Listen... to my teachings, and pay attention ... to the use of wise sayings an the explanation of mysteries from the past, things we have heard and known... we will tell the next generation about the Lord's power and his great deeds and the wonderful things he has done.
He gave (spiritual) laws to his people (Israel) and commandments to the descendants of Jacob. He instructed our ancestors to teach his (spiritual) laws to their children, so that the next generation might learn them and in turn should tell their children. In this way they also will put their trust in God and not forget what he has done, but always obey his (spiritual) commandments.
They will not be like their ancestors, a rebellious and disobedient people, whose trust in God was never firm and who did not remain faithful to him.
The (spiritual) Ephraimites, armed with bows and arrows, ran away on the day of (spiritual) battle.They did not keep their (spiritual) covenant with God; they refused to obey his law. They forgot what he had done, the (spiritual) miracles they had seen him perform.
While their ancestors watched, God performed miracles in the (spiritual) plain of Zoan in the (spiritual) land of Egypt. He divided the (spiritual) sea and took them through it; he made the (spiritual) waters stand like walls. By day he led them with a (spiritual) cloud and all night long with the (spiritual) light of a fire. He split (spiritual) rocks open in the desert and gave them (spiritual) water from the depths.
He caused a (spiritual) stream to come out of the (spiritual) rock and made (spiritual) water flow like a river.
But they continued to sin against God, and in the (spiritual) desert they rebelled against the Most High. They deliberately put God to the test by demanding the (spiritual) food they wanted. They spoke against God and said, "Can God supply food in the (spiritual) desert? It is true that he struck the (spiritual) rock, and (spiritual) water flowed out in a torrent; but can he also provide us with (spiritual) bread and give his people (spiritual) meat?"
And so the Lord was angry when he heard them; he attacked his people with (spiritual) fire, and hia anger against them grew, because they had no faith in him and did not believe that he would save them.
But he spoke to the SKY above and commanded its doors to open; he gave them (spiritual) grain from heaven, by sending down manna for them to eat. So they eat the (spiritual) food of angels, and God gave them all they wanted. He also caused the EAST WIND to blow and by his power he stirred up the SOUTH WIND; and to his people he sent down (spirit of ) birds as many as the grains of sand on the shore; they fell in the middle of the (spiritual) camp all around the (spiritual) tents.
So the people ate and were satisfied; God gave them what they wanted. But they had not yet satisfied their craving and were still eating, when God became angry with them and killed their strongest men, the best young men of (spiritual) Israel.
In spite of all this the people kept sinning; in spite of his miracles they did not trust him. So he ended their days like a breath and their lives with sudden disaster. Whenever he killed some of them, the rest would turn to him; they would repent and pray earnestly to him. They remembered that God was their protector, that the Almighty came to their aid. But their words were all lies; nothing they said was sincere. They were not loyal to him; they were not faithful to their (spiritual) covenant with him.
But God was merciful to his people. He forgave their sin and did not destroy them. Many times he held back his anger and restrained his fury. He remembered that they were only mortal beings, like a WIND that blows by and is gone. (Psalm 78: 1-39)
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