Psalms 78:56 Commentary: Study: Rebellion After Blessings

Psalm 78 is a teaching psalm attributed to Asaph, retelling Israel's history from Egypt to David. Its purpose, as stated in verses 1-8, is to instruct future generations not to repeat the ancestors' stubbornness. By verse 56, the psalm has surveyed God's mighty works: the plagues, the exodus, the wilderness provision, and the conquest of Canaan. Verses 52-55 paint a picture of a shepherd leading his flock safely into a sanctuary, the Promised Land.

Then comes the turning point with 'Yet.' The Hebrew waw (וַ) is adversative: despite everything, Israel tested (נסה, nasah) and rebelled (מרה, marah) against God Most High (אל עליון, El Elyon). These verbs echo earlier complaints in the psalm (Psa 78:17-18, 40-41) and deliberately recall the wilderness rebellions at Massah and Meribah (Exodus 17). The pairing suggests that the heart condition never changed.

The historical setting is the period of the Judges, as Barnes and Gill note. After Joshua's death, the generation that knew God's works abandoned the covenant, serving Baals and provoking God (Judges 2:11-12). This outcome was predicted by Moses (Deuteronomy 31:16, 20): prosperity would lead to forgetfulness and idolatry. The phrase 'kept not his testimonies' reflects a failure to observe the law as a witness to God's will (Cambridge Bible). The psalm uses this failure to explain the subsequent judgment: God rejected the tabernacle at Shiloh (v.60) and eventually chose Judah and David (vv.67-72). The verse thus functions as a hinge: it summarizes Israel's undoing after receiving the land.

The supplied commentaries and lexical sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 78:56. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the English translations agree in meaning, with minor differences in phrasing (e.g., 'provoked' vs. 'rebelled').

Psalm 78:56 has been read across church history as a sobering reminder of Israel's failure and a mirror for the believer's own heart. Reformation-era commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry highlighted the contrast between God's lavish goodness and human perversity, using it to warn against spiritual complacency. The Geneva Bible notes point to the Judges period as the fulfillment of this pattern. In Puritan writings, the verse was often cited in sermons urging congregations to remember God's works lest they fall into similar ingratitude. The phrase 'deceitful bow' (v.57) became proverbial for religious pretense. Across traditions, this passage is used in teaching the importance of intergenerational discipleship (as the psalm's introduction commands) and the danger of forgetfulness in times of ease.

Three-Point Outline

1. God's Generosity Precedes Our Response. The context of verses 52-55 emphasizes God's shepherd-like care: leading, guiding, settling. The rebellion comes after blessing, not before. This sequence warns against viewing grace as permission to forget the giver.
2. Tempting and Rebelling Start in the Heart. The verbs 'tested' (nasah, implying putting to the proof) and 'rebelled' (marah, strong defiance) indicate intentional opposition. Israel's sin was not passive neglect but active provocation. Gill connects this to idolatry in the time of the judges, a clear turning from Yahweh.
3. Keeping Testimonies Requires Active Remembrance. The phrase 'did not keep his testimonies' uses shamar, to guard, observe. The opposite of keeping is forgetting, which the psalm earlier warns against (v.11). Recalling God's works is the antidote to rebellion.

Five-Point Outline

1. God's Faithful Actions: deliverance, guidance, provision, victory, settlement (vv.52-55).
2. Israel's Immediate Rebellion: testing and provoking the Most High.
3. The Root Cause: failure to keep God's testimonies (v.56b).
4. The Pattern Continues: 'turned back' and 'dealt treacherously' like their fathers (v.57).
5. Judgment Follows: God abandons Shiloh and later chooses David (vv.59-72).

Illustration Hooks

• A child given a new bicycle who refuses to follow the parent's rules about where to ride. The gift does not create gratitude; it reveals what is already in the heart. Similarly, Israel's prosperity exposed their inclination to rebel.
• A patient who recovers from a serious illness thanks to excellent medical care, then immediately resumes unhealthy habits. The rescue is forgotten as soon as comfort returns.

Questions Your Congregation Is Asking

• Why do I sometimes drift from God when life is going well? This verse shows that prosperity can breed self-reliance and forgetfulness.
• How can I break the cycle of sin-and-repent without growing discouraged? The psalm points to remembering God's past faithfulness and teaching the next generation.
• What does it mean to 'keep God's testimonies' in daily life? It involves guarding the Word and obeying it as a witness to His will.

This verse captures a painful truth: God's people received overwhelming goodness yet still turned against Him. As a group, reflect on the gap between God's faithfulness and human forgetfulness.

Discussion Questions

1. Read Psalm 78:52-56. What specific blessings does the psalmist list before verse 56? Why does he place them so carefully?
2. The Hebrew word for 'tested' (nasah) can mean 'to put to the proof.' In what sense were the Israelites testing God? Compare with Exodus 17:2-7.
3. Why do you think the psalmist calls God 'Most High' (El Elyon) in this verse? What does that title emphasize about the gravity of their rebellion?
4. Verse 56 mentions 'testimonies' (edot). How do God's commands serve as witnesses? See Psalm 19:7; 25:10.
5. What patterns from the period of the Judges (Judges 2:11-19) do you see reflected in this verse?
6. Think of a time when you received a clear blessing from God. How did it affect your obedience? Were there temptations to forget?
7. What practical steps can our group take to 'keep God's testimonies' and avoid the pattern described here?