Psalm
78:21-39
FAITHFUL
FATHER GOD
DESPITE
UNFAITHFUL CHILDREN
Psalm
78:21 Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled
against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; 22 Because they believed
not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
Susie: If we look back a few verses, we see that
God heard the Israelites admitting that He had miraculously provided water but
still doubting that He can provide meat to feed the multitude.
Susan: It was their blatant unbelief in the midst
of His proven miracles, their insults to His parental love, that provoked the
Lord to wrath. Yet we will see that the Lord restrained Himself and bridled His
anger. He was seething but not allowing His wrath to completely boil over and
consume the Israelites.
Psalm
78:23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of
heaven, 24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of
the corn of heaven. 25 Man
did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
Susie: I’ve always felt that manna was completely
sustaining even though we think of it as bread. They did not need meat but were craving the taste of
it.
Susan: They were given their daily bread, their
necessary sustenance, but were not content.
Matthew
6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Susie: He provided the type of food angels
brought later to sustain Elijah as he fled from Jezebel (1 Kings 19). But that
was not “good enough” for these demanding children of the Lord.
Susan: They were ungrateful, spoiled, never
satisfied or content.
Psalm 78:26 He caused an east
wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. 27
He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of
the sea: 28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their
habitations.
Susie: God gave them what they thought they
wanted, an abundance of quail within easy reach to be captured or clubbed. It
would be like sitting in the sunflower field with your shotgun and have the sky
absolutely filled with dove!
Numbers
11:31-32 And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the
sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side,
and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as
it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all
that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the
quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all
abroad for themselves round about the camp.
Psalm
78:29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
Susan: The people had no appreciable faith in God
after all they had been through together. He showed them how absolutely finite
their thinking process was.
Susie: He provided what they asked for, and in
superabundance! But even then, they were greedy with what He had given them.
Psalm
78:30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in
their mouths, 31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them,
and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
Susan: Instead of being in love with God, they
were having a love affair with their insatiable appetites. Then when it was
filled, they were still never pleased or appreciative.
Susie: They did not eat until just sated, but
stuffed themselves to the gills!
Susan: They were utterly gluttonous!
Susie: It was that attitude of greed and gluttony
that the Lord punished.
Susan: Their heart attitude infuriated the Lord.
Numbers
11:33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the
wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people
with a very great plague.
Susie: The quail was not poisonous, but the greed
of some of the people poisoned them. This display of God’s power in the
provision of the quail and the striking down of the gluttons should have sent a
strong message to the Israelites, but they did not heed it.
Psalm
78:32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. 33
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
Susan: They did not comprehend God’s up close and
personal object lesson that took place before their very eyes.
Susie: Or they chose to ignore it and pass it off
as not applying to each of them individually.
Psalm
78:34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired
early after God. 35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high
God their redeemer.
Susan: It took God slaying the greedy for them to
get a clue that God was upset. That begs the question, “Did they have any
intimacy with God at all?” God must have felt, on the one hand, very lonely,
but on the other, extremely vexed with them.
Susie: Remember, at this time, their
communication with God came primarily through Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. When He
did present Himself, it was generally a terrifying experience. However, His
continually provision for them should have convinced them of His love and
compassion for them.
Psalm
78:36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto
him with their tongues. 37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were
they steadfast in his covenant.
Susan: The Israelites were saying all the right
things, but in their hearts they were failing to believe and follow through
with obedience.
Susie: As we would say, they were paying
lip-service only to God’s ways.
Psalm
78:38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed
them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all
his wrath. 39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth
away, and cometh not again.
Susan: One may wonder why God chose mercy.
Susie: Although God is a God of wrath, He is also
a God of love. He is holy and must deal with sin, but He is merciful because He
knows our weaknesses.
James
4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It
is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Susan: God’s holiness demanded a perfect
sacrifice for the sin of mankind. The only Sacrifice that could meet all the
criteria of His holiness was His own Son, Jesus, the completely perfect
God-Man.
And
all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in
the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (emphasis added)
Susie: Jesus died in our place on the cross, to
pay the penalty for our sin and ransom us from that slavery. He was buried in a
borrowed tomb, but on the third day…
Susan: He arose and conquered the grave. He is now
seated at the right-hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf!
QUESTIONS
1. Based
on Psalm 78:22, what was the key reason God became angry with the people of
Israel?
2. What
food had He showered them with previously?
3. Was
manna truly not enough? Explain your answer.
4. The
Israelites had expressed doubt that God could provide meat in the wilderness.
What did He do in response?
5. God
gave them what they wanted. Were they satisfied? Explain.
6. Paul
wrote “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6) Had the
Israelites learned this lesson? Spend a moment reflecting on your own attitudes
to evaluate whether you are content with God’s provision or always demanding
more.
7. When
did the Israelites finally remember that God was their source and their savior?
8. Even
though the Israelites continually paid lip-service only to trusting and obeying
God, He forgave them over and over. Why?
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