from His discipline.

Their lip confession came from a heart that was “not steadfast toward Him” (Psalms 78:37). They were saying with their mouths something very different from what was in their heart. They had no desire to be with Him and do His will. They were also “not faithful in His covenant”. He had entered into a covenant relationship with them. That was about faithfulness. He was faithful, but they were unfaithful and had followed other gods in their heart.

In spite of what God’s people had done, all of this aversion and unfaithfulness is followed by a Divine “but” (Psalms 78:38). Instead of judging His reluctant people, “He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity”. His compassion consisted in forgiving [literally: covered over, atoned for] their iniquity. God is merciful, but He is also holy. Therefore, He must have a righteous basis for sparing His people. He has found this in the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary. There He atoned the iniquity.

By virtue of compassion and atonement, God did not destroy His people, but “often He restrained His anger”. God did not turn away His anger just once and did spare them, but He did so repeatedly. The people repeatedly provoked Him to anger in the wilderness, and just as repeatedly God did not pour out His full anger on them, but was compassionate. This is also how He still deals with us today.

God was able to act in this way because He foresaw the work of His Son (Romans 3:25). He did not turn His anger away from His Son, but brought it upon Him. Against His people He “did not arouse all His wrath”. He did arouse His full wrath against His Son in the hours when He was made sin by Him.

A proof of His compassion is that “He remembered that they were but flesh” (Psalms 78:39; cf. Psalms 103:14; Matthew 26:41). This mercy did not alleviate the guilt of His people, but shows a God Who knew His people through and through. His people thought they were strong and did not need God. This high opinion of themselves proves how fragile they were. In their pride they were blind to the fact that they were no more than “a wind that passes and does not return” (cf. Isaiah 2:22).

Psalms 107:29

Judgment, Compassion, Forgiveness

“In spite of all this”, that is, in spite of all His favors and in spite of His chastisements and in spite of His wonders, “they still sinned” (Psalms 78:32; cf. Revelation 16:8-11). God left no stone unturned to keep His people faithful to Him, or to bring them back to faithfulness to Him. There was a hardened heart with them that “did not believe in His wonderful works” (cf. John 12:37; Mark 8:16-21). The greatest wonders are of no avail if the will to believe is lacking.

As a result of their unbelief, “so”, for that reason, “He brought their days to an end in futility and their years in sudden terror” (Psalms 78:33). A life without involving God is “futile”, vanity, empty and meaningless. There is nothing of lasting value. That’s what life has been like for most of God’s people in the wilderness. When God is driven out of life, it is empty. That emptiness is filled with terror, with fear. This is a judgment of God.

This severe dealing with them, even “killing” them, had the effect of causing them to return and earnestly seek God (Psalms 78:34). This is always the purpose of any disciplinary action God brings upon His people. Discipline is an expression of His love and interest for them (Hebrews 12:5-11). He wanted to bless them, which could only happen if they lived in obedience to Him. When they deviated, He disciplined them so that they would return to Him and seek Him.

Through the discipline “they remembered that God was their rock” (Psalms 78:35; cf. Deuteronomy 32:4; 15; 31). They remembered that God was their only security and protection. They had forgotten that in following their own lusts. Through God’s discipline they were reminded of that again. It was not a vague reminder of God, but He was again great before their attention. He is the almighty “God”. He is “the Most High God”, the God Who is above all things and oversees all things. He was “their Redeemer”, Who had delivered them from Egypt.

Their confession, however, was no more than a lip confession (Psalms 78:36). Their return to God was hypocrisy (cf. John 6:26). Asaph is clear about this: they flattered God and lied to Him. With their mouth and their tongue they said all sorts of things they did not mean. They promised all kinds of things that they did not keep. They used flattery and lies to manipulate God. As if they could deceive God. All they cared about was being released from His discipline.

Their lip confession came from a heart that was “not steadfast toward Him” (Psalms 78:37). They were saying with their mouths something very different from what was in their heart. They had no desire to be with Him and do His will. They were also “not faithful in His covenant”. He had entered into a covenant relationship with them. That was about faithfulness. He was faithful, but they were unfaithful and had followed other gods in their heart.

