TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 78:9–39. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
In these verses,
I.The psalmist observes the late rebukes of Providence that the people of Israel had been under, which they had brought upon themselves by their dealing treacherously with God, Psa 78:9-11. The children of Ephraim, in which tribe Shiloh was, though they were well armed and shot with bows, yet turned back in the day of battle. This seems to refer to that shameful defeat which the Philistines gave them in Eli's time, when they took the ark prisoner, Sa1 4:10, Sa1 4:11. Of this the psalmist here begins to speak, and, after a long digression, returns to it again, Psa 78:61. Well might that event be thus fresh in mind in David's time, above forty years after, for the ark, which in that memorable battle was seized by the Philistines, though it was quickly brought out of captivity, was never brought out of obscurity till David fetched it from Kirjath-jearim to his own city. Observe,
1.The shameful cowardice of the children of Ephraim, that warlike tribe, so famed for valiant men, Joshua's tribe; the children of that tribe, though as well armed as ever, turned back when they came to face the enemy. Note, Weapons of war stand men in little stead without a martial spirit, and that is gone if God be gone. Sin dispirits men and takes away the heart.
2.The causes of their cowardice, which were no less shameful; and these were,
(1.)A shameful violation of God's law and their covenant with him (Psa 78:10); they were basely treacherous and perfidious, for they kept not the covenant of God, and basely stubborn and rebellious (as they were described, Psa 78:8), for they peremptorily refused to walk in his law, and, in effect, told him to his face they would not be ruled by him.
(2.)A shameful ingratitude to God for the favours he had bestowed upon them: They forgot his works and his wonders, his works of wonder which they ought to have admired, Psa 78:11. Note, Our forgetfulness of God's works is at the bottom of our disobedience to his laws.
II.He takes occasion hence to consult precedents and to compare this with the case of their fathers, who were in like manner unmindful of God's mercies to them and ungrateful to their founder and great benefactor, and were therefore often brought under his displeasure. The narrative in these verses is very remarkable, for it relates a kind of struggle between God's goodness and man's badness, and mercy, at length, rejoices against judgment.
1.God did great things for his people Israel when he first incorporated them and formed them into a people: Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, and not only in their sight, but in their cause, and for their benefit, so strange, so kind, that one would think they should never be forgotten. What he did for them in the land of Egypt is only just mentioned here (Psa 78:12), but afterwards resumed, Psa 78:43. He proceeds here to show,
(1.)How he made a lane for them through the Red Sea, and caused them, gave them courage, to pass through, though the waters stood over their heads as a heap, Psa 78:13. See Isa 63:12, Isa 63:13, where God is said to lead them by the hand, as it were, through the deep that they should not stumble.
(2.)How he provided a guide for them through the untrodden paths of the wilderness (Psa 78:14); he led them step by step, in the day time by a cloud, which also sheltered them from the heat, and all the night with a light of fire, which perhaps warmed the air; at least it made the darkness of night less frightful, and perhaps kept off wild beasts, Zac 2:5.
(3.)How he furnished their camp with fresh water in a dry and thirsty land where no water was, not by opening the bottles of heaven (that would have been a common way), but by broaching a rock (Psa 78:15, Psa 78:16): He clave the rocks in the wilderness, which yielded water, though they were not capable of receiving it either from the clouds above or the springs beneath. Out of the dry and hard rock he gave them drink, not distilled as out of an alembic, drop by drop, but in streams running down like rivers, and as out of the great depths. God gives abundantly, and is rich in mercy; he gives seasonably, and sometimes makes us to feel the want of mercies that we may the better know the worth of them. This water which God gave Israel out of the rock was the more valuable because it was spiritual drink. And that rock was Christ.
