Psalm 78:14–40

He led them by day with a cloud,

led them all the night long with a fiery torch.

He split rocks in the wilderness,

gave them all they could drink from underground springs;

He made creeks flow out from sheer rock,

and water pour out like a river.

^17–20All they did was sin even more,

rebel in the desert against the High God.

They tried to get their own way with God,

clamored for favors, for special attention.

They whined like spoiled children,

“Why can’t God give us a decent meal in this desert?

Sure, he struck the rock and the water flowed,

creeks cascaded from the rock.

But how about some fresh-baked bread?

How about a nice cut of meat?”

^21–31When God heard that, he was furious—

his anger flared against Jacob,

he lost his temper with Israel.

It was clear they didn’t believe God,

had no intention of trusting in his help.

But God helped them anyway, commanded the clouds

and gave orders that opened the gates of heaven.

He rained down showers of manna to eat,

he gave them the Bread of Heaven.

They ate the bread of the mighty angels;

he sent them all the food they could eat.

He let East Wind break loose from the skies,

gave a strong push to South Wind.

This time it was birds that rained down—

succulent birds, an abundance of birds.

He aimed them right for the center of their camp;

all round their tents there were birds.

They ate and had their fill;

he handed them everything they craved on a platter.

But their greed knew no bounds;

they stuffed their mouths with more and more.

Finally, God was fed up, his anger erupted—

he cut down their brightest and best,

he laid low Israel’s finest young men.

^32–37And—can you believe it?—they kept right on sinning;

all those wonders and they still wouldn’t believe!

So their lives dribbled off to nothing—

nothing to show for their lives but a ghost town.

When he cut them down, they came running for help;

they turned and pled for mercy.

They gave witness that God was their rock,

that High God was their redeemer,

But they didn’t mean a word of it;

they lied through their teeth the whole time.

They could not have cared less about him,

wanted nothing to do with his Covenant.

^38–55And God? Compassionate!

Forgave the sin! Didn’t destroy!

Over and over he reined in his anger,

restrained his considerable wrath.

He knew what they were made of;

he knew there wasn’t much to them,

How often in the desert they had spurned him,

tried his patience in those wilderness years.