In spite of what God’s people had done, all of this aversion and unfaithfulness is followed by a Divine “but” (Psalms 78:38). Instead of judging His reluctant people, “He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity”. His compassion consisted in forgiving [literally: covered over, atoned for] their iniquity. God is merciful, but He is also holy. Therefore, He must have a righteous basis for sparing His people. He has found this in the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary. There He atoned the iniquity.

By virtue of compassion and atonement, God did not destroy His people, but “often He restrained His anger”. God did not turn away His anger just once and did spare them, but He did so repeatedly. The people repeatedly provoked Him to anger in the wilderness, and just as repeatedly God did not pour out His full anger on them, but was compassionate. This is also how He still deals with us today.

God was able to act in this way because He foresaw the work of His Son (Romans 3:25). He did not turn His anger away from His Son, but brought it upon Him. Against His people He “did not arouse all His wrath”. He did arouse His full wrath against His Son in the hours when He was made sin by Him.

A proof of His compassion is that “He remembered that they were but flesh” (Psalms 78:39; cf. Psalms 103:14; Matthew 26:41). This mercy did not alleviate the guilt of His people, but shows a God Who knew His people through and through. His people thought they were strong and did not need God. This high opinion of themselves proves how fragile they were. In their pride they were blind to the fact that they were no more than “a wind that passes and does not return” (cf. Isaiah 2:22).

Psalms 107:30

Judgment, Compassion, Forgiveness

“In spite of all this”, that is, in spite of all His favors and in spite of His chastisements and in spite of His wonders, “they still sinned” (Psalms 78:32; cf. Revelation 16:8-11). God left no stone unturned to keep His people faithful to Him, or to bring them back to faithfulness to Him. There was a hardened heart with them that “did not believe in His wonderful works” (cf. John 12:37; Mark 8:16-21). The greatest wonders are of no avail if the will to believe is lacking.

As a result of their unbelief, “so”, for that reason, “He brought their days to an end in futility and their years in sudden terror” (Psalms 78:33). A life without involving God is “futile”, vanity, empty and meaningless. There is nothing of lasting value. That’s what life has been like for most of God’s people in the wilderness. When God is driven out of life, it is empty. That emptiness is filled with terror, with fear. This is a judgment of God.

This severe dealing with them, even “killing” them, had the effect of causing them to return and earnestly seek God (Psalms 78:34). This is always the purpose of any disciplinary action God brings upon His people. Discipline is an expression of His love and interest for them (Hebrews 12:5-11). He wanted to bless them, which could only happen if they lived in obedience to Him. When they deviated, He disciplined them so that they would return to Him and seek Him.

Through the discipline “they remembered that God was their rock” (Psalms 78:35; cf. Deuteronomy 32:4; 15; 31). They remembered that God was their only security and protection. They had forgotten that in following their own lusts. Through God’s discipline they were reminded of that again. It was not a vague reminder of God, but He was again great before their attention. He is the almighty “God”. He is “the Most High God”, the God Who is above all things and oversees all things. He was “their Redeemer”, Who had delivered them from Egypt.

Their confession, however, was no more than a lip confession (Psalms 78:36). Their return to God was hypocrisy (cf. John 6:26). Asaph is clear about this: they flattered God and lied to Him. With their mouth and their tongue they said all sorts of things they did not mean. They promised all kinds of things that they did not keep. They used flattery and lies to manipulate God. As if they could deceive God. All they cared about was being released from His discipline.

Their lip confession came from a heart that was “not steadfast toward Him” (Psalms 78:37). They were saying with their mouths something very different from what was in their heart. They had no desire to be with Him and do His will. They were also “not faithful in His covenant”. He had entered into a covenant relationship with them. That was about faithfulness. He was faithful, but they were unfaithful and had followed other gods in their heart.

