Psalms 78:18-19
They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The people didn't just ask for food; they "tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust." This wasn't about genuine need, but about craving satisfaction for their inner desires, showing a deep-seated lack of trust and a desire to test God's limits rather than humbly receive what He provided.
The psalmist is recounting Israel's history in the wilderness, highlighting their repeated rebellion against God despite His constant provision and miraculous interventions. This particular passage focuses on their dissatisfaction with the manna God sent, showing how their craving for more luxurious food stemmed from a lack of faith and a "carnal mind" rather than genuine need. The psalmist contrasts God's faithfulness with their persistent ingratitude, setting the stage for understanding the consequences of their actions.
Did you know that 'testing God' can happen silently, deep within your own heart? It's not always about loud challenges or outward rebellion.
Psalms 78:18 highlights a subtle but serious sin: tempting God in the heart. The Israelites weren't just asking for food; they were doing so with a demanding, ungrateful heart. They had been given manna, a miraculous sustenance from heaven, yet they 'demanded the food they craved.' This wasn't about a genuine need for survival, but a desire to satisfy their own lusts and appetites. This 'tempting' involved a deep-seated unbelief, a secret questioning of God's ability and willingness to provide for them beyond their immediate needs. It's a reminder that our inner thoughts and desires, especially when they are fueled by discontent, can be a form of challenging God's provision and power.
What's the difference between needing daily bread and desperately craving something more? The Israelites' story reveals a dangerous distinction.
The psalmist contrasts God's miraculous provision of manna with the Israelites' insatiable craving for meat. Manna was sufficient, heavenly, and a daily reminder of God's faithfulness. However, the people, weary of this simple sustenance, 'demanded the food they craved.' This wasn't a prayer for necessity, but a demand born of lust and luxury. The commentaries note that 'lust' or 'soul' here refers to their carnal appetite, not their life's sustenance. They were essentially saying, 'Is this all You've got for us, God?' They undervalued the gift God had given them in favor of what they wanted, testing if God could and would cater to their every whim. This highlights a crucial spiritual principle: true faith trusts God's provision, even when it's not what we desire, while lustful craving questions and challenges God's goodness.
Understand the original words
nasah · Hebrew Verb
To put God to the test or to try His patience; it implies a lack of trust in God's character and providence despite past evidence of His power.
Elohim · Hebrew Noun
A term for the deity of Israel, referring to the one true God who is the Creator, Sustainer, and covenant-keeper of His people.
yeshimon · Hebrew Noun
A desolate, uninhabited place; biblically, it is often a place of testing, provision, and divine encounter where humans are stripped of worldly supports and forced to rely entirely on God.
shulchan · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for God's ability to provide sustenance and bounty. It reflects the covenantal care God promises to those who walk in obedience.
This verse highlights a pivotal moment in Israel's wilderness journey, where their craving for familiar comforts in Egypt led them to doubt God's provision, a recurring theme throughout their history that Asaph, the psalmist, uses to teach later generations.
~1440 BC
Exodus from Egypt
After generations in slavery, God miraculously leads the Israelites out of Egypt under Moses.
~1440 BC
Crossing the Red Sea
God parts the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to escape the pursuing Egyptian army, which is then destroyed.
c. 1440 BC— this verse
Manna and Quail Provided
During their journey through the wilderness, God provides manna and quail to sustain the Israelites, who had complained about their lack of food and longed for Egypt.
c. 1440 BC
Water from the Rock
The Israelites, thirsty in the desert of Rephidim, demand water, and God instructs Moses to strike a rock, from which water flows.
c. 1400 BC
This passage directly describes the Israelites' craving for meat in the wilderness, mirroring the 'lusts' mentioned in Psalm 78:18 and showing the consequences of their discontent.
Matthew 15:18-19Jesus explains that it's what comes from the heart that defiles a person, aligning with Psalm 78:18's emphasis on testing God 'in their heart' through unhealthy desires.
1 Corinthians 10:9The Apostle Paul directly references the Israelites' temptation of God by craving meat in the wilderness, drawing a parallel to the warning in Psalm 78 about testing God.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3This passage explains God allowed the Israelites to hunger and then provided manna to teach them reliance on His word, highlighting how their subsequent craving for other food defied that lesson.
clarkePsalms 78:18: "And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust."
By asking meat for their lust - לנפשם lenaphsham, "for their souls," i.e., for their lives; for they said in their hearts that the light bread, the manna, was not sufficient to sustain their natural force, and preserve their lives. It seems, however, from the expression, that they were wholly carnal; that they had no spirituality of mind; they were earthly, animal, and devilish.
expositorsPsalms 78:1-72: "Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth."
Psalm 78:1-72 THIS psalm is closely related to Psalm 105:1-45 ; Psalm 106:1-48 ; Psalm 107:1-43 . Like them, it treats the history of Israel, and especially the Exodus and wilderness wanderings, for purposes of edification, rebuke, and encouragement. The past is held up as a mirror to the present generation. It has been one long succession of miracles of mercy met by equally continu…
The people didn't just ask for food; they "tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust." This wasn't about genuine need, but about craving satisfaction for their inner desires, showing a deep-seated lack of trust and a desire to test God's limits rather than humbly receive what He provided.
The psalmist is recounting Israel's history in the wilderness, highlighting their repeated rebellion against God despite His constant provision and miraculous interventions. This particular passage focuses on their dissatisfaction with the manna God sent, showing how their craving for more luxurious food stemmed from a lack of faith and a "carnal mind" rather than genuine need. The psalmist contrasts God's faithfulness with their persistent ingratitude, setting the stage for understanding the consequences of their actions.
The psalmist is recounting Israel's history in the wilderness, highlighting their repeated rebellion against God despite His constant provision and miraculous interventions. This particular passage focuses on their dissatisfaction with the manna God sent, showing how their craving for more luxurious food stemmed from a lack of faith and a "carnal mind" rather than genuine need. The psalmist contrasts God's faithfulness with their persistent ingratitude, setting the stage for understanding the consequences of their actions.
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Conquest of Canaan Begins
After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness due to their disobedience, the Israelites, now led by Joshua, begin their conquest of the Promised Land.
c. 1000 BC
David Becomes King
David is established as the king of a united Israel, marking a high point in the nation's history after periods of turmoil and division.
"They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?" — The people didn't just ask for food; they "tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust." This wasn't about genuine need, but about craving satisfaction for their inner desires, showing…
