Mercies are followed by provocations; provocations are punished with judgments; to judgments succeed repeated provocations, which call down fresh judgments. Immediately after the history of the quails, we read of a sedition stirred up by Aaron and Miriam, and of new murmurs at the report, brought by the spies, concerning the promised land; in consequence of which last the nation had been destroyed, but for the intercession of Moses; and the whole generation of those who came out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb, actually fell in the wilderness, wasted and consumed by various plagues and calamities, during a forty years’ peregrination. See Numb. 12, 13, 14. St. Jude makes mention of such a generation in the early days of the Christian church, speakers of “hard speeches against Christ, murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts;” and he therefore puts converts “in remembrance, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.” Jude, verse 5, and 15. Because, notwithstanding all that Jesus has done, and continues to do for the church, men “sin yet more, and believe not for his wondrous works,” but either despise the heavenly country, or despair of obtaining it, therefore is the hand of God heavy upon the world; “vanity and trouble” wear out the life of man; and they who have passed the waters of baptism, fall short of the promised rest.
Horne, G. (1856). A Commentary on the Book of Psalms (p. 280). Robert Carter & Brothers. (Public Domain)
Those that survived, not being brought to repentance by mercies, nor by judgments; not by mercies, such as before mentioned, though they were great and many, and some of them continued, and of which they were very unworthy; the goodness of God should, but it does not always, lead persons to repentance; mercies, unless they are sanctified, often prove snares and temptations to sin yet more and more; nothing short of the grace of God will bring persons to repentance for sin, or keep them from it: nor by judgments, which were last mentioned, and seem chiefly designed; these have no more effect than the other, unless the power of divine grace goes along with them; see Amos 4:6, 11 it could not be thought, nor was it expected, that they should, after all these mercies and judgments, have lived without sin, which no man does, or can do; but then they went on in a course of sin, and were continually repeating their transgressions, and were guilty of sins of a very heinous nature, many of which are on record; as Aaron and Miriam, by speaking against Moses, the faithful servant of the Lord, which brought upon the latter the plague of leprosy; the spies which were sent to search the land, and brought an evil report of it, which set the people a murmuring, and put them on thoughts of returning to Egypt; those that were concerned in the business of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who were swallowed up in the earth, or burnt with fire from heaven; the whole congregation which murmured at Kadesh, whom Moses called rebels, and who afterwards expressed their loathing of the manna, for which fiery serpents were sent among them, Numb. 12:1, 10 and 13:32 and 14:2, 3, 4 and 16:1, 2, 3, 31, 35 and 20:2, 3, 4, 5 and 21:5, 6 but their prevailing sin was unbelief, as follows: and believed not for his wondrous works; not in them, though the words will bear to be so rendered; for they did believe in them when they were wrought, and that they were wrought by the Lord; though they soon forgot them, and fell into distrust and unbelief; but by them ʳ, or by means of them; though such wonderful things were done for them in providence, as before related, which should have engaged their faith and trust in the Lord; yet, notwithstanding these, they called in question his providence, power, and goodness.
r בנפלאתיו per miracula cjus, Schmidt; so some in Gejerus.
Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 31). Mathews and Leigh. (Public Domain)
For all this they sinned still.—Sinning still:—
1. God’s revelation of His power, goodness, love and grace to the sinners of our day, in the completed canon of the Holy Scriptures, infinitely transcends anything made to ancient Israel. And yet, in the noonday light of that full and august revelation, they sin still and remain stout in their rebellion.
2. God incarnate in humanity, dying on the cross, and rising from the dead, with all their attending marvels, is the most stupendous event in human or in angelic history; and yet in full sight of the cross, and of eighteen centuries of redeeming grace and triumph, the sinners of this generation scoff and revile.
3. The dispensation of the Spirit, the ministry of the Word, the Sabbath and other Christian institutions, are powerful factors in God’s plan of redeeming agencies; and yet, under the full force of these mighty Divine agencies, the sinners of this favoured day go on to sin and harden their hearts in iniquity.
4. The discipline of Divine providence has been tried again and again upon these rebellious, unrepentant souls; and still they sin on and wax worse and worse. Mercies do not soften their hearts, and judgments do not deter them. (Homiletic Review.)
What God does to keep men from sinning:—
God does a great deal to arrest the sinner and bring him to repentance. All His dispensations and dealings propose the sinner’s repentance and salvation, until that period when his Spirit, which He says shall not strive always with man, ceases to strive with him (Hos. 4:17).
1. He proclaims His own infinite abhorrence of sin. And will you persist in the love and practice of that which He abhors; is it not reason enough why you should hate and eschew it, that He hates it in its most plausible form, and in its mildest degree?
2. In the exercise of His sovereign authority He positively and pointedly forbids it; and dare you do what God forbids, knowing, too, that He forbids it? Fear you not Him who can not only kill the body, but destroy both body and soul in hell?
3. He has annexed to the commission of sin a penalty, deep as hell, enduring as eternity, inexhaustible as infinitude. He has declared His inflexible determination to inflict that penalty without abatement. He can do it, for all power is His. He will do it, for there is no change in Him; “hath He said, and shall He not do it?”
