Psalm 78

Commonplace –

“Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation: a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God” (Psalm 78:1-8).

Matthew Henry notes the following related to Psalm 78,

“This psalm is historical; it is a narrative of the great mercies God had bestowed upon Israel, the great sins wherewith they had provoked him, and the many tokens of his displeasure they had been under for their sins” (Henry 433).

Further on, Henry notes,

“These verses, which contain the preface to this history, show that the psalm answers the title; it is indeed Maschil – a psalm to give instruction; if we receive not the instruction it gives, it is our own fault” (Henry 434).

Praise God for the psalmist, who inspired by God, passed down this important instruction.

In this history of Israel, the psalmist records the response of the people to God’s loving care and protection of them:

“For all this they sinned still, and believed not his wondrous works.

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble” (Psalm 78:32-33).”

So, God, left them to their sin. But not forever!

“Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach” (Psalm 78:65-66).

And out of His tender mercy, God did the following: 1) He “chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved” (Psalm 78:68), 2) He “built His sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever” (Psalm 78:69), and, most importantly, 3) “He chose David also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young He brought [David] to feed Jacob His People, and Israel His inheritance” (Psalm 78:70-71). God chose a shepherd for his people.

How much does this testimony of Israel mirror the testimony of Christian life? David was a picture of the Good Shepherd He would send later. He sent an eternal Savior, Jesus, to save us from our sins. I love how the song ends.

“So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of His hands” (Psalm 78:72).

Praise God for His provision!

Works Cited

Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 78.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

© 2025 Angela Hormberg