In spite of what God’s people had done, all of this aversion and unfaithfulness is followed by a Divine “but” (Psalms 78:38). Instead of judging His reluctant people, “He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity”. His compassion consisted in forgiving [literally: covered over, atoned for] their iniquity. God is merciful, but He is also holy. Therefore, He must have a righteous basis for sparing His people. He has found this in the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary. There He atoned the iniquity.

By virtue of compassion and atonement, God did not destroy His people, but “often He restrained His anger”. God did not turn away His anger just once and did spare them, but He did so repeatedly. The people repeatedly provoked Him to anger in the wilderness, and just as repeatedly God did not pour out His full anger on them, but was compassionate. This is also how He still deals with us today.

God was able to act in this way because He foresaw the work of His Son (Romans 3:25). He did not turn His anger away from His Son, but brought it upon Him. Against His people He “did not arouse all His wrath”. He did arouse His full wrath against His Son in the hours when He was made sin by Him.

A proof of His compassion is that “He remembered that they were but flesh” (Psalms 78:39; cf. Psalms 103:14; Matthew 26:41). This mercy did not alleviate the guilt of His people, but shows a God Who knew His people through and through. His people thought they were strong and did not need God. This high opinion of themselves proves how fragile they were. In their pride they were blind to the fact that they were no more than “a wind that passes and does not return” (cf. Isaiah 2:22).

Psalms 107:31

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:32

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:33

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:34

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:35

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:36

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:37

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:38

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:39

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:40

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:41

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:42

God’s Strength in Salvation

Asaph returns to the behavior of the people in the wilderness (Psalms 78:40). It is as if rebellion was the hallmark of the entire wilderness journey. They taunted Him by repeatedly criticizing and questioning His love and faithfulness. His compassion (Psalms 78:38) was not appreciated.

By their disobedience and rebellion they grieved Him. All the sins of men, and especially of His people, grieve God. His anger rests upon them, and He will let His anger run free if a person persists in his sins. God is not insensitive to sin. Sin strikes Him, the Holy One, deep within His heart and causes pain and sorrow.

They tempted God “again and again”. They never learned. Again and again they kept challenging God to show if He was able to satisfy their lusts. It is like asking the sun to shine, while you are blinded by the light of it.

With all their questioning – all arising from an unbelieving and rebellious heart – they “pained” – or “offended” or “provoked” – “the Holy One of Israel”. The limitation lay in the fact that, in spite of His proven redeeming power (Psalms 78:42), they considered Him incapable of satisfying their lusts. If they did consider Him capable, they would trust Him. He had abundantly proved that He could be trusted and was capable of everything. To force Him then to prove Himself demonstrated that to them God was a narrow, limited God Who was not capable to give them what they wanted.

It is a most audacious attitude, for they had to do with none other than “the Holy One of Israel”. He, the Holy One of Israel, Who was their King (Psalms 89:18) and worthy of praise (Psalms 71:22). This Name of God is characteristic of the book of Isaiah. It is an indication of the fact that He is unique, comparable to no one.

The fact that they did not see this did not change the gravity of their rebellion. They stood up against Him Who is “the Holy One”. The LORD has sanctified Himself on behalf of His own, that is Israel, and so are we. In His holiness He had bound “Israel” to Himself. This meant that they were sanctified by His presence among them and that they also had to behave in a holy manner in order to experience the blessing of His presence among them. He said to His people then and says to His people now: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16).

Men also limited the Lord Jesus in His power when He hung on the cross. In their audacity and unbelief they said to Him: ‘If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe” (Matthew 27:39-44). The same challenging language is still used today. You hear it in remarks like: ‘If God is love, let Him do something about the misery in the world.’

All their wrong thoughts about God came from no longer remembering “His power” (Psalms 78:42). God so often proved His power in favor of them. Asaph takes the people back to “the day when He redeemed them from the adversary” (cf. Exodus 13:3). How often we too forget the great grace and power of God through which we have been delivered from the power of sin. This forgetfulness leads us to become unfaithful to God when we get into difficulties. Then we begin to doubt His power. If we do not repent soon, we become rebellious and accuse Him of being powerless to help us.

