Commentary - Psalm 78:21-31

Bird's-eye view

This section of Asaph's historical psalm is a potent and instructive display of the interplay between God's holy wrath and His extravagant grace. It serves as a case study in the anatomy of unbelief. The central problem is not a lack of evidence for God's power, but a deep-seated refusal to trust in His salvation. In response to Israel's grumbling, God's anger is kindled, a holy and just reaction to covenant infidelity. And yet, in a stunning turn, this very anger is mingled with an almost unbelievable display of miraculous provision. He opens the doors of heaven and rains down bread and meat. The passage is designed to show us the hardness of the human heart. Even when showered with grace, even with the taste of miracle in their mouths, the people's lustful desires remain untamed. This leads to the final, terrible judgment. God gives them what they want, and then judges them in the very act of their gluttonous satisfaction. It is a terrifying illustration of the principle that God's grace, when met with persistent unbelief, does not avert judgment but rather seals it.

The entire episode is a parable for us. We are tempted to think that if only we had more signs, more miracles, our faith would be robust. This passage demolishes that notion. Israel was surrounded by miracles and yet remained faithless. The root of sin is unbelief, a refusal to take God at His word. The passage therefore drives us to the gospel. Our only hope is not in more spectacular displays of power, but in a Spirit-wrought heart transplant that enables us to believe God and trust in His salvation, which has been definitively revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Outline

Context In Psalm 78

Psalm 78 is a maskil, a teaching psalm, authored by Asaph. Its purpose is to recount the history of God's dealings with Israel, from the Exodus to the reign of David, in order to instruct the next generation. The explicit goal is that they might set their hope in God and not forget His works, unlike their forefathers (vv. 7-8). The psalm is a long and often painful litany of Israel's rebellion, forgetfulness, and testing of God, punctuated by God's mighty acts of salvation and judgment. The section immediately preceding our text (vv. 12-20) details God's miraculous provision of water from the rock, which, paradoxically, led not to faith but to further questioning: "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?" Our passage (vv. 21-31) is God's direct answer to that cynical question. It is a pivotal moment in the psalm, demonstrating that God can indeed set a table in the wilderness, but also that provision without faith is a fast track to judgment.

Key Issues

Wrath and Wonder

We moderns are uncomfortable with the idea of God's wrath. We want a God who is all kindness and no severity. But the Bible presents a God who is both, and as Paul reminds us, we are to note both (Rom. 11:22). Here in Psalm 78, the wrath of God is not a petty tantrum. It is the righteous, covenantal response of a holy God to the persistent, stiff-necked rebellion of His people. They questioned His character and His ability. They slandered Him in their hearts. For God to have overlooked this would be for Him to be unrighteous.

But what is truly staggering here is that God's wrath does not immediately consume them. Instead, it is accompanied by a flood of grace. He is angry, and so He opens the doors of heaven. This is the mystery of God's character. He is not either angry or gracious; He is both at once. His anger is the holy fire that frames His provision. The manna and the quail are not given to appease their grumbling, but rather to expose it. He gives them exactly what they ask for, in overwhelming abundance, to demonstrate that their problem is not an empty stomach but an unbelieving heart. This is a far more terrifying reality. An empty stomach can be filled, but an unbelieving heart will turn even the bread of angels into an occasion for judgment.

Verse by Verse Commentary

21 Therefore Yahweh heard and was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel,

God is not deaf. He heard their grumbling and their faithless questioning. The response is not muted or ambiguous; it is wrath. The psalmist uses three distinct phrases to describe it: "full of wrath," "a fire was kindled," and "anger also mounted." This is the holy fury of a spurned husband and a dishonored king. The fire kindled against Jacob is a direct reference to the incident at Taberah (Num. 11:1-3), where the fire of the Lord burned among them because of their complaining. This is not the arbitrary anger of a pagan deity. This is the judicial, covenantal anger of Yahweh against His own people, Jacob and Israel. He is angry precisely because they are His people and should have known better.

22 Because they did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation.

Here is the root of the problem, laid bare. The reason for the fire and the wrath was not, fundamentally, their hunger or their desire for a more varied menu. The reason was unbelief. Asaph states it in two parallel clauses for emphasis. First, they "did not believe in God." This is a foundational issue. They did not take God at His word. They did not believe He was who He said He was. Second, and more specifically, they "did not trust in His salvation." They had been the direct beneficiaries of the greatest act of salvation in history to that point, the exodus from Egypt. They had seen the plagues, walked through the sea, and followed the pillar of fire. Yet, they did not trust that the God who could do all that could also provide their next meal. Unbelief is the cardinal sin because it calls God a liar. It is the taproot from which all other sins grow.

