Psalm 78:1-39. But they went on sinning against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. They tested God in their hearts, demanding food for their craving.
When the people of Israel were lost and wandering in the wilderness, they often acted out their fears and frustrations by demanding that God give them what they wanted immediately. Our sense of entitlement is not a modern phenomenon. “I want what I want when I want it”, is something God hears from every generation. Rather than surrendering to God’s merciful care, the people put themselves in God’s place. “We know what we need, God, now serve it up!” This gets to the heart of the meaning of sin. We think we know what is best. We don’t rely on God. Such thinking usually leads us to the end of our rope, a place where we at last recognize that our own devices just aren’t good enough. And that is a necessary place to be.
The people lost and wandering in the wilderness eventually woke up and realized they could not be their own saviors. It was not until they at last trusted in Gods’ radical grace that they saw that God was already providing all that they needed; not necessarily all they wanted, but assuredly all that they needed. Community. Compassion. Enough bread for the day.
Psalm 78 is the second longest of all the psalms. It recounts the story of human rebellion leading to disastrous consequences which God responds to with gracious forgiveness and restoration of relationship. For Christians, this pattern is seen most clearly in the shape of the cross. In the cross and resurrection, we see just how far God is willing to go to forgive and reclaim our broken selves. The cross reminds us that God does not necessarily give us what we want, but always gives us what we need.
— Lex Breckinridge
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