Read Psalm 78. What three key historical epochs are highlighted in this psalm? What recurring lessons does Asaph draw from each period?

 The reviews of Israel’s past highlight God’s faithfulness and Israel’s unfaithfulness. They also should teach coming generations not to repeat their ancestors’ mistakes but to trust God and to remain faithful to His covenant. The psalmist uses history as a parable (Ps. 78:2), which means that the people should deeply ponder the psalm’s message and search for the meaning for themselves. Psalm 78:2 is a prophetic description of Jesus’ method of teaching in parables (Matt. 13:34, 35).

 The psalm also reflects on the time of the Exodus (Ps. 78:9-54), the settlement in Canaan (Ps. 78:55-64), and the time of David (Ps. 78:65-72). It demonstrates the Lord’s glorious deeds and the consequences of the people’s breaking of their covenant with God. Israel’s history recounts many forms of the people’s disloyalty to God, especially their idolatry (Ps. 78:58).

 The psalmist, however, stresses the root of the Israelites’ unfaithfulness: they forgot what God had done for them, did not trust God, put God to the test (Ps. 78:18, 41, 56), rebelled against Him, and failed to keep His law, His covenant, and His testimonies (Ps. 78:10, 37, 56). By stressing these specific forms of disloyalty, the psalmist implies that the rejection of Israel in history has resulted from one core sin, namely, the people’s failure to trust the Lord (Ps. 78:7, 8).

 When reading the psalm, one is overwhelmed with the people’s constant stubbornness and spiritual blindness in contrast to the Lord’s boundless patience and grace. How was each new generation so slow to learn?

 Before we get overly judgmental of past generations, we should consider ourselves. Aren’t we, also, forgetful of God’s past wonders and neglectful of His covenantal requirements? The psalm does not encourage people to rely on their own deeds. Instead, Psalm 78 shows the futility of human will unless it is grounded in constant awareness of God’s faithfulness and an acceptance of His grace. The unsuccessful battles of God’s people (Ps. 78:9, 62-64) elucidate the psalm’s lesson that human efforts apart from faithfulness to God are doomed to end in failure.