Psalm 78:56-72 / God’s Enduring Faithfulness
📖 Scripture
56 But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes.
57 Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow.
58 They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols.
59 When God heard them, he was furious; he rejected Israel completely.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among humans.
61 He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62 He gave his people over to the sword; he was furious with his inheritance.
63 Fire consumed their young men, and their young women had no wedding songs;
64 their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame.
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever.
70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
✅ Scripture Summary
✅ Memory verse
– Psalm 82:3
✅ Reflection
The Consequences of Idolatry (78:56–64)
The psalmist mentions for the third time in the psalm that the Israelites put God to the test. Instead of obeying the Lord who had rescued them, they engaged in further disobedience. They angered God by chasing after idols and suffered dire consequences, such as the ark of the covenant being captured by their enemies. Sometimes, we do not realize that we have an idol in our lives. We become idolatrous whenever we value anyone or anything more than God. This can include money, status, or worldly pleasures. When we do recognize an idol, we should repent immediately and ask God to help us treasure earthly things less and value Him above all things.
Consider what you think about most. Confess any idols to the Lord, and ask Him to unify your heart to seek Him.
Warrior and Shepherd (78:65–72)
This section begins with an unexpected metaphor: God is compared to a drunken warrior who becomes violent when awakened, beating back his enemies and putting them to shame. This describes the passion of God when He arises and fights on behalf of His people. He is a warrior who is ready to help in our times of need. But God is also like a shepherd. The end of the psalm mentions David, who served as a skillful king because of his shepherd’s heart. David succeeded because he was shepherded by God Himself. When we follow the guidance of the Lord, we, too, will be able to shepherd others, wisely leading and encouraging them in their relationship with Him.
Who is God calling you to shepherd and guide? Ponder how you can help and defend those in need.
✅ Prayer
“If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol.”
– Timothy Keller
✅ Essay
In Love with Love
When I was a single adult, I was a hopeless romantic. I wanted to be that guy who swept a woman off her feet until I won her heart. I was very active online and went on a lot of first dates, spending money at expensive New York City restaurants until I realized that first dates should just be over coffee, which my wallet very much appreciated.
Now that I am married, having actually met my wife more organically at church, I look back on that long stretch of time and see that I had made marriage and romance an idol. I felt that there was something wrong with me if my interest in a woman was not reciprocated. I saw marriage as a means of self-validation, especially since most of my friends had already been married for a while. Because of my overzealous desire, I was always trying too hard, not trusting in God to provide.
As a single man, it was fine for me to seek out marriage, but I was making it my ultimate end. I was not believing that God fully validated me by bestowing on me an unassailable identity. We may have desires for good things including godly families, friendships, and finances that we are called to steward well, but we should be able to say that our affections are first for God Himself. We want to know His heart and His ways. When our desires fall properly in line, they begin to reflect His kingdom order instead of the ways of the world.
Written by Bob Koo