23-24 Yet He commanded the skies above And opened the doors of heaven; He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them grain from heaven.

The word "Yet" is one of the most glorious words in Scripture. In the face of their unbelief and His own righteous anger, God acts in breathtaking grace. He doesn't just provide; He does so with cosmic flourish. He "commanded the skies" and "opened the doors of heaven." This is the language of sovereign, creative power. The provision was not grudging or minimal. He "rained down" manna. It was an act of overwhelming abundance. He gave them "grain from heaven," emphasizing its supernatural origin. He was answering their question, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?" with a resounding, undeniable yes. He can, and He did, in a way that should have silenced all their doubts forever.

25 Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them provision to satisfy.

The description of the provision is elevated further. This was not just any food; it was the "bread of angels," or literally, "bread of the mighty ones." This poetic description highlights its heavenly source and its miraculous quality. It was food fit for heaven, given to men on earth. And notice the purpose: He sent it "to satisfy." The Hebrew word means to the full, to satiety. God's intention was to completely meet their need and remove any basis for their complaint. This was not a ration; it was a feast from the sky. God's grace is never stingy.

26-27 He led forth the east wind in the heavens And by His strength He guided the south wind. Then He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

As if the bread of angels were not enough, God now addresses their lust for meat (Num. 11:4). Again, the scale of the operation is cosmic. God marshals the winds of heaven as His servants, directing a massive flock of quail into the camp. The language of abundance is pushed to its limits. He "rained meat" upon them. The similes are potent: "like the dust" and "like the sand of the seas." This is a picture of uncountable, overwhelming supply. Imagine trying to count the grains of sand on the shore. That is how much meat God provided. He was giving them exactly what their sinful hearts craved, and He was giving it to them in spades. This is a grace that is beginning to look terrifying.

28 He caused them to fall in the midst of His camp, All around His dwelling places.

The provision was not only abundant, it was convenient. They did not have to go out and hunt for it. God made the quail fall right in the middle of their camp, all around the Tabernacle, His own dwelling place. The miracle was brought right to their doorstep. There was no ambiguity about the source of this gift. It was from Yahweh, whose presence was in their midst. This detail removes every possible excuse. They could not claim they found it by their own effort or that it was a natural phenomenon. God delivered it personally.

29 So they ate and were very satisfied, And their desire He brought to them.

The first part of the verse sounds like a happy ending. They ate, and they were "very satisfied." Their stomachs were full. The physical craving was met. But the next clause is ominous: "And their desire He brought to them." God granted their request. He gave them the object of their lust. In the economy of God, getting exactly what your sinful heart desires is often the first step of judgment. He was giving them enough rope to hang themselves.

30-31 Before they had satisfied their desire, While their food was in their mouths, The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

The hammer falls. The judgment is swift, terrible, and perfectly timed. The text says it happened while the food was still in their mouths. They were in the very act of gratifying their lust, and in that moment, the anger of God, which had been held in check by His miraculous provision, now broke forth. The grace they had just received, having produced no repentance, now served as the backdrop for their condemnation. The judgment was not indiscriminate. It struck down the "stoutest ones" and the "choice men." These were likely the ringleaders of the rebellion, the healthiest and strongest who felt most secure in their own vitality. God's judgment is precise. He took down the very best of them to show that no human strength can stand against His holy wrath.

Application

This passage is a stark warning against the sin of unbelief, which often masquerades as simple complaining or dissatisfaction with our circumstances. We are just like Israel. God has delivered us from a bondage far worse than Egypt through the cross of Christ. He has given us the true bread from heaven, the Lord Jesus Himself. He has seated us in the heavenly places and promised to provide for our every need. And yet, how often do our hearts grumble? How often do we look at God's abundant provision and say, "Is this all?"

We must learn that the root issue is never our circumstances, but always our hearts. The solution to a grumbling spirit is not a change of scenery or a better menu; it is repentance for the sin of unbelief. We must confess our failure to trust God's salvation and ask Him to give us hearts that truly believe His promises. This passage teaches us to be terrified of getting what our sinful hearts want. A far better prayer is, "Lord, give me what I need, and change my desires to match."

Finally, we see the terrible nature of grace that is received without faith. The manna and quail became a curse to Israel because they ate with lust and not with gratitude. This is why Paul warns the Corinthians about partaking of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner (1 Cor. 11:27-30). The means of grace can become a means of judgment if they are not mixed with faith. Let us therefore come to the Lord's Table, and to all His gifts, not with the demanding lust of the Israelites, but with the humble, grateful faith of a child who knows that his Father gives only good things.