Asaph then describes in detail the power that God displayed on the day of their redemption. He points to God performing “His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan” (Psalms 78:43; cf. Psalms 78:12). God performed His signs in order to point His people to the purpose of redemption. That purpose was that He wanted to dwell with them, to celebrate with them and have fellowship with them (Exodus 5:1). God performed His wonders to encourage His people to entrust themselves to Him. His wonders show His power that He used in their favor against their oppressors. They denied and defied that power by their rebellious, unbelieving attitude against Him.

As the first of God’s signs and wonders, Asaph recalls that God “turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink” (Psalms 78:44; Exodus 7:19-21). This is the first plague God brought upon Egypt. Water speaks of that which refreshes and gives life. Blood shed speaks of death. Life in the world of sin does not give life, but death. That was what God’s people returned to by turning away from God.

The second sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the “swarms of flies which devoured them” (Psalms 78:45; Exodus 8:24). This is the fourth plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which Goshen, and thus His people, were spared (Exodus 8:22-23). The flies, possibly a mixture of all kinds of vermin, carried all kinds of diseases. As a result, the lives of the people were ruined.

As an application for our time we can think of all kinds of irritations, jealousy, bullying, bothering each other in all possible ways. These things spoil the atmosphere between people and can make life unbearable. Loud music at the neighbors, misbehavior in traffic, challenging behavior in the store and so many other things that can make you feel bad. We are reminded by Asaph that the flies will also do their work with us if we turn our backs on God. The flies are like “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

The third sign and wonder are the “frogs which destroyed them” (Exodus 8:5-6). This is the second plague that God brought upon Egypt. Frogs are a picture of unclean spirits, especially sexual uncleanness (Revelation 16:13-15). This plague sweeps over the world and is also invading the homes of Christians. Sometimes unsolicited through advertising flyers through the mailbox, but unfortunately also because people search for it in their homes on the internet. Uncleanness gets into the bedrooms, into the beds. The warning in Hebrews 13 is important and significant in this context (Hebrews 13:4).

The frogs came in the kneading bowls, which indicates that it was mixed with the food. The effect of the taking in, ‘eating’, through the mass media of uncleanness will not fail. Gay marriages and their consecration in the church have become practice. Those who are not practicing themselves are justifying it. Love is from God, isn’t it?

This uncleanness is the result of not acknowledging God. That is why He gives a plague like this. The application for our days is clear (Romans 1:24-28). Man who disregards God brings this plague upon himself. Man who does not acknowledge God dishonors himself. The lusts he seeks to satisfy spring from his abandonment of God. Return to Him is the only means that helps to drive out the plague.

The fourth sign and wonder are “the grasshopper” to which God gave “their crop”, and “the locust” to which God gave “the product of their labor” (Psalms 78:46; Exodus 10:12-15). This is the eighth plague that God brought upon Egypt. Because of an east wind, an unprecedented amount of locusts were brought upon Egypt. It was the army of the LORD (Joel 2:11; 25). Everything that had not already been destroyed by previous judgments was eaten off. In all of Egypt there was not a green leaf left. The forsaking of God put an end to all prosperity.

The fifth sign and wonder are “the hailstones” (Psalms 78:47; Exodus 9:22-25). This is the seventh plague that God brought upon Egypt. God sent down from “the storehouse of the hail” the hail which He kept therein “for a day of war and battle” (Job 38:22-23). That day had arrived for Egypt.

The grape plants of the middle east, and even more so the wild fig trees, are sensitive to the cold. By hailstones “He destroyed their vines”. The wine is a picture of joy. God put an end to all earthly joy for those who sought joy without Him. By frost He destroyed “their sycamore trees”. The sycamore tree is a fig tree. The fig tree represent righteousness. The righteousness of the world does not last, but perishes through God’s judgments.

The hail struck not only the fruit of the land, but also the animals (Psalms 78:48). Their herds He gave over “to bolts of lightning” that accompanied the hail (Exodus 9:24). The world will be ravaged by many judgments, including that of a great hail (Revelation 16:21). The members of God’s people will escape these only if they take refuge with God (cf. Isaiah 32:2).

