Don't Shoot Ourselves in the Foot

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Psalm 81 ended with a lament of God, regarding the rich blessings that He has prepared for Israel,

"...you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." (Psalm 81:16)

but sadly was not given because Israel "shot themselves in the foot".

Listen to the sadness in God when He proclaimed:

"..if you would but listen to me, O Israel!" (Psalm 81:8, 13)

Obviously Israel did not heed, and the rest...is history.


Psalm 78 clearly described what Israel did to "shoot themselves in the foot", and in doing so, disqualify themselves from the richness of God's blessings.

"a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him." (v8)

"they did not keep God's covenant
and refused to live by his law.
They forgot what he had done,
the wonders he had shown them." (v10-11)

But they continued to sin against him,
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.
They willfully put God to the test
by demanding the food they craved. (v17-18)

for they did not believe in God
or trust in his deliverance. (v22)

In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;
in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. (v32)

But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
lying to him with their tongues;
their hearts were not loyal to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant. (v36-37)

But they put God to the test
and rebelled against the Most High;
they did not keep his statutes.
Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless,
as unreliable as a faulty bow. (v56-57)

Stiff-necked, stubborn, disloyal, unfaithful, disobedient;
quick to forget God's blessings, His miracles and goodness.
Rebellious, wilful, quick to put God to the test.
No fear of the Lord in their hearts.
Disbelief, unbelief in God's provision and deliverance.
Desires material pleasures above the Presence of God.
Untruthful in heart and deed. Flatterers.
Unreliable.

It is the same today. God wants to bless us.

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor;
No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Psalm 84:11)

Problem is always that our walk is far from blameless, because we keep repeating the mistakes and the sins committed by the Israelites.

But it need not be.

The choice is ours.
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