Psalm , Sarah Barry
DO NOT FORGET WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE
Passage: Psalm 78:1~39  
Key verse: 7
Psalm 78A maskil[a] of Asaph.
1 My people, hear my teaching;(A)
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;(B)
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.(C)
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;(D)
we will tell the next generation(E)
the praiseworthy deeds(F) of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders(G) he has done.
5 He decreed statutes(H) for Jacob(I)
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,(J)
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget(K) his deeds
but would keep his commands.(L)
8 They would not be like their ancestors(M)—
a stubborn(N) and rebellious(O) generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,(P)
turned back on the day of battle;(Q)
10 they did not keep God’s covenant(R)
and refused to live by his law.(S)
11 They forgot what he had done,(T)
the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles(U) in the sight of their ancestors
in the land of Egypt,(V) in the region of Zoan.(W)
13 He divided the sea(X) and led them through;
he made the water stand up like a wall.(Y)
14 He guided them with the cloud by day
and with light from the fire all night.(Z)
15 He split the rocks(AA) in the wilderness
and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag
and made water flow down like rivers.
17 But they continued to sin(AB) against him,
rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test(AC)
by demanding the food they craved.(AD)
19 They spoke against God;(AE)
they said, “Can God really
spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
and water gushed out,(AF)
streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat(AG) for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
his fire broke out(AH) against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
or trust(AI) in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;(AJ)
24 he rained down manna(AK) for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind(AL) from the heavens
and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
birds(AM) like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
all around their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged—(AN)
he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from what they craved,
even while the food was still in their mouths,(AO)
31 God’s anger rose against them;
he put to death the sturdiest(AP) among them,
cutting down the young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;(AQ)
in spite of his wonders,(AR) they did not believe.(AS)
33 So he ended their days in futility(AT)
and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek(AU) him;
they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,(AV)
that God Most High was their Redeemer.(AW)
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,(AX)
lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal(AY) to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;(AZ)
he forgave(BA) their iniquities(BB)
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger(BC)
and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,(BD)
a passing breeze(BE) that does not return.
1 My people, hear my teaching;(A)
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;(B)
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.(C)
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;(D)
we will tell the next generation(E)
the praiseworthy deeds(F) of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders(G) he has done.
5 He decreed statutes(H) for Jacob(I)
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,(J)
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget(K) his deeds
but would keep his commands.(L)
8 They would not be like their ancestors(M)—
a stubborn(N) and rebellious(O) generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,(P)
turned back on the day of battle;(Q)
10 they did not keep God’s covenant(R)
and refused to live by his law.(S)
11 They forgot what he had done,(T)
the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles(U) in the sight of their ancestors
in the land of Egypt,(V) in the region of Zoan.(W)
13 He divided the sea(X) and led them through;
he made the water stand up like a wall.(Y)
14 He guided them with the cloud by day
and with light from the fire all night.(Z)
15 He split the rocks(AA) in the wilderness
and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag
and made water flow down like rivers.
17 But they continued to sin(AB) against him,
rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test(AC)
by demanding the food they craved.(AD)
19 They spoke against God;(AE)
they said, “Can God really
spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
and water gushed out,(AF)
streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat(AG) for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
his fire broke out(AH) against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
or trust(AI) in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;(AJ)
24 he rained down manna(AK) for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind(AL) from the heavens
and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
birds(AM) like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
all around their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged—(AN)
he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from what they craved,
even while the food was still in their mouths,(AO)
31 God’s anger rose against them;
he put to death the sturdiest(AP) among them,
cutting down the young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;(AQ)
in spite of his wonders,(AR) they did not believe.(AS)
33 So he ended their days in futility(AT)
and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek(AU) him;
they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,(AV)
that God Most High was their Redeemer.(AW)
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,(AX)
lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal(AY) to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;(AZ)
he forgave(BA) their iniquities(BB)
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger(BC)
and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,(BD)
a passing breeze(BE) that does not return.