2.When God began thus to bless them they began to affront him (Psa 78:17): They sinned yet more against him, more than they had done in Egypt, though there they were bad enough, Eze 20:8. They bore the miseries of their servitude better than the difficulties of their deliverance, and never murmured at their taskmasters so much as they did at Moses and Aaron; as if they were delivered to do all these abominations, Jer 7:10. As sin sometimes takes occasion by the commandment, so at other times it takes occasion by the deliverance, to become more exceedingly sinful. They provoked the Most High. Though he is most high, and they knew themselves an unequal match for him, yet they provoked him and even bade defiance to his justice; and this in the wilderness, where he had them at his mercy and therefore they were bound in interest to please him, and where he showed them so much mercy and therefore they were bound in gratitude to please him; yet there they said and did that which they knew would provoke him: They tempted God in their heart, Psa 78:18. Their sin began in their heart, and thence it took its malignity. They do always err in their heart, Heb 3:10. Thus they tempted God, tried his patience to the utmost, whether he would bear with them or no, and, in effect, bade him do his worst. Two ways they provoked him: - (1.) By desiring, or rather demanding, that which he had not thought fit to give them: They asked meat for their lust. God had given them meat for their hunger, in the manna, wholesome pleasant food and in abundance; he had given them meat for their faith out of the heads of leviathan which he broke in pieces, Psa 74:14. But all this would not serve; they must have meat for their lust, dainties and varieties to gratify a luxurious appetite. Nothing is more provoking to God than our quarrelling with our allotment and indulging the desires of the flesh. (2.) By distrusting his power to give them what they desired. This was tempting God indeed. They challenged him to give them flesh; and, if he did not, they would say it was because he could not, not because he did not see it fit for them (Psa 78:19): They spoke against God. Those that set bounds to God's power speak against him. It was as injurious a reflection as could be cat upon God to say, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? They had manna, but the did not think they had a table furnished unless they had boiled and roast, a first, a second, and a third course, as they had in Egypt, where they had both flesh and fish, and sauce too (Exo 16:3, Num 11:5), dishes of meat and salvers of fruit. What an unreasonable insatiable thin is luxury! Such a mighty thing did these epicures think a table well furnished to be that they thought it was more than God himself could give them in that wilderness; whereas the beasts of the forest, and all the fowls of the mountains, are his, Psa 50:10, Psa 50:11. Their disbelief of God's power was so much the worse in that they did at the same time own that he had done as much as that came to (Psa 78:20): Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, which they and their cattle drank of. And which is easier, to furnish a table in the wilderness, which a rich man can do, or to fetch water out of a rock, which the greatest potentate on the earth cannot do? Never did unbelief, though always unreasonable, ask so absurd a question: "Can he that melted down a rock into streams of water give bread also? Or can he that has given bread provide flesh also?" Is any thing too hard for Omnipotence? When once the ordinary powers of nature are exceeded God has made bare his arm, and we must conclude that nothing is impossible with him. Be it ever so great a thing that we ask, it becomes us to own, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst.
3.God justly resented the provocation and was much displeased with them (Psa 78:21): The Lord heard this, and was wroth. Note, God is a witness to all our murmurings and distrusts; he hears them and is much displeased with them. A fire was kindled for this against Jacob; the fire of the Lord burnt among them, Num 11:1. Or it may be understood of the fire of God's anger which came up against Israel. To unbelievers our God is himself a consuming fire. Those that will not believe the power of God's mercy shall feel the power of his indignation, and be made to confess that it is a fearful thing to fall into his hands. Now here we are told,
(1.)Why God thus resented the provocation (Psa 78:22): Because by this it appeared that they believed not in God; they did not give credit to the revelation he had made of himself to them, for they durst not commit themselves to him, nor venture themselves with him: They trusted not in the salvation he had begun to work for them; for then they would not thus have questioned its progress. Those cannot be said to trust in God's salvation as their felicity at last who cannot find in their hearts to trust in his providence for food convenient in the way to it. That which aggravated their unbelief was the experience they had had of the power and goodness of God, Psa 78:23-25. He had given them undeniable proofs of his power, not only on earth beneath, but in heaven above; for he commanded the clouds from above, as one that had created them and commanded them into being; he made what use he pleased of them. Usually by their showers they contribute to the earth's producing corn; but now, when God so commanded them, they showered down corn themselves, which is therefore called here the corn of heaven; for heaven can do the work without the earth, but not the earth without heaven. God, who has the key of the clouds, opened the doors of heaven, and that is more than opening the windows, which yet is spoken of as a great blessing, Mal 3:10. To all that by faith and prayer ask, seek, and knock, these doors shall at any time be opened; for the God of heaven is rich in mercy to all that call upon him. He not only keeps a good house, but keeps open house. Justly might God take it ill that they should distrust him when he had been so very kind to them that he had rained down manna upon them to eat, substantial food, daily, duly, enough for all, enough for each. Man did eat angels' food, such as angels, if they had occasion for food, would eat and be thankful for; or rather such as was given by the ministry of angels, and (as the Chaldee reads it) such as descended from the dwelling of angels. Every one, even the least child in Israel, did eat the bread of the mighty (so the margin reads it); the weakest stomach could digest it, and yet it was so nourishing that it was strong meat for strong men. And, though the provision was so good, yet they were not stinted, nor ever reduced to short allowance; for he sent them meat to the full. If they gathered little, it was their own fault; and yet even then they had no lack, Exo 16:18. The daily provision God makes for us, and has made ever since we came into the world, though it has not so much of miracle as this, has no less of mercy, and is therefore a great aggravation of our distrust of God.
