A contemplation by Asaph.
Hear my teaching, my people. Isa 51:4Isa 55:32Ch 15:1-16Jdg 5:3Pro 8:4-6Psa 49:1-3Psa 50:7Psa 74:1
Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable. Mat 13:34-35Mat 13:11-13Mrk 4:34Psa 49:4Pro 1:6
I will utter dark sayings of old,
which we have heard and known, Psa 44:1Exo 12:26-27Exo 13:14-15Exo 13:8Psa 48:8
and our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children, Deu 11:19Deu 4:9Jol 1:3Psa 145:4-6Deu 6:7Psa 71:17-18Psa 10:1-5Jos 4:6-7
telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.
For he established a covenant in Jacob, Eph 6:4Deu 4:45Deu 6:7Gen 18:19Psa 81:5Deu 11:19Isa 38:19Isa 8:20
and appointed a teaching in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers,
that they should make them known to their children;
that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; Jol 1:3Psa 102:18Deu 4:10Est 9:28Psa 145:4Psa 22:31Psa 90:16Jos 22:24-25
who should arise and tell their children,
that they might set their hope in God, Deu 5:29Rev 14:121Jn 5:3Deu 4:9Jhn 14:21-241Jn 3:22-24Jer 17:7-8Deu 8:11
and not forget God’s deeds,
but keep his commandments,
and might not be as their fathers— Psa 78:37Exo 32:92Ki 17:14Ezk 20:18Deu 31:27Act 7:512Ch 30:7Deu 9:13
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal,
whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, 1Sa 31:1Deu 1:41-44Jos 17:16-18Psa 78:571Sa 4:10Jdg 20:39Jdg 9:281Ch 12:2
turned back in the day of battle.
They didn’t keep God’s covenant, Deu 31:20Deu 31:16Jdg 2:10-12Neh 9:26-292Ki 17:14-15Jer 31:32
and refused to walk in his law.
They forgot his doings, Psa 106:13Deu 32:18Jer 2:32Psa 106:21-22Psa 78:7
his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.
He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, Num 13:22Ezk 30:14Isa 19:11Deu 6:22Exo 7:1Isa 19:13Psa 135:9Deu 4:34
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. Exo 14:21Exo 15:8Jos 3:16Psa 106:9-10Psa 136:13-15Psa 66:61Co 10:2-3Hab 3:15
He made the waters stand as a heap.
In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, Psa 105:39Exo 13:21-22Exo 14:24Exo 40:35-38Neh 9:12Neh 9:19
and all night with a light of fire.
He split rocks in the wilderness, Exo 17:6Num 20:11Psa 105:411Co 10:4Psa 114:8Isa 41:18Isa 43:20Isa 48:21
and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
He brought streams also out of the rock, Num 20:10-11Deu 8:15Num 20:8Psa 105:41Deu 9:21
and caused waters to run down like rivers.
Yet they still went on to sin against him, Isa 63:10Deu 9:8Heb 3:16-19Deu 9:12-22Psa 106:13-32Psa 95:8-10Psa 78:32
to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
They tempted God in their heart Num 11:4Deu 6:161Co 10:9Psa 106:14-151Co 10:6Exo 16:2-3Jas 4:2-3Psa 95:9
by asking food according to their desire.
Yes, they spoke against God. Num 21:5Num 11:4Exo 16:3Exo 16:8-10Psa 23:5Num 11:13Num 20:3Job 34:37
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, Num 20:11Num 11:21-23Gen 18:12-14Num 11:18Psa 78:41Exo 17:6-7
and streams overflowed.
Can he give bread also?
Will he provide meat for his people?”
Therefore the LORD heard, and was angry. 1Co 10:11Jud 1:5Num 11:1-3Heb 12:29Num 11:101Co 10:5Deu 32:22Psa 78:31
A fire was kindled against Jacob,
anger also went up against Israel,
because they didn’t believe in God, Heb 3:18-19Jud 1:5Deu 1:32Heb 11:6Heb 3:121Jn 5:10Isa 7:9Psa 106:24
and didn’t trust in his salvation.
Yet he commanded the skies above, Gen 7:11Mal 3:102Ki 7:19Psa 33:92Ki 7:2Isa 5:6
and opened the doors of heaven.
