Psa 78:57 | KingComments | STEP | After the abundance of evidence of God’s faithfulness and care for His people, a human “yet” follows ( ). Instead of being thankful, “they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God” (cf. ). This is a greater sin than in the wilderness. In the wilderness everything was dry and dead. In the land, however, they were surrounded by blessings. Here we see that both difficulties and blessings make man unfaithful to God if he does not see that God is there for him both in the difficulties and in the blessings. Historically, we have arrived in the book of Judges. The blessings did not make them grateful, but ungrateful. They were not satisfied with what God had given them. Again and again they leave Him, as we see in the book of Judges. They defied Him with their sinful ways, for they “did not keep His testimonies”. What God had said did not interest them. The next step away from Him was that they “turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers” ( ). “They turned aside like a treacherous bow”, that is, they did not live up to the expectation. God wanted them to be a witness for Him to the nations around them, but they did not live up to that. They denied their calling. Instead of honoring God, they began to worship idols ( ). “They provoked Him with their high places”, that is, they made altars to offer sacrifices to the idols ( ). This was a great affront to God, Who had led, nurtured and blessed them. Every right-minded person must understand that God was thereby aroused to anger. What person would consider such a great ingratitude for services rendered normal and accept it? They “aroused His jealousy with their graven images”. This is a perfectly justified jealousy. What right-thinking man is not aroused to jealousy when he finds his wife falling in love with another man and becoming unfaithful to him ( )? God is a jealous God ( ). He cannot sit back and do nothing when His people become unfaithful to Him and go after and follow other gods ( ; cf. ).

‏ Psalms 78:57

The Turning Back of the People

After the abundance of evidence of God’s faithfulness and care for His people, a human “yet” follows (Psa 78:56). Instead of being thankful, “they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God” (cf. Psa 78:41). This is a greater sin than in the wilderness. In the wilderness everything was dry and dead. In the land, however, they were surrounded by blessings. Here we see that both difficulties and blessings make man unfaithful to God if he does not see that God is there for him both in the difficulties and in the blessings. Historically, we have arrived in the book of Judges.

The blessings did not make them grateful, but ungrateful. They were not satisfied with what God had given them. Again and again they leave Him, as we see in the book of Judges. They defied Him with their sinful ways, for they “did not keep His testimonies”. What God had said did not interest them.

The next step away from Him was that they “turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers” (Psa 78:57). “They turned aside like a treacherous bow”, that is, they did not live up to the expectation. God wanted them to be a witness for Him to the nations around them, but they did not live up to that. They denied their calling.

Instead of honoring God, they began to worship idols (Psa 78:58). “They provoked Him with their high places”, that is, they made altars to offer sacrifices to the idols (Jdg 2:11-13). This was a great affront to God, Who had led, nurtured and blessed them. Every right-minded person must understand that God was thereby aroused to anger. What person would consider such a great ingratitude for services rendered normal and accept it?

They “aroused His jealousy with their graven images”. This is a perfectly justified jealousy. What right-thinking man is not aroused to jealousy when he finds his wife falling in love with another man and becoming unfaithful to him (Pro 6:32-34)? God is a jealous God (Exo 20:5 ; Exo 34:14). He cannot sit back and do nothing when His people become unfaithful to Him and go after and follow other gods (Deu 32:16 ; 21; cf. 2Cor 11:2-3).