In all of these plagues, God “sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble” (Psalms 78:49). The combination of these words shows how filled with anger God had become by the rebellion and unruly nature of His people. He used “a band of destroying angels” to execute His burning anger. They brought the disasters upon Egypt at His command (cf. Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; Revelation 9:13-16).

Asaph mentions a sixth sign and wonder: the pestilence on the livestock (Psalms 78:50; Exodus 9:5-6). Asaph says of this sign that God thereby “leveled a path for His anger”. He no longer withheld His wrath, but gave it free rein. A sudden outbreak of pestilence was proof that God was at work. With it He struck the Egyptians in the means of their livelihood. “He did not spare their soul from death.”

The last sign and wonder mentioned by Asaph is the death of “all the firstborn in Egypt, the first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 136:10; Exodus 4:22-23; Exodus 11:4-5; Exodus 12:29-30). This is the tenth and final plague in Egypt. Egypt is descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6; Psalms 105:23). The firstborn is a symbol of strength (Genesis 49:3). The eldest son is the deepest pride of the Oriental. According to Eastern custom, the survival of the name, of the family, depends on the eldest son. He represents the strength of the whole family. The first-born son is more precious to him than his possessions and his health.

All the hope of the natural man is focused on the firstborn. Therefore God dashed all their hopes by smiting their firstborn. There was not a house in all of Egypt in which there was not a death. It was the final blow. God’s judgment was indiscriminate. It affected everyone from the highest to the lowest in society (Job 34:19-20).

Psalms 107:43

Guided in the Wilderness, Brought Into the Land

After this final judgment, Pharaoh let God’s people go. Asaph says here that God led forth His own people like sheep (Psalms 78:52). Pharaoh is forced by God to release the people. God has continually devoted Himself to His people. That He led them forth “like sheep” indicates their vulnerability, their defenselessness, and that they were completely dependent on God’s protection and care.

They did not owe their deliverance to their own strength. Here God is the good Shepherd who led His sheep into freedom (cf. John 10:3). Further on, in Psalms 78:70-71, we see that He allowed David to act as shepherd for His people. In a prophetic sense, it speaks of God becoming Man in order to be the good Shepherd as the Son of David.

After they had moved away, He “guided them in the wilderness like a flock”. He made sure they stayed together and were not scattered. The wilderness is an area through which a person cannot pass without knowing the way or without a good guide. For the people it was a completely unknown way. Therefore, they were totally dependent on the guidance of God.

Asaph testifies that God “led them safely, so that they did not fear” (Psalms 78:53). God provided safety in the midst of all the dangers of “the great and terrible wilderness” (Deuteronomy 8:15; cf. Jeremiah 2:6). The enemy could no longer frighten them, for “the sea engulfed their enemies” (Exodus 14:27-30). Slavery was behind them, as were the dead bodies of the slavers. During the wilderness journey, God provided as long as the journey lasted.

Thus He “brought them to His holy land, to this hill country which His right hand had gained” (Psalms 78:54). Moses and the Israelites already mentioned this in the song they sang immediately after the redemption (Exodus 15:17). God brought His people “to His holy land”. The land He had chosen for them (Ezekiel 20:6), belongs to Him. It is holy because He is holy. What is His must correspond to Who and what He is.

By “this hill country” is meant the whole land (Exodus 15:17a; Isaiah 57:13). “His right hand” has gained that country. The right hand represents power and honor. He demonstrated His power by driving out “the nations before them” (Psalms 78:55). Then He “apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement”. Historically, we have arrived at the book of Joshua. All the tribes were apportioned a territory of the land for an inheritance (Joshua 13:7; Joshua 14:1-5; cf. Psalms 16:6).

Finally, He “made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents”. After the slavery in Egypt and the wanderings in the wilderness, the people had reached the rest. Now they could enjoy all the blessings God had prepared for them in this land.