Wholly Following Yahweh Complements Belief In Yahweh

Deuteronomy 1:19-40 reads,

1:19We journeyed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw, by the way to the hill-country of the Amorites, as Yahweh our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea. 1:20I said to you, You are come to the hill-country of the Amorites, which Yahweh our God gives to us. 1:21Behold, Yahweh your God has set the land before you: go up, take possession, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you; don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed. 1:22You came near to me everyone of you, and said, Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up, and the cities to which we shall come. 1:23The thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe: 1:24and they turned and went up into the hill-country, and came to the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. 1:25They took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which Yahweh our God gives to us.

1:26Yet you wouldn’t go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God: 1:27and you murmured in your tents, and said, Because Yahweh hated us, he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 1:28Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our heart to melt, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to the sky; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.

1:29Then I said to you, Don’t dread, neither be afraid of them. 1:30Yahweh your God who goes before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 1:31and in the wilderness, where you have seen how that Yahweh your God bore you, as a man does bear his son, in all the way that you went, until you came to this place.

1:32Yet in this thing you didn’t believe Yahweh your God, 1:33who went before you in the way, to seek you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the cloud by day.

1:34Yahweh heard the voice of your words, and was angry, and swore, saying, 1:35Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see the good land, which I swore to give to your fathers, 1:36save Caleb the son of Jephunneh: he shall see it; and to him will I give the land that he has trodden on, and to his children, because he has wholly followed Yahweh. 1:37Also Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, saying, You also shall not go in there: 1:38Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there: encourage you him; for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. 1:39Moreover your little ones, whom you said should be a prey, and your children, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there, and to them will I give it, and they shall possess it. 1:40But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.

Yahweh contrasted the evil generation of the children of Israel with Caleb the son of Jephunneh. For the evil generation manifested their evil by their disbelief and rebellion against Yahweh, while Caleb manifested his righteousness by his belief and wholly following Yahweh. It therefore appears that belief in Yahweh and wholly following Yahweh go together. And the person who does not wholly follow Yahweh manifests his disbelief in Yahweh to the degree that he does not follow Yahweh.

Listening To Yahweh's Voice Is Believing Yahweh

Deuteronomy 9:23 reads,

9:23When Yahweh sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then you rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God, and you didn’t believe him, nor listen to his voice.

Believing Yahweh is listening to the voice of Yahweh, rather than to other voices.

Achish's Misplaced Belief In David

1 Samuel 27:1-12 reads,

27:1David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. 27:2David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 27:3David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. 27:4It was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

27:5David said to Achish, If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you? 27:6Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: why Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. 27:7The number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

27:8David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those nations were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. 27:9David struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the clothing; and he returned, and came to Achish. 27:10Achish said, Against whom have you made a raid today? David said, Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites. 27:11David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David, and so has been his manner all the while he has lived in the country of the Philistines. 27:12Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever.

Achish believed David. Nevertheless, he should not have believed David, for David did not speak truth to him, speaking instead lies. Achish trusted David, but David did not trust Achish, for he did not tell Achish the truth of his activities. Achish therefore ended up developing false hopes, for the hopes he developed on account of David were based on David's lies to him.

Do Not Trust Human Beings

Learning from David and Achish's experience we should learn that we should NOT trust other human beings. Before believing a word of a human being we should first verify its truth, and only then should we trust it.

Trust Only Yahweh

The one person that we should always believe is Yahweh, for it is righteousness to believe Yahweh and it is evil to disbelieve Yahweh. Also, should one come in the name of Yahweh, we should first ascertain whether the one indeed comes in Yahweh's name and bears Yahweh's words. If the one proves true we should believe Yahweh's words that he bears. But if he does not prove true we should not believe him. In other words, we should not believe another human being unless and until Yahweh confirms to us that we should. For it is Yahweh that we should believe.

Solomon And The Queen Of Sheba

1 Kings 10:1-10 reads,

10:1When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Yahweh, she came to prove him with hard questions. 10:2She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she was come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart. 10:3Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her. 10:4When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 10:5and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Yahweh; there was no more spirit in her. 10:6She said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom. 10:7However I didn’t believe the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. 10:8Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, and who hear your wisdom. 10:9Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel: because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore made he you king, to do justice and righteousness. 10:10She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

The Queen Of Sheba Acted Wiser Than Achish King Of Gath

The queen of Sheba proved herself to have been wiser than Achish king of Gath. For she did not believe the report that she had received concerning Solomon, until such time as she had verified it.

The Queen Of Sheba Believed The Signs That She Saw

It should also be noted that the manner the queen of Sheba came to believe what she did was in the customary manner of human beings - by seeing signs. For the signs that she saw pertained to Solomon's kingdom, and it is these signs that facilitated her believing what she did.

