78:12-20 In his historical review Asaph began with the plagues in Egypt (v. 12). He drew broad strokes on his verbal canvas tracing God's faithfulness to the generation that left Egypt in the Exodus (vv. 12-16). Each verse in this section recalls stories in the books of Exodus and Numbers.
In spite of God's provisions the Israelites rebelled against Him. They put God to the test by demanding that He provide for them on their terms rather than simply trusting and obeying Him (vv. 17-20).
78:21-33 In response to their murmuring God sent fire that burned on the outskirts of the camp (Num. 11:1-3). This was a warning to the people. When they requested bread He sent it to them abundantly (Exod. 16:14-31). Asaph called the manna angels' food (v. 25) because it came down from heaven. When the people insisted on having meat God sent abundant quail (Exod. 16:13; Num. 11:31). However, He also sent a plague that should have taught them to be content with His provisions (Num. 11:33). In spite of all these lessons the generation of Israelites that left Egypt in the Exodus continued to disbelieve and disobey Yahweh. Consequently that generation perished in the wilderness (v. 33).
78:34-39 When God killed some of that generation the others of them turned back to Him. However they did not do so wholeheartedly or consistently. Still God consistently showed them compassion, forgave them, and did not destroy all of them at once. The contrast between Israel's unfaithfulness and Yahweh's loyal love stands out in this pericope.
78:40-55 The emphasis in this section is on how often the unfaithful generation rebelled against God despite earlier signs of His power and care.141Asaph recounted several of the plagues God brought on the Egyptians that should have taught His people to trust and obey Him. In spite of repeated instances of murmuring and rebelling God led that generation as a shepherd leads a flock of helpless sheep through the wilderness (vv. 52-53). He even brought them safely into the land He had promised to give them and drove the Canaanites out before them (vv. 54-55).
78:56-64 After Joshua died the people again tested God by failing to drive the inhabitants of the land out as He had commanded them to do. They turned from Him to worship false gods (vv. 56-58). Consequently God permitted the Philistines to capture the ark at Shiloh (cf. 1 Sam. 4:4-11). Many Israelites died on that occasion including the priests Hophni and Phinehas (v. 64).
78:65-72 The writer pictured God waking up though He was always aware of His people's condition. He simply did not move to deliver them until David's time. God rejected Joseph (i.e., the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh) and Ephraim, the leader of the northern tribes, in the sense that He chose someone from Judah to lead Israel. He also chose Mt. Zion as the site of His sanctuary. David took it from the Jebusites. God's provision of David, the shepherd king, was the writer's climactic evidence of God's grace to Israel.
Shepherding should always spring from personal integrity and wisdom (v. 72). A person of integrity is one who practices what he preaches. What a person is determines what he does. Relationship with God shapes character. Wisdom involves taking what God has revealed into consideration as we live.
In view of all His blessings His people should learn from history and remain faithful to the Lord who has been faithful to them (cf. 2 Tim. 2:13).142
"If Israel's record is her shame, God's persistent goodness emerges as her hope (and ours) for the unfinished story."143
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