4. He has, not only threatened, but begun to execute His threatenings. The weight of His indignation long suspended, has fallen on many and buried them in the bottomless pit. Man’s life here below is made up of vanity and labour because of sin.
5. But He has adopted a different set of measures; measures inviting, attracting, winning, melting; measures of mercy. He would draw by cords of love; He would overcome by methods of kindness. He declares His reluctance to punish. He proclaims His willingness to forgive. (W. Nevins, D.D.)
Exell, J. S. (1909). The Biblical Illustrator: The Psalms (Vol. 3, pp. 411–412). Fleming H. Revell Company; Francis Griffiths. (Public Domain)
Israel’s conduct: God’s sovereign mercy and grace
IN Psalm 78 the conduct of Israel is discussed by wisdom, historically as regards the whole people, but with very important principles brought out. There was not only a redemption of old, to which faith recurred, but a testimony given, and a law to guide Israel’s ways, that they should make them known to their children. But the fathers had been a stubborn and rebellious generation. Now, the law and the testimony were given that the children might not be like their fathers; but they were and their history is here brought out. God, therefore, chastened them; there was direct open government in respect of their ways. For all this they sinned still. At the moment of chastisement they turned to Him. Nevertheless they did but flatter Him with their mouth, their heart was not right with Him, nor they stedfast in His covenant. But He showed compassion, also forgave, remembered they were but flesh. Yet after Egyptian signs they forgat Him; brought into the land, they turned to idolatry. When God heard this, He was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel. On the ground of this government, under law and testimony and compassionate mercy, Israel was wholly given up, the tabernacle forsaken, the ark delivered into captivity and the enemies’ hand. The people also were delivered over to judgment. But Jehovah’s love to His people in grace was not weakened, and the sorrow they were brought into called out that love. He awoke, as one out of sleep, and smote His enemies, and put them to a perpetual shame. But now He had interfered in grace in His own proper love to His people. It was not governmental blessing on condition of obedience, but the interference of grace, when disobedience had, on the principle of government, brought in complete judgment, in spite of compassion and mercy. Sovereign mercy now had its place. Old blessings had put Joseph as natural heir; he had the rich and double portion. God chose Judah. He chose Zion. This gave it its importance. It is the place of love in grace, when all had failed under law, even with the fullest compassionate patience. He built His sanctuary. That is not directly presented as the subject of electing goodness, but He chose David when in the humblest condition, who then fed His people.
In this most beautiful psalm we have the most important principles possible. Viewing Israel as established on the ground of government in Sinai, on law mixed with compassion, Israel had entirely failed, was abhorred, cast off A total breach had been made; the ark of the covenant, the link between Israel and God, the place of propitiation, and His throne, given up to the enemy. But God, whose sovereign love to His people had come in in power to deliver, had chosen Judah, Zion, David, and set up a link in grace, and by deliverance after failure. Faith can go back to God’s works in redemption, but not to man’s conduct under law. Psalm 78 is the converse of Psalm 77. Yet in Israel all this is declared to produce that which grace will effect in the last day—that value for the law in the heart which will make them teach it to their children. (Compare Gen. 18:17–19; see Exodus 34.) Mercy put Israel again under the condition of obedience. Here power delivers, after they have failed even under this, and judgment is come, God acting according to His mind of love. Pure law they never were under in fact; the tables never came into the camp. (Compare 2 Cor. 3.) Moses’ face shone only when he had seen God, when he went up the second time accepted in grace; but for Israel, this was putting them back under law. It is grace, and law brought in after it, which is death and condemnation. This is impossible with substitution; but this place, of course, Moses could not take. “Peradventure I shall make an atonement for your souls.” “Blot me out, I pray you.” No, was the answer; the soul that sins, it will I blot out. This was law and (as we see here, and as is definitely stated in 2 Corinthians 3) ruin.
Darby, J. N. (2008). Synopsis of the Books of the Bible: Ezra to Malachi (pp. 200–202). Logos Bible Software. (Public Domain)
IT is a saying of Solomon’s, that “he who soweth iniquity, shall reap vanity ᵃ:” and the truth of this is remarkably illustrated throughout all the history of God’s ancient people. The Jews were, beyond all comparison, the most favoured people upon earth: and if they had made a due improvement of their mercies, they would have been as much exalted above others in happiness, as they were in their outward privileges. But neither mercies nor judgments could prevail upon them to yield themselves unfeignedly to God. The mercies they received were so signal, that one would have supposed it impossible for them to forget the Donor. Their judgments, too, on some occasions were so awful, that one would have supposed fear should supply the place of love, and constrain them to turn to God with their whole hearts. In the preceding part of this psalm, these dealings of God with them are especially referred to: yet, in my text we are told, “They sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.” In consequence of this, they reaped according to what they sowed: for, on account of this incorrigibleness, “God consumed their days in vanity and their years in trouble.”
But is that generation passed away? Is there not amongst us the same obstinacy in sin? and do we not feel the same effects of transgression? Yes, verily, they are a mirror in which we may see our own image; and the events of their days are still visible in ours.
a Prov. 22:8.
Simeon, C. (1836). Horae Homileticae: Psalms, LXXIII–CL (Vol. 6, p. 50). Samuel Holdsworth. (Public Domain)
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