Reading the Word

Psalm 78:54–58 (ESV)

⁵⁴ And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won. ⁵⁵ He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. ⁵⁶ Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, ⁵⁷ but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow. ⁵⁸ For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Even after God showed his power and compassion to the people of Israel by bringing them out of slavery in Egypt and settling them in the Promised Land, they turned away from him. The people did not keep the covenant that they had made with God and they turned to idolatry.

Before we ask how the Israelites could do such a thing, we need to ask ourselves if we do the same.How often do we adopt the gods of our culture? Some examples of the false gods of our culture are celebrities, sports, money, and self. We may not set up high places and idols carved from wood or stone, but we certainly make things more important than they should be, even more important than God himself, in our lives. Let us repent and thank God for his grace for saving sinners like us. He is certainly a gracious God!

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