Footnotes
- Psalm 78:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Cross references
- Psalm 78:1 : Isa 51:4; 55:3
- Psalm 78:2 : S Ps 49:4; S Mt 13:35*
- Psalm 78:3 : S Jdg 6:13
- Psalm 78:4 : S Dt 11:19
- Psalm 78:4 : S Dt 32:7; S Ps 71:18
- Psalm 78:4 : Ps 26:7; 71:17
- Psalm 78:4 : S Job 5:9
- Psalm 78:5 : Ps 19:7; 81:5
- Psalm 78:5 : Ps 147:19
- Psalm 78:6 : S Ps 22:31
- Psalm 78:7 : S Dt 6:12
- Psalm 78:7 : S Dt 5:29
- Psalm 78:8 : S 2Ch 30:7
- Psalm 78:8 : S Ex 32:9
- Psalm 78:8 : S Ex 23:21; S Dt 21:18; Isa 30:9; 65:2
- Psalm 78:9 : ver 57; 1Ch 12:2; Hos 7:16
- Psalm 78:9 : S Jdg 20:39
- Psalm 78:10 : S Jos 7:11; S 2Ki 17:15
- Psalm 78:10 : S Ex 16:28; S Jer 11:8
- Psalm 78:11 : Ps 106:13
- Psalm 78:12 : S Ne 9:17; Ps 106:22
- Psalm 78:12 : Ex 11:9
- Psalm 78:12 : S Nu 13:22
- Psalm 78:13 : S Ex 14:21; Ps 66:6; 136:13
- Psalm 78:13 : S Ex 14:22; S 15:8
- Psalm 78:14 : Ex 13:21; Ps 105:39
- Psalm 78:15 : S Nu 20:11; 1Co 10:4
- Psalm 78:17 : ver 32, 40; Dt 9:22; Isa 30:1; 63:10; Heb 3:16
- Psalm 78:18 : S Ex 17:2; 1Co 10:9
- Psalm 78:18 : S Ex 15:24; Nu 11:4
- Psalm 78:19 : Nu 21:5
- Psalm 78:20 : S Nu 20:11; S Isa 35:6
- Psalm 78:20 : Nu 11:18
- Psalm 78:21 : S Nu 11:1
- Psalm 78:22 : S Dt 1:32; Heb 3:19
- Psalm 78:23 : Ge 7:11; S 2Ki 7:2
- Psalm 78:24 : Ex 16:4; Jn 6:31*
- Psalm 78:26 : S Nu 11:31
- Psalm 78:27 : S Ex 16:13; Nu 11:31
- Psalm 78:29 : S Nu 11:20
- Psalm 78:30 : S Nu 11:33
- Psalm 78:31 : Isa 10:16
- Psalm 78:32 : S ver 17
- Psalm 78:32 : ver 11
- Psalm 78:32 : ver 22
- Psalm 78:33 : Nu 14:29, 35
- Psalm 78:34 : S Dt 4:29; Hos 5:15
- Psalm 78:35 : S Ge 49:24
- Psalm 78:35 : S Dt 9:26
- Psalm 78:36 : Eze 33:31
- Psalm 78:37 : ver 8; Ac 8:21
- Psalm 78:38 : S Ex 34:6
- Psalm 78:38 : Isa 1:25; 27:9; 48:10; Da 11:35
- Psalm 78:38 : Ps 25:11; 85:2
- Psalm 78:38 : S Job 9:13; S Isa 30:18
- Psalm 78:39 : S Ge 6:3; S Isa 29:5
- Psalm 78:39 : S Job 7:7; Jas 4:14
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. Tell the next generation (1-8)
The psalmist teaches his children about God's mighty works of salvation and judgment. He teaches them God's laws, so they may keep them, and in turn, teach their children. If our hearts are loyal to God and our spirits faithful to him, then our children will believe what we teach them, put their trust in God, obey his laws, and live.
2. Failure in the desert (9-39)
Israel rebelled against God on the borders of the promised land. ('Ephraim' refers to Northern Israel.) The Israelites forgot God's mighty acts of judgment on Egypt. Though they were armed for battle, they were afraid of the Canaanites; they turned back. They continued to sin against God in the desert. God gave them manna and quail and water from the rock. But they complained about the food. He punished them for their ungrateful hearts and complaining mouths, but they kept on sinning. Even though they were not loyal to his covenant, he was merciful.
Prayer: Lord, help us to teach your laws and your grace and power to our children.
One Word: The high cost of forgetting God's grace