The Queen Of Sheba Glorified Yahweh For The Signs That She Saw

10:9 notes that the queen of Sheba blessed Yahweh, on account of all the signs that she saw in Israel in Solomon's reign. In other words, when Yahweh performs a work through his servants, his servants should sanctify him before those who witness the works that he performs through them. For it is in their sanctifying and giving Yahweh due glory for those works that these who witness Yahweh's works get to know of Yahweh and likewise give Yahweh due glory for the works that he does. In other words, the signs that Yahweh does through human beings he does that the people witnessing those works may believe Yahweh, and become righteous themselves, departing from evil. It is therefore evident that the glory of Solomon's kingdom succeeded in bringing many people, both near and far, to Yahweh and Yahweh's ways.

Yahweh Punishes Those Who Do Not Believe In Him

2 Kings 17:1-23 reads,

17:1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel, and reigned nine years. 17:2He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 17:3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute.

17:4The king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

17:5Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. 17:6In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

17:7It was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, 17:8and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made. 17:9The children of Israel did secretly things that were not right against Yahweh their God: and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city; 17:10and they set them up pillars and Asherim on every high hill, and under every green tree; 17:11and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the nations whom Yahweh carried away before them; and they worked wicked things to provoke Yahweh to anger; 17:12and they served idols, whereof Yahweh had said to them, You shall not do this thing.

17:13Yet Yahweh testified to Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, Turn you from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

17:14Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who didn’t believe in Yahweh their God. 17:15They rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the nations that were round about them, concerning whom Yahweh had charged those who they should not do like them. 17:16They forsook all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the host of the sky, and served Baal. 17:17They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger.

17:18Therefore Yahweh was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. 17:19Also Judah didn’t keep the commandments of Yahweh their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 17:20Yahweh rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. 17:21For he tore Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drove Israel from following Yahweh, and made them sin a great sin. 17:22The children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they didn’t depart from them; 17:23until Yahweh removed Israel out of his sight, as he spoke by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day.

Yahweh punishes those who do not believe him and do not wholly follow him.

Yahweh Delivered Believing Jehoshaphat And Judah

2 Chronicles 20:1-30 reads,

20:1It happened after this, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 20:2Then there came some who told Jehoshaphat, saying, There comes a great multitude against you from beyond the sea from Syria; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (the same is En-gedi).

20:3Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek to Yahweh; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 20:4Judah gathered themselves together, to seek help of Yahweh: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Yahweh. 20:5Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Yahweh, before the new court; 20:6and he said, Yahweh, the God of our fathers, aren’t you God in heaven? And aren’t you ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? And in your hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 20:7Did not you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham your friend forever? 20:8They lived therein, and have built you a sanctuary therein for your name, saying, 20:9If evil come on us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before you, (for your name is in this house,) and cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save. 20:10Now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and didn’t destroy them; 20:11behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 20:12Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us; neither know we what to do: but out eyes are on you. 20:13All Judah stood before Yahweh, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

20:14Then on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of Yahweh in the midst of the assembly; 20:15and he said, Listen you, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat: Thus says Yahweh to you, Don’t be afraid you, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 20:16Tomorrow go you down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and you shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 20:17You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand you still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed: tomorrow go out against them: for Yahweh is with you.

20:18Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshipping Yahweh. 20:19The Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice. 20:20They rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in Yahweh your God, so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall you prosper.

20:21When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who should sing to Yahweh, and give praise in holy array, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks to Yahweh; for his lovingkindness endures forever. 20:22When they began to sing and to praise, Yahweh set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck. 20:23For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. 20:24When Judah came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none who escaped.

20:25When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. 20:26On the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Beracah; for there they blessed Yahweh: therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Beracah to this day. 20:27Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for Yahweh had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 20:28They came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets to the house of Yahweh.

20:29The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that Yahweh fought against the enemies of Israel. 20:30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about.

Jehoshaphat Manifested A Weakness Typical Of Humans

20:3 shows that Jehoshaphat was as much human as other humans are. For when he received the voice of the sign of the armies marching out against him, and he believed this voice, he feared.

Jehoshaphat Did Not Despair

Nevertheless, despite being in fear, he was not in complete despair. For he still relied on Yahweh, and sought to seek Yahweh's help in this difficult situation that he found himself in, as seen in 20:4.

Jehoshaphat therefore teaches us that whenever we find ourselves in a difficult situation we should not despair. We should in such circumstances rely on Yahweh. We should seek Yahweh's help in such circumstances, believing in Yahweh and trusting that he will help us.

