How often his people rebelled against him in the (spiritual) desert; how many times they made him sad! Again and again they put God to the test and brought pain to the Holy God of Israel. They forgot his great power and the day when he saved them from their (spiritual) enemies and performed his mighty acts and miracles in the (spiritual) plain of Zoan in the (spiritual) land of Egypt.
He turned the (spiritual) rivers into blood, and the Egyptians had no (spiritual) water to drink. He sent (spiritual) flies among them, that tormented them, and (spiritual) frogs that ruined their (spiritual) land. He sent (spiritual) locusts to eat their (spiritual) crops and to destroy their (spiritual) fields. He killed their (spiritual) grapevines with (spiritual) hail and their (spiritual) fig trees with (spiritual) frost. He killed their (spiritual) cattle with (spiritual) hail and their (spiritual) flocks with (spiritual) lightning.
He caused them great distress by pouring out his anger and fierce rage, which came as messengers of death. He did not restrain his anger or spare their lives, but killed them with a (spiritual) plague. He killed the first-born sons of all the families of (spiritual) Egypt.
Then he led his (spiritual) people out like a shepherd and guided them through the desert. He led them safely, and they were not afraid; but the (spiritual) sea came rolling over their enemies. He brought them to his holy (spiritual) land, to the (spiritual) mountains which he himself conquered. He drove out the inhabitants as his (spiritual) people advanced; he divided their (spiritual) land among the (spiritual) tribes of Israel and gave their homes to his (spiritual) people.
But they rebelled against Almighty God and put him to the test. They did not obey his (spiritual) commandments, but were rebellious and disloyal like their fathers, unreliable as a crooked arrow. They angered him with their heathen (spiritual) places of worship, and with their idols they made him furious.
God was angry when he saw it, so he rejected his (spiritual) people completely.
He abandoned his (spiritual) tent in Shiloh, the (spiritual) home where he had lived among us. He allowed our (spiritual) enemies to capture the (spiritual) Covenant Box, the (spiritual) symbol of his power and glory.
He was angry with his own (spiritual) people and let them be killed by their (spiritual) enemies. Young men were killed in war, and young women had no one to marry. Priests died by (spiritual) violence, and their widows were not allowed to mourn.
At last the Lord woke up as though from sleep; he was like a strong man excited by (spiritual) wine.
He drove his enemies back in lasting and shameful defeat. But he rejected the descendants of Joseph; he did not select the tribe of Ephraim. Instead he chose the tribe of Judah and Mount Zion, which he dearly loves.
There he built his (spiritual) Temple like his home in heaven; he made it firm like the earth itself, secure for all time. He chose his servant David; he took him from the (spiritual) pastures, where he looked after his (spiritual) flocks, and made him king of (spiritual) Israel, the shepherd of the (spiritual) people of God.
David took care of them with unselfish devotion and led them with skill. (Psalm 78 : 40 - 72)
God presides in the heavenly council; in the assembly of the gods he gives his decision"You must stop judging unjustly; you must no longer be partial to the wicked! Defend the rights of the (spiritual) poor and the (spiritual) orphans; be fair to the (spiritual) needy and the (spiritual) helpless. Rescue them from the power of evil men." (Psalm 82 : 1 - 4)
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