He rained down manna on them to eat, Exo 16:4Psa 105:40Deu 8:3Jhn 6:31-71Exo 16:14Neh 9:15Neh 9:20Psa 68:9
and gave them food from the sky.
Man ate the bread of angels. Exo 16:8Mat 14:20Mat 15:37Psa 103:20
He sent them food to the full.
He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. Num 11:31Psa 135:7
By his power he guided the south wind.
He also rained meat on them as the dust, Exo 16:12-13Num 11:18-19Num 11:32
winged birds as the sand of the seas.
He let them fall in the middle of their camp,
around their habitations.
So they ate, and were well filled. Num 11:19-20Psa 106:15
He gave them their own desire.
They didn’t turn from their cravings. Num 11:33-34Luk 16:19-23Num 22:20-22Pro 1:32
Their food was yet in their mouths,
when the anger of God went up against them, Isa 10:16
killed some of their strongest,
and struck down the young men of Israel.
For all this they still sinned, Jhn 12:37Ezk 20:13Luk 16:31Psa 78:22Num 14:1-45Psa 78:11Num 16:1-17Num 21:1-6
and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, Num 14:35Num 14:29Num 26:64-65Deu 2:14-16Ecc 12:13-14Ecc 1:13-14Ecc 1:2Ecc 12:8
and their years in terror.
When he killed them, then they inquired after him. Hos 5:15Num 21:7Jdg 3:12-15Hos 7:14Isa 26:6Jdg 10:7-10Jdg 3:8-9Jdg 4:3
They returned and sought God earnestly.
They remembered that God was their rock, Deu 32:4Isa 41:14Exo 15:13Tit 2:14Deu 32:15Deu 7:8Isa 48:17Deu 15:15
the Most High God, their redeemer.
But they flattered him with their mouth, Ezk 33:31Isa 29:13Deu 5:28-29Hos 11:12Isa 57:11Psa 106:12-13Psa 18:44
and lied to him with their tongue.
For their heart was not right with him, Act 8:21Psa 78:8Psa 51:10Deu 31:20Hos 10:2Hos 7:14Hos 7:16Psa 119:80
neither were they faithful in his covenant.
But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Ezk 20:17Isa 48:9Num 14:18-202Ki 21:20Exo 34:6-9Ezk 20:13-14Ezk 20:21-22Isa 44:21-22
Yes, many times he turned his anger away,
and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
He remembered that they were but flesh, Gen 6:3Jas 4:14Job 7:7Job 7:16Job 10:9Psa 103:14-16Jhn 3:6
a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, Eph 4:30Psa 95:8-10Heb 3:15-17Isa 63:10Num 14:11Deu 9:21-22Isa 7:13Psa 106:14-33
and grieved him in the desert!
They turned again and tempted God, Num 14:22Heb 3:8-11Act 7:39Deu 6:162Pe 2:21-22Num 14:4Psa 78:19-202Ki 19:22
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
They didn’t remember his hand, Jdg 8:34Jer 32:21Exo 14:12Psa 78:11Psa 106:7-10Psa 136:10-15Exo 13:9Isa 11:11
nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
how he set his signs in Egypt, Exo 4:21Deu 6:22Exo 3:19-20Deu 4:34Exo 7:3Neh 9:10Psa 105:27-38Psa 135:9
his wonders in the field of Zoan,
he turned their rivers into blood, Psa 105:29Exo 7:17-21Rev 16:3-6
and their streams, so that they could not drink.
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; Exo 8:21-24Exo 8:2-15Psa 105:30-31Rev 16:3
and frogs, which destroyed them.
He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, Exo 10:12-15Psa 105:34-35Amo 7:1-2Jol 1:4-7Jol 2:25Rev 9:2-11
and their labor to the locust.
He destroyed their vines with hail, Exo 9:18-34Psa 105:32-33
their sycamore fig trees with frost.
He also gave over their livestock to the hail, Exo 9:19Exo 9:28
and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, 1Ki 22:21-222Sa 24:16Exo 12:13Exo 15:7Lam 4:11Psa 11:6Isa 42:25Job 1:12
wrath, indignation, and trouble,
and a band of angels of evil.
