Psa 78:5-72 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Ps 78:5-6: 78:5-6 The telling of the story should motivate God’s people to obey what he commanded (Deut 6:4-9 ).

Summary for Ps 78:5-6: 78:5-6 ^a The telling of the story should motivate God’s people to obey what he commanded (Deut 6:4-9 ^b).
Summary for Ps 78:7-8: 78:7-8 ^c God holds each generation responsible for its own response, which should be to maintain faith and hope (see 9:18 ^d; 27:14 ^e) and avoid being stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful (see Deut 9:6-7 ^f; 10:16 ^g; 30:6 ^h; 31:27 ⁱ).
Summary for Ps 78:9-11: 78:9-11 ^j Ephraim, the second son of Joseph, received a special blessing from Jacob (Gen 48:15-20 ^k; 49:22-26 ^l; Deut 33:13-17 ^m). The land that his descendants received included fertile valleys and strategic roads (Judg 8:2 ⁿ). However, the people of Ephraim did not live in obedience to God’s gracious covenant.
Summary for Ps 78:12-16: 78:12-16 ^o The focus shifts from Ephraim (78:9-11 ^p) to Israel as a whole as the psalmist reflects on God’s power in Egypt (see 81:4-7 ^q) and in the wilderness. 78:12 ^r The miracles are the ten plagues against Egypt that God performed during Israel’s captivity (Exod 7–12 ^s).
78:13 ^t God divided the sea when Israel crossed through the Red Sea (see Exod 14–15 ^u).
78:14 ^v God used a cloud and a pillar of fire to guide and protect Israel in the wilderness (Exod 13:21-22 ^w).
Summary for Ps 78:17-31: 78:17-31 ^x Israel rebelled in the wilderness despite God’s abundant provision.
Summary for Ps 78:23-25: 78:23-25 ^y Abundance comes through the doors of heaven (Gen 8:2 ^z; 2 Kgs 7:2 ^aa; Mal 3:10 ^ab).

• Israel ate manna for forty years in the wilderness (Exod 16:31-36 ^ac; John 6:31 ^ad).
Summary for Ps 78:26-31: 78:26-31 ^ae God powerfully satisfied the people’s desires, but they did not respond with gratitude or faith. Therefore, God exercised his justice.
Summary for Ps 78:32-39: 78:32-39 ^af Israel’s rebellion resulted in God’s judgment, but even their short-lived and insincere repentance motivated God to exercise forbearance.
78:33 ^ag An entire generation died in the wilderness (Num 14:22-23 ^ah, 28-35 ^ai).
Summary for Ps 78:34-39: 78:34-39 ^aj Israel’s continued existence, in spite of the people’s rebellion and unbelief (78:7-8 ^ak), was due to God’s compassion. 78:34 ^al They repented: This demonstration of zeal was not sincere.
Summary for Ps 78:35-39: 78:35-39 ^am The Israelites remembered the right doctrine (9:9 ^an; 91:1 ^ao), but they did not allow God to change their hearts (Lev 26:41 ^ap).
Summary for Ps 78:40-55: 78:40-55 ^aq The Israelites rebelled even though the Lord had rescued them from powerful plagues.
Summary for Ps 78:56-64: 78:56-64 ^ar Israel’s rebellion desecrated the Promised Land. The people built shrines to false gods and worshiped idols (78:58 ^as) during the period of the judges (e.g., Judg 2:11 ^at; 3:7 ^au, 17-18 ^av).
78:60 ^aw God abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh because of the people’s idol worship (1 Sam 4:11 ^ax; Jer 7:12 ^ay).
78:67 ^az The tribe of Ephraim was not completely rejected, but God favored Judah (78:68 ^ba).
Summary for Ps 78:68-69: 78:68-69 ^bb In the choice of Mount Zion instead of Shiloh as God’s sanctuary on earth, God moved from the north to the south (see Ps 69 ^bc).
Summary for Ps 78:70-72: 78:70-72 ^bd The God who had turned against his own people (78:62 ^be) chose David, a shepherd (Gen 46:34 ^bf; 1 Sam 16:10-11 ^bg), to become their shepherd (Ps 78:52 ^bh; cp. 23:1 ^bi).