(2.)How he expressed his resentment of the provocation, not in denying them what they so inordinately lusted after, but in granting it to them.
[1.]Did they question his power? He soon gave them a sensible conviction that he could furnish a table in the wilderness. Though the winds seem to blow where they list, yet, when he pleased, he could make them his caterers to fetch in provisions, Psa 78:26. He caused an east wind to blow and a south wind, either a south-east wind, or an east wind first to bring in the quails from that quarter and then a south wind to bring in more from that quarter; so that he rained flesh upon them, and that of the most delicate sort, not butchers' meat, but wild-fowl, and abundance of it, as dust, as the sand of the sea (Psa 78:27), so that the meanest Israelite might have sufficient; and it cost them nothing, no, not the pains of fetching it from the mountains, for he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitation, Psa 78:28. We have the account Num 11:31, Num 11:32. See how good God is even to the evil and unthankful, and wonder that his goodness does not overcome their badness. See what little reason we have to judge of God's love by such gifts of his bounty as these; dainty bits are no tokens of his peculiar favour. Christ gave dry bread to the disciples that he loved, but a sop dipped in the sauce to Judas that betrayed him.
[2.]Did they defy his justice and boast that they had gained their point? He made them pay dearly for their quails; for, though he gave them their own desire, they were not estranged from their lust (Psa 78:29, Psa 78:30); their appetite was insatiable; they were well filled and yet they were not satisfied; for they knew not what they would have. Such is the nature of lust; it is content with nothing, and the more it is humoured the more humoursome it grows. Those that indulge their lust will never be estranged from it. Or it intimates that God's liberality did not make them ashamed of their ungrateful lustings, as it would have done if they had had any sense of honour. But what came of it? While the meat was yet in their mouth, rolled under the tongue as a sweet morsel, the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them (Psa 78:31), those that were most luxurious and most daring. See Num 11:33, Num 11:34. They were fed as sheep for the slaughter: the butcher takes the fattest first. We may suppose there were some pious and contented Israelites, that did eat moderately of the quails and were never the worse; for it was not the meat that poisoned them, but their own lust. Let epicures and sensualists here read their doom. The end of those who make a god of their belly is destruction, Phi 3:19. The prosperity of fools shall destroy them, and their ruin will be the greater.
4.The judgments of God upon them did not reform them, nor attain the end, any more than his mercies (Psa 78:32): For all this, they sinned still; they murmured and quarrelled with God and Moses as much as ever. Though God was wroth and smote them, yet they went on frowardly in the way of their heart (Isa 57:17); they believed not for his wondrous works. Though his works of justice were as wondrous and as great proofs of his power as his works of mercy, yet they were not wrought upon by them to fear God, nor convinced how much it was their interest to make him their friend. Those hearts are hard indeed that will neither be melted by the mercies of God nor broken by his judgments.