Yahweh Answered Judah's Supplication To Him

In 20:15-17 Yahweh gave Judah answer to its supplication to him. They did not need to fear or be dismayed on account of the great host coming out against them. For Yahweh would fight the battle on their behalf, without their needing to fight this battle.

The People Believed Yahweh

20:18-20 shows that the people believed Yahweh's words to them, and they worshipped Yahweh and praised him with a very loud voice.

How To Prosper And Be Established

20:20 notes that those who believe Yahweh and his words, including his words through his prophets, are established and prosper. Therefore, for Yahweh to establish us and prosper us we must indeed believe his words, including his words through his prophets.

The Nations Feared Yahweh As A Result Of His Works For Judah

20:29 shows the effect of Yahweh's great work for Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Jehoshaphat. The kingdoms of all the countries feared Yahweh, for they saw the sign and work that he did against the armies that came out against Judah and Jerusalem. It is again evident that Yahweh's works and signs are done for the purpose of facilitating those people who witness such works and signs fearing him and believing him.

The People Believed In Yahweh During Hezekiah's Day

2 Chronicles 33:1-23 reads,

32:1After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself. 32:2When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, 32:3he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the springs which were outside of the city; and they helped him. 32:4So there was gathered much people together, and they stopped all the springs, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water? 32:5He took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. 32:6He set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the broad place at the gate of the city, and spoke comfortably to them, saying, 32:7Be strong and of good courage, don’t be afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude who is with him; for there is a greater with us than with him: 32:8with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Yahweh our God to help us, and to fight our battles. The people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

32:9After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (now he was before Lachish, and all his power with him,) to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying, 32:10Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do you trust, that you abide the siege in Jerusalem? 32:11Does not Hezekiah persuade you, to give you over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, Yahweh our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 32:12Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before one altar, and on it shall you burn incense? 32:13 Don’t you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands in any wise able to deliver their land out of my hand? 32:14Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? 32:15Now therefore don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you after this manner, neither believe you him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand?

32:16His servants spoke yet more against Yahweh God, and against his servant Hezekiah. 32:17He wrote also letters, to rail on Yahweh, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall the God of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand. 32:18They cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city. 32:19They spoke of the God of Jerusalem, as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.

32:20Hezekiah the king, and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven. 32:21Yahweh sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. When he was come into the house of his god, those who came forth from his own bowels killed him there with the sword. 32:22Thus Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. 32:23Many brought gifts to Yahweh to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah; so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.

Hezekiah Encouraged The People To Believe In Yahweh

32:7-8 shows that Hezekiah was, at least in my opinion, brilliant! For he believed Yahweh, and he relied on Yahweh, and he spoke comfortably to his people to rely on Yahweh and to believe Yahweh. Hezekiah's heart was righteous, and he spoke to the people that they too should have righteous hearts, manifested by their belief in Yahweh.

Sennacherib Was Evil In Despising Yahweh

32:9-15 shows that not only did Sennacherib fail to honour Yahweh, he utterly despised Yahweh by deeming Yahweh to be less than the gods of the nations that he had conquered. He had an evil and proud heart, and was courting death by this evil. And die he did, as 32:21 shows!

Yahweh's Name Was Glorified Among The Nations After His Mighty Work Over Assyria

32:23 shows the effect of Yahweh's mighty work in saving Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria. Yahweh's name was glorified and exalted in the sight of the nations, and they understood that Yahweh exists and has great power, greater than that of any and all kings of the earth.

Believe In Yahweh And Trust In His Salvation

Psalm 78 reads,

A contemplation by Asaph.

78:1Hear my law, my people.
Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.

78:2I will open my mouth in a parable.
I will utter dark sayings of old,

78:3Which we have heard and known,
Our fathers have told us.

78:4We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of Yahweh,
His strength, and his wondrous works that he has done.

78:5For he established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which he commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;

78:6That the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born;
Who should arise and tell their children,

78:7That they might set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep his commandments,

78:8And might not be as their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal,
Whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

78:9The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.

78:10They didn’t keep the covenant of God,
And refused to walk in his law.

78:11They forgot his doings,
His wondrous works that he had shown them.

78:12Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

78:13He split the sea, and caused them to pass through;
He made the waters stand as a heap.

78:14In the daytime he also led them with a cloud,
All the night with a light of fire.

78:15He split rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.

78:16He brought streams also out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

78:17Yet they still went on to sin against him,
To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

78:18They tempted God in their heart
By asking food according to their desire.

78:19Yes, they spoke against God.
They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

78:20Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out,
Streams overflowed.

Can he give bread also?
Will he provide flesh for his people?"

