Psalms 78:18-20
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? He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that their "tempting God" wasn't just about asking for something, but how they asked – "for their soul" or "for their lust." This reveals their sin wasn't a simple request for need, but a demand driven by carnal desire and dissatisfaction with God's provision, seeking pleasure over sustenance. This underlying attitude of inward craving, rather than outward need, is what truly challenged God's power and goodness.
The psalmist is recounting Israel's history in the wilderness, highlighting their repeated unfaithfulness and grumbling despite God's miraculous provision. This verse follows the description of God providing water from the rock and manna from heaven, yet the people, driven by their cravings, still questioned and doubted God's ability to meet their desires. This act of demanding sustenance out of desire, rather than trusting in what God had already given, is presented as a direct challenge to God's power and faithfulness.
It's easy to think of temptation as something external, but this verse points to something happening deep within. What does it mean to test God 'in their heart'?
This verse highlights that temptation isn't just about outward actions, but about the inner disposition. The Israelites weren't just asking for food; they were doing so with a specific attitude.
Craving vs. Need
The commentary points out that their request wasn't born out of a genuine lack of sustenance. They had manna, which was sufficient. Instead, their desire was for food that catered to their 'lusts' or 'inordinate and luxurious appetite.' This is a key distinction – the difference between asking for what we need versus what we want out of a craving.
Testing God's Heart
When we demand things based on our cravings, rather than trusting God's provision for our needs, we're essentially testing His willingness and ability to satisfy our every whim. This is what the psalmist means by 'tempting God in their heart.' It's an internal act of doubt and defiance, questioning if God is good and capable of meeting us where we are, or if He's merely a tool to be manipulated for our pleasure.
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The Israelites' request for food wasn't just a simple ask; it escalated. How did their craving turn into active provocation against God?
Psalm 78 is a powerful reminder that the history of Israel is a pattern of God's faithfulness met with human faithlessness. This verse is a prime example of that cycle.
The Murmur and the Demand
The commentary notes that the Israelites were 'complaining and murmuring' and not satisfied with what God provided. This discontentment is the fertile ground from which their temptation grew. Their 'asking meat for their lust' was not a neutral act; it was a demand rooted in dissatisfaction with God's current provision.
Provoking Wrath
By demanding what they craved, the Israelites were actively provoking God. This wasn't just a passive testing; it was an active challenge to God's authority and goodness. The psalmist elsewhere describes this tendency: 'They continued still to sin against him, to provoke the most High in the wilderness' (Psalm 78:17). Their cravings led them to question God's ability ('Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?') and ultimately to distrust His provision and salvation.
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.
nakah · Hebrew Verb
To smite or strike with physical force; in Scripture, it is often used for God's exercise of power, whether in judgment or to miraculously open sources of provision.
This psalm reflects on the Israelites' consistent pattern of receiving God's blessings while simultaneously testing Him with their desires and unbelief, particularly evident during the wilderness wanderings.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt under Moses' leadership, parting the Red Sea for them to cross.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Manna and Quail Provided
During their journey through the Sinai wilderness, the Israelites complained about lack of food, and God provided manna daily and quail periodically.
c. 1446 BC
Complaints at Kibroth-hattaavah
The Israelites grew discontent with the manna, craving the meat they ate in Egypt, leading to God's anger and a plague.
c. 1445-1406 BC
Wilderness Wandering
Due to their repeated disobedience and lack of faith, the generation that left Egypt was condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years.
c. 1000 BC
David Anointed King
David was chosen and anointed as king, marking a high point of God's favor and establishing a lasting dynasty.
This passage directly recounts the Israelites' craving for meat in the wilderness, mirroring the 'lust' and 'testing' described in Psalm 78. It highlights the danger of discontent with God's provision and the sin of demanding beyond what is needed.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3Moses reminds the Israelites that God allowed them to be hungry and fed them manna to teach them dependence. Psalm 78 highlights their failure to learn this lesson, showing how they tested God by demanding more than just sustenance.
Matthew 4:4Jesus, facing temptation in the wilderness, quotes Deuteronomy, stating that 'man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' This contrasts sharply with the Israelites in Psalm 78, who focused only on physical 'bread' and craved more, testing God's provision.
1 Corinthians 10:9-10The Apostle Paul uses the same wilderness rebellion of the Israelites as a warning to the church, specifically mentioning their 'grumbling' and 'tempting' God. This passage directly links their discontent to the spiritual dangers described in Psalm 78.
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 verse highlights that their "tempting God" wasn't just about asking for something, but how they asked – "for their soul" or "for their lust." This reveals their sin wasn't a simple request for need, but a demand driven by carnal desire and dissatisfaction with God's provision, seeking pleasure over sustenance. This underlying attitude of inward craving, rather than outward need, is what truly challenged God's power and goodness.
The psalmist is recounting Israel's history in the wilderness, highlighting their repeated unfaithfulness and grumbling despite God's miraculous provision. This verse follows the description of God providing water from the rock and manna from heaven, yet the people, driven by their cravings, still questioned and doubted God's ability to meet their desires. This act of demanding sustenance out of desire, rather than trusting in what God had already given, is presented as a direct challenge to God's power and faithfulness.
The psalmist is recounting Israel's history in the wilderness, highlighting their repeated unfaithfulness and grumbling despite God's miraculous provision. This verse follows the description of God providing water from the rock and manna from heaven, yet the people, driven by their cravings, still questioned and doubted God's ability to meet their desires. This act of demanding sustenance out of desire, rather than trusting in what God had already given, is presented as a direct challenge to God's power and faithfulness.
"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? He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Ca…" — The verse highlights that their "tempting God" wasn't just about asking for something, but how they asked – "for their soul" or "for their lust." This reveals their sin wasn't a simple request for…
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