What is the main message of this passage about God and his people?

This passage walks through the story of God’s people to make a clear point: God has been steady, strong, and kind, while his people have often been stubborn and forgetful. God rescued them from Egypt, parted the sea, gave water from the rock, fed them with manna and meat, and led them safely. Yet they complained, doubted, and turned to idols. Even so, God many times turned away his anger and remembered they were weak. The song calls every generation to remember God’s works, trust him, and not copy the sins of their fathers.

Why does the passage stress teaching children about God’s works?

The song says God gave his law and stories of his works so fathers would tell them to their children, and they in turn to theirs. The goal is that those yet unborn would know, remember, and pass it on. This is meant to help each new generation set their hope in God, not forget what he has done, and keep his commands. When children do not hear these things, they are more likely to repeat the stubbornness and unbelief of earlier generations. So passing on God’s truth is seen as a serious duty and a mercy.

What does it mean that the children of Ephraim turned back in the day of battle?

The children of Ephraim are pictured as armed with bows, yet turning back when it was time to fight. This shows outward strength but inward unfaithfulness. The song links their failure in battle to a deeper problem: they did not keep God’s covenant, they refused to walk in his law, and they forgot his works. Ephraim often stands for the northern tribes as a whole. The point is that when God’s people break faith with him, their skill and numbers cannot save them. Trust and obedience matter more than weapons and size.

Why did God send manna and quail, then judge the people for eating?

When the people were in the wilderness, God had already given them water from the rock and daily manna from heaven. Yet they craved more and spoke against God, asking if he could spread a table in the desert. God showed his power by commanding the winds and raining down a huge amount of birds, so they ate and were filled. But they did not turn to him in trust; they clung to their craving. While the meat was still in their mouths, God’s wrath struck the strongest among them. The problem was not food itself, but unbelief and greedy hearts.

What does it mean that they flattered God with their mouth but their heart was not right?

The passage says that when God’s hand was heavy on them, they sought him, remembered that he was their rock and redeemer, and spoke of him. But their words did not match their hearts. They “flattered” him, meaning they said the right things while their inner life stayed crooked and unsteady. Their heart was not right with him, and they were not firm in his covenant. This shows that God looks beyond prayers and songs to see whether there is real trust, love, and obedience, not just talk stirred up by fear of trouble.

How does this passage describe God’s mercy and patience?

Even with all the complaining, testing, and idol worship, the song says God was full of compassion. He forgave their sin, often turned his anger away, and did not pour out all his wrath. He remembered they were flesh, like a passing wind that does not return. He sent plagues on Egypt to free them, led them safely like a flock, brought them into a good land, and when he judged, he also later rose up to act again for them. His mercy is seen in not wiping them out, in raising up David, and in keeping a people for himself.

What does it mean that they limited the Holy One of Israel?

The line about limiting the Holy One of Israel is strong. It does not mean God lost his power, but that the people acted as if his power and goodness had limits. By constant doubting, asking, “Can God?” in the wilderness, and by turning to idols, they treated God as small, tied to their own ideas and fears. They forgot how he struck Egypt, turned rivers to blood, sent plagues, parted the sea, and guided them. Faithful readers have worded this in different ways, but the heart idea is that unbelief and forgetfulness dishonor God and shrink him in our eyes.

Why does the song end with Judah, Zion, and David?

After telling how the people sinned and how God judged, the song ends with a fresh act of grace. God “refused the tabernacle of Joseph” and “chose the tribe of Judah,” the mountain of Zion, and David his servant. God took David from caring for sheep to shepherd his people. This shows God making a new start in leading them, building his sanctuary, and giving them a king with integrity of heart and skillful hands. It is a reminder that, even after much failure, God still chooses, guides, and provides faithful leadership for his people.

How can this passage guide the way I live and teach my family today?

This passage presses you to remember and retell God’s works. It invites you to be honest about human weakness and wandering, and to keep your hope in God, not in yourself. For family life, it gives a pattern: speak often of what God has done, of his commands, and of his mercy. Help children see both the cost of stubborn sin and the kindness of God in forgiving and leading. In your own heart, let this song warn you against empty words and shallow promises, and lead you instead to steady trust and real obedience.

Ps.78.1

Psalm 78:1

KJV

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

A Maskil of Asaph.

1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 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.

5 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:

6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

8 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.

9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

21 Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

25 Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.

26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

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

33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.

62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

Cross References

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