78:21Therefore Yahweh heard, and was angry.
A fire was kindled against Jacob,
Anger also went up against Israel,

78:22Because they didn’t believe in God,
And didn’t trust in his salvation.

78:23Yet he commanded the skies above,
And opened the doors of heaven.

78:24He rained down manna on them to eat,
And gave them food from the sky.

78:25Man ate the bread of angels.
He sent them food to the full.

78:26He caused the east wind to blow in the sky.
By his power he guided the south wind.

78:27He rained also flesh on them as the dust;
Winged birds as the sand of the seas.

78:28He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
Around their habitations.

78:29So they ate, and were well filled.
He gave them their own desire.

78:30They didn’t turn from their cravings.
Their food was yet in their mouths,
78:31When the anger of God went up against them,
And killed some of the fattest of them,
And struck down the young men of Israel.

78:32For all this they still sinned,
And didn’t believe in his wondrous works.

78:33Therefore he consumed their days in vanity,
And their years in terror.

78:34When he killed them, then they inquired after him.
They returned and sought God earnestly.

78:35They remembered that God was their rock,
The Most High God their redeemer.

78:36But they flattered him with their mouth,
And lied to him with their tongue.

78:37For their heart was not right with him,
Neither were they faithful in his covenant.

78:38But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them.
Yes, many times he turned his anger away,
And didn’t stir up all his wrath.

78:39He remembered that they were but flesh,
A wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.

78:40How often did they rebel against him in the wilderness,
And grieve him in the desert!

78:41They turned again and tempted God,
And provoked the Holy One of Israel.

78:42They didn’t remember his hand,
Nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;

78:43How he set his signs in Egypt,
His wonders in the field of Zoan,

78:44Turned their rivers into blood,
Their streams, so that they could not drink.

78:45He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them;
Frogs, which destroyed them.

78:46He gave also their increase to the caterpillar,
Their labor to the locust.

78:47He destroyed their vines with hail,
Their sycamore-fig trees with frost.

78:48He gave over their cattle also to the hail,
And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

78:49He threw on them the fierceness of his anger,
Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
And a band of angels of evil.

78:50He made a path for his anger.
He didn’t spare their soul from death,
But gave their life over to the pestilence,

78:51And struck all the firstborn in Egypt,
The chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

78:52But he led forth his own people like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

78:53He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid,
But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

78:54He brought them to the border of his sanctuary,
To this mountain, which his right hand had taken.

78:55He also drove out the nations before them,
Allotted them for an inheritance by line,
And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

78:56Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God,
And didn’t keep his testimonies;

78:57But turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers.
They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

78:58For they provoked him to anger with their high places,
And moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.

78:59When God heard this, he was angry,
And greatly abhorred Israel;

78:60So that he forsook the tent of Shiloh,
The tent which he placed among men;

78:61And delivered his strength into captivity,
His glory into the adversary’s hand.

78:62He also gave his people over to the sword,
And was angry with his inheritance.

78:63Fire devoured their young men;
Their virgins had no wedding song.

78:64Their priests fell by the sword;
Their widows made no lamentation.

78:65Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep,
Like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.

78:66He struck his adversaries backward.
He put them to a perpetual reproach.

78:67Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph,
And didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,

78:68But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which he loved.

78:69He built his sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which he has established forever.

78:70He also chose David his servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;

78:71From following the ewes that have their young he brought him
To be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.

78:72So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

[Previous Section] [Contents] [Next Section]

Your comments on this article

Click here to inform a friend about this article

Go to Christ the Lamp web site Contents page

Go to Christ the Lamp Home page

© 1999, Isaac Aluochier, All rights reserved. Published by Christ the Lamp, a division of Servants of Yahweh, P O Box 78, Royston, SG8 7WF, United Kingdom. E-mail: christthelamp@christthelamp.org. Permission is hereby GRANTED to reproduce this and other publications in the Christ the Lamp web site, http://www.christthelamp.org, unless otherwise stated.

Financial contributions, payable to Servants of Yahweh, and sent to P O Box 78, Royston, SG8 7WF, United Kingdom, are welcome and gratefully received. These facilitate the effective distribution of the word Yah'shuah has given us, both in electronic and hard copy formats. Not all have easy access to the Internet and therefore cannot easily access our web site, http://www.christthelamp.org, for this information where it is freely available. These need hard copies of the information published on our web site. Production and distribution of books and booklets is significantly more costly than publishing and distributing material over the Internet. In this regard your financial contributions, whether by way of tithes and/or freewill offerings, go a great way in disseminating the word Yah'shuah has given us to the people he wills it to reach. May Yahweh and Yah'shuah richly bless you for your financial contributions to Servants of Yahweh.