78An Asaph psalm. Listen, dear friends, to God's truth, bend your ears to what I tell you.H4905H623H238H5971H8451H5186H241H561H63102I'm chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I'll let you in on the sweet old truths,H6605H6310H4912H5042H2420H69243Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother's knee.H8085H3045H1H56084We're not keeping this to ourselves, we're passing it along to the next generation— GOD's fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done.H3582H1121H5608H1755H314H8416H3068H5807H6381H62135He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their childrenH6965H5715H3290H7760H8451H3478H6680H1H3045H11216So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come— Know the truth and tell the stories so their childrenH1755H314H3045H1121H3205H6965H5608H11217can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter.H7760H3689H430H7911H4611H410H5341H46878Heaven forbid they should be like their parents, bullheaded and bad, A fickle and faithless bunch who never stayed true to God.H1H5637H4784H1755H1755H3559H3820H3559H7307H539H4109The Ephraimites, armed to the teeth, ran off when the battle began.H1121H669H5401H7411H7198H2015H3117H712810They were cowards to God's Covenant, refused to walk by his Word.H8104H1285H430H3985H3212H845111They forgot what he had done— marvels he'd done right before their eyes.H7911H5949H6381H720012He performed miracles in plain sight of their parents in Egypt, out on the fields of Zoan.H6382H6213H5048H1H776H4714H7704H681413He split the Sea and they walked right through it; he piled the waters to the right and the left.H1234H3220H5674H4325H5324H506714He led them by day with a cloud, led them all the night long with a fiery torch.H3119H5148H6051H3915H216H78415He split rocks in the wilderness, gave them all they could drink from underground springs;H1234H6697H4057H8248H7227H841516He made creeks flow out from sheer rock, and water pour out like a river.H3318H5140H5553H4325H3381H510417All they did was sin even more, rebel in the desert against the High God.H2398H3254H4784H5945H672318They tried to get their own way with God, clamored for favors, for special attention.H5254H410H3824H7592H400H531519They whined like spoiled children, "Why can't God give us a decent meal in this desert?H1696H430H559H3201H410H6186H7979H405720Sure, he struck the rock and the water flowed, creeks cascaded from the rock. But how about some fresh-baked bread? How about a nice cut of meat?"H5221H6697H4325H2100H5158H7857H3201H5414H3899H3201H3559H7607H597121When GOD heard that, he was furious— his anger flared against Jacob, he lost his temper with Israel.H3068H8085H5674H784H5400H3290H639H5927H347822It was clear they didn't believe God, had no intention of trusting in his help.H539H430H982H344423But God helped them anyway, commanded the clouds and gave orders that opened the gates of heaven.H6680H7834H4605H6605H1817H806424He rained down showers of manna to eat, he gave them the Bread of Heaven.H4305H4478H398H5414H1715H806425They ate the bread of the mighty angels; he sent them all the food they could eat.H376H398H47H3899H7971H6720H764826He let East Wind break loose from the skies, gave a strong push to South Wind.H6921H5265H8064H5797H5090H848627This time it was birds that rained down— succulent birds, an abundance of birds.H4305H7607H6083H3671H5775H2344H322028He aimed them right for the center of their camp; all round their tents there were birds.H5307H7130H4264H5439H490829They ate and had their fill; he handed them everything they craved on a platter.H398H3966H7646H935H837830But their greed knew no bounds; they stuffed their mouths with more and more.H2114H8378H400H631031Finally, God was fed up, his anger erupted— he cut down their brightest and best, he laid low Israel's finest young men.H639H430H5927H2026H4924H3766H970H347832And—can you believe it?