5.They persisting in their sins, God proceeded in his judgments, but they were judgments of another nature, which wrought not suddenly, but slowly. He punished them not now with such acute diseases as that was which slew the fattest of them, but a lingering chronical distemper (Psa 78:33): Therefore their days did he consume in vanity in the wilderness and their years in trouble. By an irreversible doom they were condemned to wear out thirty-eight tedious years in the wilderness, which indeed were consumed in vanity; for in all those years there was not a step taken nearer Canaan, but they were turned back again, and wandered to and fro as in a labyrinth, not one stroke struck towards the conquest of it: and not only in vanity, but in trouble, for their carcases were condemned to fall in the wilderness and there they all perished but Caleb and Joshua. Note, Those that sin still must expect to be in trouble still. And the reason why we spend our days in so much vanity and trouble, why we live with so little comfort and to so little purpose, is because we do not live by faith.
6.Under these rebukes they professed repentance, but they were not cordial and sincere in this profession.
(1.)Their profession was plausible enough (Psa 78:34, Psa 78:35): When he slew them, or condemned them to be slain, then they sought him; they confessed their fault, and begged his pardon. When some were slain others in a fright cried to God for mercy, and promised they would reform and be very good; then they returned to God, and enquired early after him. So one would have taken them to be such as desired to find him. And they pretended to do this because, however they had forgotten it formerly, now they remembered that God was their rock and therefore now that they needed him they would fly to him and take shelter in him, and that the high God was their Redeemer, who brought them out of Egypt and to whom therefore they might come with boldness. Afflictions are sent to put us in mind of God as our rock and our redeemer; for, in prosperity, we are apt to forget him.
(2.)They were not sincere in this profession (Psa 78:36, Psa 78:37): They did but flatter him with their mouth, as if they thought by fair speeches to prevail with him to revoke the sentence and remove the judgment, with a secret intention to break their word when the danger was over; they did not return to God with their whole heart, but feignedly, Jer 3:10. All their professions, prayers, and promises, were extorted by the rack. It was plain that they did not mean as they said, for they did not adhere to it. They thawed in the sun, but froze in the shade. They did but lie to God with their tongues, for their heart was not with him, was not right with him, as appeared by the issue, for they were not stedfast in his covenant. They were not sincere in their reformation, for they were not constant; and, by thinking thus to impose upon a heart-searching God, they really put as great an affront upon him as by any of their reflections.
7.God hereupon, in pity to them, put a stop to the judgments which were threatened and in part executed (Psa 78:38, Psa 78:39): But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity. One would think this counterfeit repentance should have filled up the measure of their iniquity. What could be more provoking than to lie thus to the holy God, than thus to keep back part of the price, the chief part? Act 5:3. And yet he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity thus far, that he did not destroy them and cut them off from being a people, as he justly might have done, but spared their lives till they had reared another generation which should enter into the promised land. Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it, Isa 65:8. Many a time he turned his anger away (for he is Lord of his anger) and did not stir up all his wrath, to deal with them as they deserved: and why did he not? Not because their ruin would have been any loss to him, but,
(1.)Because he was full of compassion and, when he was going to destroy them, his repentings were kindled together, and he said, How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? Hos 11:8.
(2.)Because, though they did not rightly remember that he was their rock, he remembered that they were but flesh. He considered the corruption of their nature, which inclined them to evil, and was pleased to make that an excuse for his sparing them, though it was really no excuse for their sin. See Gen 6:3. He considered the weakness and frailty of their nature, and what an easy thing it would be to crush them: They are as a wind that passeth away and cometh not again. They may soon be taken off, but, when they are gone, they are gone irrecoverably, and then what will become of the covenant with Abraham? They are flesh, they are wind; whence it were easy to argue they may justly, they may immediately, be cut off, and there would be no loss of them: but God argues, on the contrary, therefore he will not destroy them; for the true reason is, He is full of compassion.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
And that which in the wilderness seemed to the Jews marvellous, (they said at least, "Can He give bread also? or prepare a table in the wilderness?") this He shows forth in His works. With this view also He leads them into the wilderness, that the miracle might be very far beyond suspicion, and that no one might think that any village lying near contributed ought to the meal. For this reason He mentions the hour also, not the place only.
