Psalms 78:56
Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The psalmist uses the phrase "Most High God" here, but not just to refer to His supreme power. It's highlighting that even this ultimate authority was tested and provoked by His own people, underscoring the profoundness of their rebellion despite His immense goodness.
After God faithfully led Israel into the Promised Land and established them there, this generation repeated the sins of their ancestors. Despite the land and God's continued presence, they turned to idolatry and disobedience, provoking God by failing to keep His commands. This period marked a downward spiral into unfaithfulness, setting the stage for future judgment and the eventual rejection of Shiloh.
Even after experiencing God's incredible faithfulness, Israel continued to push Him away. What does it mean to 'test' God?
The psalmist declares that Israel 'tested and rebelled against the Most High God.' This wasn't just a passive forgetting; it was an active challenging of God's power and promises. It’s like repeatedly asking, 'Is God really able to do what He said?' even after seeing His mighty acts.
Think about it: they had seen miracles in Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, and been sustained in the wilderness. Yet, in Canaan, they didn't trust that God would continue to provide or protect them. Their actions were an affront to His character and His sovereignty.
God gave Israel clear commands. Why did they refuse to keep them, and what were these 'testimonies'?
The verse states they 'did not keep his testimonies.' These weren't just suggestions; God's testimonies were His reliable commands and laws that bore witness to His will and His character. They were the blueprints for a life lived in relationship with Him.
When Israel failed to keep them, they were essentially saying they didn't believe God's way was best, or they didn't value His relationship with them enough to obey. This unfaithfulness created a deep chasm between them and the God who had so graciously delivered them.
Understand the original words
nasah · Hebrew Verb
A verb meaning to put to the test, to prove, or to try. In a biblical context, it often refers to humans doubting God's power or character, thereby putting Him to the test.
marah · Hebrew Verb
To act in open resistance against authority. Biblically, it describes the willful defiance of God’s established covenant or commands.
Elyon · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
A title for God emphasizing His supremacy, sovereignty, and transcendence over all creation.
edut · Hebrew Noun
A collective term for God’s revealed laws, warnings, and decrees that bear witness to His nature and requirement for His people.
This verse highlights Israel's repeated failure to obey God's commands, even after experiencing His mighty acts and promises, particularly during the challenging period of the Judges.
c. 1406 BC
Israel enters Canaan
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites under Joshua cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of the Promised Land.
c. 1400 - 1050 BC— this verse
Period of the Judges
A turbulent era characterized by cycles of Israel's disobedience, oppression by surrounding nations, and God's raising of deliverers (judges) to rescue them.
c. 1050 BC
Anointing of Saul as King
Israel's demand for a king leads to the anointing of Saul, marking the end of the era of the Judges and the beginning of the monarchy.
c. 1010 BC
David established as King
David becomes the unified king of Israel, ushering in a golden age and establishing Jerusalem as the capital.
c. 977 BC
This passage directly describes Israel's sin after entering the Promised Land, mirroring the 'testing and rebelling' and 'not keeping His testimonies' mentioned in Psalm 78:56, as they turned to other gods.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3This passage highlights God's purpose in allowing Israel to suffer hardship in the wilderness – to test them and teach them humility and reliance on Him, contrasting with their subsequent testing of God in Psalm 78:56.
1 Corinthians 10:9-10The Apostle Paul explicitly warns the New Testament church not to repeat Israel's mistakes in the wilderness, referencing their 'tempting' and 'grumbling' which aligns with the sin described in Psalm 78:56.
Nehemiah 9:16-17This prayer of confession recounts Israel's rebellion in the wilderness, stating they 'refused to hear' God's commands and 'did not remember' His wonders, echoing the themes of disobedience and forgetting God's 'testimonies' in Psalm 78:56.
cambridgePsalms 78:56: "Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:"
56 . Yet &c.] Yet they tempted and rebelled against God the Most High. In spite of all God’s goodness to them, they persisted in their old unfaithfulness. Cp. Psalm 78:17-18; Psalms 40, 41 . God the Most High is not El Elyôn , as in Psalm 78:35 ; but Elôhîm Elyôn , the equivalent of Jehovah the Most High , Psalm 7:17 ; Psalm 47:2 . his testimonies ] His commandments, regarded as bearing witness to His…
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 psalmist uses the phrase "Most High God" here, but not just to refer to His supreme power. It's highlighting that even this ultimate authority was tested and provoked by His own people, underscoring the profoundness of their rebellion despite His immense goodness.
After God faithfully led Israel into the Promised Land and established them there, this generation repeated the sins of their ancestors. Despite the land and God's continued presence, they turned to idolatry and disobedience, provoking God by failing to keep His commands. This period marked a downward spiral into unfaithfulness, setting the stage for future judgment and the eventual rejection of Shiloh.
After God faithfully led Israel into the Promised Land and established them there, this generation repeated the sins of their ancestors. Despite the land and God's continued presence, they turned to idolatry and disobedience, provoking God by failing to keep His commands. This period marked a downward spiral into unfaithfulness, setting the stage for future judgment and the eventual rejection of Shiloh.
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"Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies," — The psalmist uses the phrase "Most High God" here, but not just to refer to His supreme power. It's highlighting that even this ultimate authority was tested and provoked by His own people, underscor…
