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Scott's Reference Library
Psalm 78:23 through Psalm 78:29 (NIV)
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;
24 he rained down manna for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Men ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens
and led forth the south wind by his power.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
flying birds like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
all around their tents.
29 They ate till they had more than enough,
for he had given them what they craved.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSES 9-39
Sin dispirits men, and takes away the heart. Forgetfulness of God’s works is the
cause of disobedience to his laws. This narrative relates a struggle between
God’s goodness and man’s badness. The Lord hears all our murmurings and
distrusts, and is much displeased. Those that will not believe the power of
God’s mercy, shall feel the fire of his indignation. Those cannot be said to
trust in God’s salvation as their happiness at last, who can not trust his
providence in the way to it. To all that by faith and prayer, ask, seek, and
knock, these doors of heaven shall at any time be opened; and our distrust of
God is a great aggravation of our sins. He expressed his resentment of their
provocation; not in denying what they sinfully lusted after, but in granting it
to them. Lust is contented with nothing. Those that indulge their lust, will
never be estranged from it. Those hearts are hard indeed, that will neither be
melted by the mercies of the Lord, nor broken by his judgments. Those that sin
still, must expect to be in trouble still. And the reason why we live with so
little comfort, and to so little purpose, is, because we do not live by faith.
Under these rebukes they professed repentance, but they were not sincere, for
they were not constant. In Israel’s history we have a picture of our own hearts
and lives. God’s patience, and warnings, and mercies, imbolden them to harden
their hearts against his word. And the history of kingdoms is much the same.
Judgments and mercies have been little attended to, until the measure of their
sins has been full. And higher advantages have not kept churches from declining
from the commandments of God. Even true believers recollect, that for many a
year they abused the kindness of Providence. When they come to heaven, how will
they admire the Lord’s patience and mercy in bringing them to his kingdom!