Psalms 78:1-72

78:1 | By recounting the history of Israel within this psalm, Asaph hopes that the current generation would not repeat the sins of their predecessors.

78:32-39 | The writer summarizes God’s judgments and Israel’s reactions to them. Even the repentance of Israel was shallow and unsatisfactory and, therefore, not a cure for their sins. The same pattern happened time and again – Israel sinned, God judged, Israel repented, God rescued, then the cycle began anew.

78:72 | The word skillfulness means “understanding, intelligence, knowledge, insight.” As the leader of the nation, David put into practice the skills he learned as a shepherd. Ultimately, this verse is fulfilled in Christ, the eternal Good Shepherd (John 10).