—they kept right on sinning; all those wonders and they still wouldn't believe!H2398H539H638133So their lives dribbled off to nothing— nothing to show for their lives but a ghost town.H3117H3615H1892H8141H92834When he cut them down, they came running for help; they turned and pled for mercy.H2026H1875H7725H7836H41035They gave witness that God was their rock, that High God was their redeemer,H2142H430H6697H5945H410H135036But they didn't mean a word of it; they lied through their teeth the whole time.H6601H6310H3576H395637They could not have cared less about him, wanted nothing to do with his Covenant.H3820H3559H539H128538And God? Compassionate! Forgave the sin! Didn't destroy! Over and over he reined in his anger, restrained his considerable wrath.H7349H3722H5771H7843H7235H7725H639H7725H5782H253439He knew what they were made of; he knew there wasn't much to them,H2142H1320H7307H1980H772540How often in the desert they had spurned him, tried his patience in those wilderness years.H4100H4784H4057H6087H345241Time and again they pushed him to the limit, provoked Israel's Holy God.H7725H5254H410H8428H6918H347842How quickly they forgot what he'd done, forgot their day of rescue from the enemy,H2142H3027H3117H6299H686243When he did miracles in Egypt, wonders on the plain of Zoan.H7760H226H4714H4159H7704H681444He turned the River and its streams to blood— not a drop of water fit to drink.H2015H2975H1818H5140H835445He sent flies, which ate them alive, and frogs, which bedeviled them.H7971H6157H398H6854H784346He turned their harvest over to caterpillars, everything they had worked for to the locusts.H5414H2981H2625H3018H69747He flattened their grapevines with hail; a killing frost ruined their orchards.H2026H1612H1259H8256H260248He pounded their cattle with hail, let thunderbolts loose on their herds.H5462H1165H1259H4735H756549His anger flared, a wild firestorm of havoc, An advance guard of disease-carrying angelsH7971H2740H639H5678H2195H6869H4917H7451H439750to clear the ground, preparing the way before him. He didn't spare those people, he let the plague rage through their lives.H6424H5410H639H2820H5315H4194H5462H2416H5462H169851He killed all the Egyptian firstborns, lusty infants, offspring of Ham's virility.H5221H1060H4714H7225H202H168H252652Then he led his people out like sheep, took his flock safely through the wilderness.H5971H5265H6629H5090H4057H573953He took good care of them; they had nothing to fear. The Sea took care of their enemies for good.H5148H983H6342H3220H3680H34154He brought them into his holy land, this mountain he claimed for his own.H935H1366H6944H2022H3225H706955He scattered everyone who got in their way; he staked out an inheritance for them— the tribes of Israel all had their own places.H1644H1471H6440H5307H5159H2256H7626H3478H7931H16856But they kept on giving him a hard time, rebelled against God, the High God, refused to do anything he told them.H5254H4784H5945H430H8104H571357They were worse, if that's possible, than their parents: traitors—crooked as a corkscrew.H5472H898H1H2015H7423H719858Their pagan orgies provoked God's anger, their obscene idolatries broke his heart.H3707H1116H7065H645659When God heard their carryings-on, he was furious; he posted a huge No over Israel.H430H8085H5674H3966H3988H347860He walked off and left Shiloh empty, abandoned the shrine where he had met with Israel.H5203H4908H7887H168H7931H12061He let his pride and joy go to the dogs, turned his back on the pride of his life.H5414H5797H7628H8597H6862H302762He turned them loose on fields of battle; angry, he let them fend for themselves.H5462H5971H5462H2719H5674H515963Their young men went to war and never came back; their young women waited in vain.H784H398H970H1330H198464Their priests were massacred, and their widows never shed a tear.H3548H5307H2719H490H105865Suddenly the Lord was up on his feet like someone roused from deep sleep, shouting like a drunken warrior.H136H3364H3463H1368H7442H319666He hit his enemies hard, sent them running, yelping, not daring to look back.H5221H6862H268H5414H5769H278167He disqualified Joseph as leader, told Ephraim he didn't have what it takes,H3988H168H3130H977H7626H66968And chose the Tribe of Judah instead, Mount Zion, which he loves so much.H977H7626H3063H2022H6726H15769He built his sanctuary there, resplendent, solid and lasting as the earth itself.H1129H4720H7311H776H3245H576970Then he chose David, his servant, handpicked him from his work in the sheep pens.H977H1732H5650H3947H4356H662971One day he was caring for the ewes and their lambs, the next day God had him shepherding Jacob, his people Israel, his prize possession.H310H5763H935H7462H3290H5971H3478H515972His good heart made him a good shepherd; he guided the people wisely and well.H7462H8537H3824H5148H8394H3709