"And they tempted God in their hearts, in order that they might seek morsels for their souls" [Psalm 78:18]. It is one thing to ask in believing, another thing in tempting. Lastly there follows, "And they slandered God, and said, Shall God be able to prepare a table in the desert?" [Psalm 78:19]. "For He smote the rock, and the waters flowed, and torrents gushed forth: will He be able to give bread also, or to prepare a table for His people?" [Psalm 78:20]. Not believing therefore, they sought morsels for their souls. Not so the Apostle James does enjoin a morsel to be asked for the mind, but does admonish that it be sought by believers, not by such as tempt and slander God. "But if any one of you," he says, "does lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who does give to all men abundantly, and does not upbraid, and it shall be given to him: but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." [James 1:5-6] This faith had not that generation which "had not directed their heart, and the spirit thereof had not been trusted with God."
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Summary
Psalms 78:20 stands as a poignant biblical narrative, encapsulating the profound tension between God's boundless power and provision, and humanity's persistent, short-sighted unbelief. This verse vividly recounts the Israelites' cynical questioning of God's ability to provide daily sustenance—bread and meat—immediately after witnessing the miraculous gushing of water from a smitten rock, an undeniable testament to divine omnipotence. It serves as a stark reminder of the human propensity to forget God's past faithfulness, to test His character, and to succumb to doubt, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of His unwavering care and miraculous intervention.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 78 is a maskil, an instructional psalm attributed to Asaph, designed to recount Israel's history from the Exodus to the Davidic monarchy, primarily for the purpose of teaching future generations about God's enduring faithfulness and Israel's recurring rebellion. Verse 20 is situated within a larger section (verses 12-31) that details God's miraculous provisions in the wilderness and the Israelites' subsequent grumbling and testing of Him. It immediately follows the psalm's recounting of the Red Sea deliverance and the initial provision of water from the rock, setting the stage for the subsequent narrative of the manna and quail. The rhetorical questions posed by the Israelites in this verse serve to highlight the depth of their spiritual amnesia and lack of trust, despite having just experienced a profound and undeniable miracle of divine sustenance. The psalm uses this historical account to warn against repeating the sins of the fathers.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical setting for Psalms 78:20 is the forty-year wilderness wandering of the Israelites following their Exodus from Egypt. The reference to God "smiting the rock" primarily alludes to the event at Rephidim (recorded in Exodus 17:1-7), where Moses, at God's command, struck a rock, and abundant water flowed forth. While a second instance at Meribah (found in Numbers 20:1-13) also involved water from a rock, the context of Psalms 78:15-16, which precedes verse 20, clearly points to the initial, unblemished miracle. The Sinai wilderness was an extremely harsh, arid environment where survival was entirely dependent on supernatural provision. The Israelites, having been slaves in fertile Egypt, were accustomed to a different kind of sustenance. Their cultural memory of Egyptian abundance often clashed with the stark reality of the desert, fostering a mindset prone to murmuring, complaints against Moses, and ultimately, against God Himself. This verse captures their struggle to trust an unseen God for daily necessities in an inhospitable land.
Key Themes
Psalms 78:20 profoundly contributes to several overarching themes within the psalm and the broader biblical narrative. Central to this verse is the theme of Divine Omnipotence and Provision, showcasing God's limitless power to sustain His people even in the most impossible circumstances, as demonstrated by the miraculous gushing of water from a barren rock. This act underscores His absolute sovereignty over creation and His unwavering commitment to His covenant people. In stark contrast, the verse vividly illustrates the pervasive theme of Human Unbelief and Rebellion, exemplified by Israel's immediate questioning of God's ability to provide food despite having just witnessed His power. This highlights a recurring pattern of human skepticism, impatience, and a tendency to "test" God, a behavior explicitly warned against in passages like Deuteronomy 6:16 and echoed in the New Testament in Hebrews 3:7-19. Finally, the verse speaks to the Forgetfulness of Past Blessings, revealing Israel's short-term spiritual memory. They failed to build their trust on God's previous acts of faithfulness, quickly forgetting His mighty deeds and perpetuating a cycle of doubt and disobedience.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H5221) signifies "to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively); beat, kill, slay, wound." In the context of Psalms 78:20, it describes a decisive, forceful, and intentional action by God (through Moses) upon the rock. This emphasizes God's direct, powerful intervention to bring forth water from an inanimate object, highlighting His absolute control over creation and His ability to perform the impossible to provide for His people.