He made a path for his anger. Ezk 7:42Pe 2:4-5Exo 9:3-6Ezk 8:18Ezk 9:10Rom 8:32Ezk 5:11Ezk 7:9
He didn’t spare their soul from death,
but gave their life over to the pestilence,
and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, Psa 105:23Psa 106:22Psa 135:8Psa 105:36Psa 136:10Exo 12:29-30Exo 13:15Exo 12:12
the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
But he led out his own people like sheep, Neh 9:12Psa 77:20Isa 63:11-14Jhn 10:11-42Isa 40:11Luk 15:4-6Psa 100:3Psa 105:37
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, Exo 14:19-20Exo 15:10Exo 14:27-28Exo 14:15Heb 11:29Psa 136:15
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, Exo 15:17Psa 44:3Dan 11:45Dan 9:16-20Eph 1:14Exo 15:13Isa 11:9Psa 68:16
to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
He also drove out the nations before them, Jos 13:7Psa 44:2Neh 9:22-25Deu 6:10-12Jos 6:1-21Num 33:54Psa 105:44-45Psa 136:18-22
allotted them for an inheritance by line,
and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, Jdg 2:11-122Ki 17:7-23Deu 31:16-20Deu 32:15-21Ezk 16:15-26Neh 9:25-26Psa 78:40-41
and didn’t keep his testimonies,
but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. Hos 7:16Ezk 20:27-28Jdg 3:5-7Psa 78:8Jdg 3:12Psa 78:10-37Psa 78:41
They were twisted like a deceitful bow.
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, Deu 32:21Lev 26:301Co 10:221Ki 12:311Ki 11:7Deu 12:2Deu 32:16-17Exo 20:4-5
and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
When God heard this, he was angry, Psa 106:40Lam 2:7Deu 32:19Gen 18:20-21Lev 20:23Lev 26:44Psa 11:4Psa 14:2-5
and greatly abhorred Israel,
so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, Jos 18:11Sa 4:4-11Jer 26:6-91Sa 1:3Jer 7:12-14
the tent which he placed among men,
and delivered his strength into captivity, Psa 132:81Sa 4:171Sa 4:21Jdg 18:302Ch 6:41Exo 40:34Psa 24:7Psa 63:2
his glory into the adversary’s hand.
He also gave his people over to the sword, 1Sa 4:2Psa 89:381Sa 4:10-11Isa 64:9
and was angry with his inheritance.
Fire devoured their young men. Jer 7:34Jer 16:9Num 11:1Deu 29:20Deu 32:22Isa 4:1Jer 25:10Psa 78:21
Their virgins had no wedding song.
Their priests fell by the sword, 1Sa 4:17Job 27:151Sa 22:18-191Sa 4:11Ezk 24:231Sa 2:33-341Sa 4:19-20
and their widows couldn’t weep.
Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, Psa 44:23Isa 51:9Psa 7:6Isa 42:13-14Psa 73:20
like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
He struck his adversaries backward. 1Sa 5:6Jer 23:40Job 40:121Sa 6:4
He put them to a perpetual reproach.
Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, 1Sa 6:212Sa 6:172Sa 6:2
and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,
But chose the tribe of Judah, Psa 87:2Gen 49:8-10Psa 132:12-141Sa 16:12Ch 6:6Rut 4:17-22
Mount Zion which he loved.
He built his sanctuary like the heights, 1Ki 6:1-38Isa 51:61Ch 29:11Ch 29:191Ki 9:81Sa 2:82Ch 2:92Ch 3:4
like the earth which he has established forever.
He also chose David his servant, 1Sa 16:11-12Act 13:221Ki 19:19-201Sa 17:15-542Sa 3:182Sa 6:212Sa 7:8Amo 7:14-15
and took him from the sheepfolds;
from following the ewes that have their young, 2Sa 5:21Ch 11:21Pe 5:21Sa 10:11Sa 2:7-8Ezk 34:23-24Gen 33:13Isa 40:11
he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people,
and Israel, his inheritance.
So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, 1Ki 9:42Ti 2:15Isa 11:2-41Ki 15:5Act 13:22Psa 101:1-81Ki 3:281Ki 3:6-9
and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.