Psa 78:6 | KingComments | STEP | God has revealed Himself in His power and in His wonders. He has also revealed Himself in “a testimony” and “a law” which He has given to His people ( ). ‘Testimony’ is more directed to the people, to whom God’s law comes, for whom God’s law is intended. By ‘law’ it is more about God, Who has given the law, the authority of the law as coming from Him. Everything God’s people do has its origin in God’s Word. Not experience determines our lives, but what God has “established” and “appointed”. The testimony is “established in Jacob”. This refers to the practice of the people, how the people can be a testimony of God to the nations around them. The law is “appointed … in Israel”. That refers to the position of the people, what the people mean to God, what He has made of them. It follows that they must live in accordance with it in order to be a joy to Him. These two aspects were commanded by God to “our fathers that they should teach them to their children” (cf. ). The children are to learn how to testify of God and live to the glory of God and then pass this on to their children ( ). This is only possible by teaching them God’s Word. Passing on God’s Word to the next generation is also an important task for us. Timothy, as a spiritual child of Paul, not only receives confirmation that what he has heard from Paul is the truth, but he is also to pass on that truth unchanged himself ( ). This is the ordinary way of passing on the truth. Paul does not give Timothy any particular authority to preach. That authority is given by the Lord Himself ( ). Nor does Paul ordain him in any special way. The Bible has no such thing as an official right to preach, something that should only be done by people with theological training. Passing on the truth of God’s Word is the responsibility of every believer. This is especially true for parents toward their children and for grandparents toward their grandchildren. Parents, by their example and teaching, must teach their children to “put their confidence in God” ( ; cf. ). What the children hear from parents sometimes sticks with them, sometimes it doesn’t; what they see from parents they will remember; what they experience with their parents in the exercise of faith they will understand and take to heart. Those who put their hope in anything or anyone other than God are asking for misery. We avoid this when we do “not forget the works of God”. God’s works testify that hoping in Him never disappoints. Directly related to this is to “keep His commandments”. Hope or trust in God is justified only for those who listen to Him with the desire to do what He says. By keeping God and His works and His commandments in mind, the children will be kept from becoming like their fathers ( ). Asaph holds up to the children how God judges their fathers: it is “a stubborn and rebellious generation”. The reason is that this generation “did not prepare its heart” and their “spirit was not faithful to God”. The warning is taken from a clear example. He does not say: ‘That they should not be like the nations, who know not of God’, but: that they should “not be like their fathers”. Malignant domestic examples are far more pernicious than those of strangers. Let us learn from these verses that it is not advisable to follow in the footsteps of the fathers in all things. If there is no trust in God in heart and spirit, rebellion and disobedience is the result. If the heart is set on God, then idolatry will be put away ( ), including insubordination ( ). The “heart” is the governing body of all life ( ). The “spirit” is meant to have fellowship with God. However, the spirit can become preoccupied with many things other than God, become unfaithful, and become defiled ( ). Therefore, God’s people must be on guard with their spirit, which the prophet Malachi says twice and therefore emphatically ( ).

‏ Psalms 78:6

Passing On What God Has Said

God has revealed Himself in His power and in His wonders. He has also revealed Himself in “a testimony” and “a law” which He has given to His people (Psa 78:5). ‘Testimony’ is more directed to the people, to whom God’s law comes, for whom God’s law is intended. By ‘law’ it is more about God, Who has given the law, the authority of the law as coming from Him.

Everything God’s people do has its origin in God’s Word. Not experience determines our lives, but what God has “established” and “appointed”. The testimony is “established in Jacob”. This refers to the practice of the people, how the people can be a testimony of God to the nations around them. The law is “appointed … in Israel”. That refers to the position of the people, what the people mean to God, what He has made of them. It follows that they must live in accordance with it in order to be a joy to Him.

These two aspects were commanded by God to “our fathers that they should teach them to their children” (cf. Deu 6:7 ; Deu 4:9). The children are to learn how to testify of God and live to the glory of God and then pass this on to their children (Psa 78:6). This is only possible by teaching them God’s Word.

Passing on God’s Word to the next generation is also an important task for us. Timothy, as a spiritual child of Paul, not only receives confirmation that what he has heard from Paul is the truth, but he is also to pass on that truth unchanged himself (2Tim 2:2). This is the ordinary way of passing on the truth.

Paul does not give Timothy any particular authority to preach. That authority is given by the Lord Himself (Mt 28:19). Nor does Paul ordain him in any special way. The Bible has no such thing as an official right to preach, something that should only be done by people with theological training. Passing on the truth of God’s Word is the responsibility of every believer. This is especially true for parents toward their children and for grandparents toward their grandchildren.

Parents, by their example and teaching, must teach their children to “put their confidence in God” (Psa 78:7; cf. Pro 22:19). What the children hear from parents sometimes sticks with them, sometimes it doesn’t; what they see from parents they will remember; what they experience with their parents in the exercise of faith they will understand and take to heart.

Those who put their hope in anything or anyone other than God are asking for misery. We avoid this when we do “not forget the works of God”. God’s works testify that hoping in Him never disappoints. Directly related to this is to “keep His commandments”. Hope or trust in God is justified only for those who listen to Him with the desire to do what He says.

By keeping God and His works and His commandments in mind, the children will be kept from becoming like their fathers (Psa 78:8). Asaph holds up to the children how God judges their fathers: it is “a stubborn and rebellious generation”. The reason is that this generation “did not prepare its heart” and their “spirit was not faithful to God”.

The warning is taken from a clear example. He does not say: ‘That they should not be like the nations, who know not of God’, but: that they should “not be like their fathers”. Malignant domestic examples are far more pernicious than those of strangers. Let us learn from these verses that it is not advisable to follow in the footsteps of the fathers in all things.

If there is no trust in God in heart and spirit, rebellion and disobedience is the result. If the heart is set on God, then idolatry will be put away (1Sam 7:3), including insubordination (1Sam 15:23). The “heart” is the governing body of all life (Pro 4:23). The “spirit” is meant to have fellowship with God. However, the spirit can become preoccupied with many things other than God, become unfaithful, and become defiled (2Cor 7:1). Therefore, God’s people must be on guard with their spirit, which the prophet Malachi says twice and therefore emphatically (Mal 2:15-16).