This verb (H2100) means "to flow freely (as water), to overflow." It conveys the abundance and continuous nature of the water that miraculously emerged from the smitten rock. The use of this word indicates not merely a trickle, but a substantial, life-sustaining flow, signifying a divine provision that was more than sufficient to meet the needs of a vast multitude and their livestock in the desolate wilderness.
This verb (H3559) properly means "to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, establish, fix, prepare, provide, make provision, be ready, be stable." When the Israelites ask, "can he provide flesh for his people?", they are not just questioning God's power to produce meat, but whether He is capable of sustaining them over time with such provisions. This implies a profound doubt about His long-term commitment and His ability to reliably nourish them in the wilderness, revealing a deep-seated distrust in God's ongoing care and faithfulness.
Verse Breakdown
"Behold, he smote the rock"
This opening exclamation draws immediate attention to a past, undeniable miracle. "He" refers to God, emphasizing His singular agency and omnipotence. The act of "smiting the rock" is presented as a direct, forceful, and public demonstration of God's ability to create sustenance from the seemingly impossible, serving as a foundational act of provision in the wilderness journey.
"that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed"
This clause describes the immediate, abundant, and overwhelming result of God's action. The "gushing out" and "overflowing streams" signify not just a minimal supply, but a miraculous deluge that met the needs of millions in a parched land. This miraculous outpouring was a clear, tangible proof of God's power, His attentiveness, and His commitment to His people's physical survival.
"can he give bread also?"
Despite the recent, undeniable miracle of water, the Israelites immediately pivot to a new, equally pressing need: food. This rhetorical question is not an earnest inquiry but an expression of profound doubt, cynicism, and spiritual short-sightedness. It reveals a faith that struggles to extrapolate God's past faithfulness to future provisions, effectively challenging His omnipotence and willingness to provide for their ongoing sustenance.
"can he provide flesh for his people?"
This second rhetorical question escalates the doubt, moving from the more common and essential "bread" to the more desired and luxurious "flesh." It further highlights their lack of trust, implying that while God might be able to provide water, providing a varied and desired diet, especially meat, is perceived as beyond His scope or commitment. This phrase encapsulates their testing of God, doubting His character and His ability to fully sustain them according to their desires, rather than simply their needs.
Literary Devices
The primary literary device employed in Psalms 78:20 is Rhetorical Question. The questions "can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?" are not posed to elicit information, but to express profound doubt, challenge, and cynicism on the part of the Israelites. They highlight the absurdity of their unbelief in light of the immediate, overwhelming evidence of God's power and provision. This device effectively underscores the theme of human faithlessness and the irrationality of doubting a God who has just performed a spectacular miracle. Additionally, there is a strong element of Juxtaposition or Contrast within the verse. The first part describes God's mighty, undeniable act of providing water from the rock, setting it in stark contrast to the subsequent questions that reveal Israel's immediate and deep-seated distrust regarding future provision. This contrast emphasizes the vast chasm between God's boundless power and the limited, doubting faith of His people. The specific mention of "bread" and "flesh" can also be seen as a form of Synecdoche, where these specific items represent all necessary food and sustenance, symbolizing the entirety of God's provision and the full scope of their desires.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 78:20 powerfully illustrates the perennial tension between God's unwavering faithfulness and humanity's persistent unbelief. Theologically, it affirms God's absolute sovereignty and His character as a benevolent Provider who is not limited by natural circumstances. His ability to bring water from a rock demonstrates His power over creation and His commitment to His covenant promises. However, the Israelites' response reveals a profound spiritual amnesia and a heart prone to testing God rather than trusting Him. This passage serves as a timeless warning against the human tendency to forget past blessings and to doubt God's ability or willingness to meet future needs, even after experiencing His miraculous intervention. It underscores that true faith is not merely acknowledging God's power in a single instance, but resting in His unchanging character and trusting His ongoing, comprehensive care. The questions "can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?" betray a fundamental misunderstanding of God's nature, reducing Him to a limited, capricious deity rather than the all-sufficient, loving Father.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 78:20 serves as a profound mirror for contemporary believers, challenging us to examine the state of our own faith in the face of new or ongoing challenges. Just as the Israelites, having witnessed the spectacular miracle of water from the rock, immediately doubted God's ability to provide food, we too can fall into the trap of spiritual amnesia. We might have experienced God's faithfulness in one area of our lives—healing, financial provision, guidance, or protection—yet when a new need arises, or an old one persists, we find ourselves asking, "Can God really do this too? Can He provide this specific thing, or for this particular long-term struggle?" This verse calls us to move beyond a transactional understanding of God's power to a relational trust in His unchanging character and boundless love. Our past experiences of God's faithfulness should not merely be isolated events but foundational building blocks for our confidence in His future care. It encourages us to cultivate a posture of intentional remembrance, actively recalling God's mighty acts in our lives and in redemptive history, allowing those memories to strengthen our faith and silence the insidious voice of doubt. True faith trusts God not just for the next step, but for the entire journey, believing that the God who provided yesterday will surely provide today and tomorrow, according to His perfect will and infinite wisdom.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Israel doubt God immediately after such a miracle?
