God’s Kindness Despite Rebellion (Part 2)

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 78:40-72

 

Psalm 78:70-71

He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
⁷¹ From following the ewes that had young He brought him,
To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.

(NKJV)

 

In this section of Psalm 78, Asaph provides details of how God delivered his people held captive in Egypt, and gave them an inheritance in the Promised Land by driving out the Canaanites. However, God’s people still rebelled, but God showed them mercy by raising up David, a shepherd boy, to be king. From the descendants of this shepherd boy would come Jesus, the Son of God, who would, through His death, bring salvation to a lost and fallen world.

 

Asaph continues by reminding the people of Israel how they provoked Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert, limiting the Holy One of Israel (Psalm 78:40-41). The children of Israel did not remember God’s power when He redeemed them from the enemy and worked signs in Egypt (Psalm 78:42-43). These signs of God’s power included turning their rivers to blood, so the water was undrinkable, sending swarms of flies to devour them and frogs to destroy them (Psalm 78:44-45). Their crops were destroyed by caterpillars and locusts, with their vines destroyed by hail and their sycamore trees by frost (Psalm 78:46-47). Their cattle were also destroyed by the hail and their flocks by fiery lightning (Psalm 78:48). Egypt was subject to the fierceness of the Lord’s anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by the Lord sending them angels of destruction (Psalm 78:49). The Lord made a path for His anger that did not spare their souls from death, destroying the firstborn of Egypt (Psalm 78:50-51). God’s people went forth like sheep, guided in the wilderness like a flock, led safely with the sea overwhelming their enemies, bringing them to Mount Sinai (Psalm 78:52-54). When they crossed over into the Promised Land, the Lord drove out their enemies so they could claim their inheritance (Psalm 78:55).

 

However, despite these demonstrations of power, the children of Israel provoked the Most High God by not keeping His testimonies, turning back, and acting unfaithfully like their fathers (Psalm 78:56-57). They provoked the Lord to anger with their high places and moved Him to jealousy with their carved images, causing God to become furious, greatly abhorring Israel (Psalm 78:58-59). God forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh and delivered His strength into captivity and His glory into the enemy’s hand (Psalm 78:60-61). God was furious with His inheritance, giving His people over to the sword, with fire consuming their young men, their maidens not given in marriage, the priests falling by the sword, and their widows making no lamentation (Psalm 78:62-64).

 

Then God awoke as from sleep, beating back His enemies, and putting them in a perpetual reproach (Psalm 78:65-66). The Lord rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, instead choosing Judah and Mount Zion, which He loved (Psalm 78:67-68). God built His sanctuary like the heights and the earth which He has established forever (Psalm 78:69). God chose David, taking him from the sheepfolds to shepherd Jacob, His people and inheritance, shepherding them according to the integrity of his heart, guiding them by the skillfulness of his hands (Psalm 78:70-72).

 

God has given His people many demonstrations of his redemption and kindness, yet they rebelled. However, God continues to be merciful to his people. God miraculously delivered His people from Egyptian bondage through plagues brought upon the Egyptians, climaxing with the death of the Egyptian firstborn (Exodus 7:14-12:30; Psalm 78:43-51). When the approaching Egyptian army had them trapped at the Red Sea, God parted the sea, and they passed across on dry land with the Egyptian army drowned (Exodus 14; Psalm 78:52-53). God then drove out the Canaanites and gave His people an inheritance in the Promised Land (Psalm 78:54-55). Despite these demonstrations of the power of God, Israel rebelled, but God was merciful and chose David, His servant, to shepherd His people (Psalm 78:67-72).

 

The Church is the bride of Christ, with Jesus purchasing them through his death, burial, and resurrection. Our redemption came at a high price for God: the sacrifice of His Son. However, like Israel, People still reject the truth of the Gospel when shared with them. The church too has rebelled against God and taken his grace for granted, becoming lukewarm, like the church in Laodicea, leaving Jesus outside knocking to come in (Revelation 3:14-22). What the lost world needs is more churches like the faithful church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13).

 

If you are reading this and have not prayed to accept the gift of salvation given to everyone through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I invite you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you meant what you just prayed, know God has forgiven all your sins and that you now have a relationship with God and are a child of God (Romans 8:16). Like any relationship, it grows as we get to know each other. While God already knows all about us, we must study the Bible, the word of God, to learn more about Him. If you just prayed, I encourage you to find a Church that teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.