511_Resting in God’s salvation

Psalm 78 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.

5 He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
6 that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
7 so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
8 and that they should not be like their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Vs.67-72 He rejected the tent of Joseph;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loves.
69 He built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth, which he has founded forever.
70 He chose David his servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from following the nursing ewes he brought him
to shepherd Jacob his people,
Israel his inheritance.
72 With upright heart he shepherded them
and guided them with his skillful hand.

The waves were gentle at first. The man paddling in the sea did not know how to swim, but he told himself it was harmless to wade just a little further. He enjoyed the cool splash of the water against his knees. But in a moment, the mood shifted. A strong current pulled him off balance. He stumbled, tried to regain control, and before he realized what was happening, he was being dragged out into deeper waters. The fun turned to fear. He thrashed wildly, gasping for air as the waves crashed over his head.

On the shore, a watching lifeguard sprang into action. Experienced, strong, and calm, he dove into the surf, and swam with steady, powerful strokes. Relief swept over the victim as he felt himself secured in the powerful grip of the rescuer. He was no longer alone and helpless.

But as the lifeguard began the long swim back to shore, the rescued man began to panic again. Struggling to swim, he screamed, “What if we sink again? What if you can’t hold me?” The lifeguard replied: “ Relax and trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

This picture is not far from what Psalm 78 describes. God had delivered His people Israel time and time again. He had rescued them from Egypt with mighty acts, parted the Red Sea, fed them with manna in the wilderness, given them water from the rock, and protected them by the pillar of cloud and fire. Yet, like the man in the sea, Israel constantly panicked, doubted, and complained. Their greatest problem was not the Red Sea, nor the desert, nor the enemies around them. It was unbelief.

Psalm 78, written by Asaph, narrates this story, from Israel’s departure from Egypt until the reign of David. It is a call to trust in God’s salvation. Asaph carefully recounts both God’s wondrous deeds and the people’s repeated failures, hoping to warn future generations not to fall into the same trap of unbelief. Verses 7–8 explain:

“So that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.”

George Santayana once wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” That is exactly why Asaph takes the time to retell painful memories. He wanted the next generation to learn from the failures of their forefathers—to remember God’s salvation, and to put their trust in Him.

Despite the repeated mighty demonstrations of God’s saving power, Israel did not believe. Verse 17 says, “They sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.” Instead of resting in His salvation, they doubted his power to provide for them. Each fresh trial was a new opportunity to put God in the dock.

Verse 22 puts it plainly: “They did not believe in God, and did not trust his saving power.” When they had water, they complained about the lack of food. When God gave them manna, they demanded meat.

Asaph describes this cycle again and again. Despite God’s mercy, despite His provision, despite His patience, they kept forgetting. Verse 32 says, “In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe.” Though they said all the right things, inwardly their hearts were not steadfast. Verse 36: “They flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.”

And yet, God’s mercy shines through. Verse 38 declares: “Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.” God’s mercy was not because they deserved it, but because He is faithful.

Still, the central issue remained: verse 41 says, “They tested God again and again, and provoked the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe.” Ingratitude led to unbelief, and unbelief to rebellion.

Asaph continues recounting how God brought Israel into the promised land, how He drove out nations before them and gave them an inheritance. But even then, when Israel settled in the land, they fell into disobedience and idolatry. The ark of the covenant was captured because of their sin, and their priests were struck down. Yet God did not abandon His people forever. He raised up David, His servant. Trained as a shepherd, gentle yet protective, David would lead them with skillful hands and upright heart. And Asaph saw by faith the coming Son of David, the good shepherd, Jesus Christ, who lays down His life for His sheep.

Let us learn from this psalm not to forget God’s wonders and signs, like Israel. Let us stop doubting and complaining. Instead of resting in the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, as evidenced by his steadfast care for them and his irrefutable promises, they provoked him by their constant rebellion. Unable to rest in God’s salvation, their lot was perpetual anxiety.

Again, unbelief robs us of God’s blessings. A generation in Israel never entered the promised land but wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, until they perished. Even when God gave them what they asked for, they could not enjoy it because their hearts were restless, suspicious, and untrusting.

Yet God’s mercy is greater than our failures. Though Israel tested Him again and again, He remembered compassion. He raised up David, and ultimately, He sent Christ to deliver us from sin and death itself.

The man struggling in the water had only one responsibility—to rest in the arms of the one who had already saved him. It was not his own but the lifeguard’s strength that guaranteed his safety. His thrashing and wild despair only made things harder. He needed to trust, just as we do. For if God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to deliver us from the deep waters of sin, will he not bring us safely home? If He has already borne the weight of our guilt on the cross, will he not bear us through the smaller storms of life?

In our dark days, when fears rise, when circumstances seem overwhelming, the temptation is always to panic, to doubt, to complain. But the call of Psalm 78 is clear: remember God’s wondrous deeds, and trust in His saving power. When we find ourselves overwhelmed and struggling, let us hear the word of the Lord and relax in trust.

Let us not be like the Israelites with their constant rebellion against the providence and faithfulness of God. Instead of doubting and testing God again and again, let us set our hope on Him, remember His works, and rest in His salvation. God bless.