Israel's immediate doubt after witnessing the miracle of water from the rock stems from several factors, deeply rooted in human fallenness and a lack of spiritual maturity. Firstly, it reveals a profound spiritual short-sightedness and a failure to extrapolate God's power from one situation to another; their faith was often conditional and immediate, failing to build upon past experiences. Secondly, it reflects a heart prone to murmuring and rebellion, a pattern established early in their wilderness journey, as seen in Exodus 15:24 and Exodus 16:2-3. Having been slaves in Egypt, they struggled to fully embrace dependence on a sovereign, invisible God who worked in ways unfamiliar to them. Their doubt was not merely a lack of information but a challenge to God's character and commitment, effectively "testing" Him to see if He would truly sustain them according to their desires. This demonstrates how quickly even miraculous experiences can fade from memory when not actively cherished and built upon with a trusting heart.
Is it wrong to ask God for provision?
No, it is not wrong to ask God for provision. In fact, the Bible encourages believers to bring all their needs before God with prayer and supplication, as exhorted in Philippians 4:6. The crucial distinction lies in the spirit behind the request. The Israelites in Psalms 78:20 were not asking in humble dependence but in cynical doubt, challenging God's ability and willingness to provide. Their questions were rhetorical, expressing unbelief rather than seeking faithful intervention. Asking God for provision out of faith, acknowledging His power, goodness, and sovereignty, is an act of worship and trust. Asking Him out of a spirit of testing, demanding proof, or expressing doubt in His character, however, is what is condemned. Jesus Himself taught His disciples to pray for "daily bread" in Matthew 6:11, emphasizing humble reliance on God for daily sustenance, contrasting sharply with the Israelites' demanding and faithless questions.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 78:20, while recounting Israel's wilderness unbelief, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound theological depth in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "rock" from which life-giving water flowed in the wilderness is revealed by the Apostle Paul to be Christ Himself, who spiritually accompanied and sustained Israel (see 1 Corinthians 10:4). Just as the physical rock provided essential water for a thirsty people, Christ is the spiritual Rock from whom flows the "living water" that eternally satisfies the soul's deepest thirst (John 4:10-14). Furthermore, the Israelites' cynical demand for "bread" and "flesh" foreshadows the ultimate provision found in Christ. Jesus declared Himself to be the "bread of life" (John 6:35), the true manna from heaven that gives eternal life to the world, far surpassing the physical manna that sustained Israel only temporarily in the desert. He also spoke of giving His "flesh for the life of the world" (John 6:51), culminating in the sacrificial offering of His body and blood on the cross, which provides eternal spiritual nourishment for all who believe and partake in Him (John 6:53-56). Thus, the very provisions Israel doubted God could give—water, bread, and flesh—are supremely and eternally provided in Christ, who is the ultimate fulfillment of God's sustaining grace, offering not just temporal survival but eternal life and spiritual satisfaction to all who trust in Him.