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Psalms 78 [Psalms 78:1] GIVE EAR, O MY PEOPLE, TO MY LAW: INCLINE YOUR EARS TO THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH. The people of Israel are called upon to heed the Law of the Almighty which is the Law of David and Judah. [Psalms 78:2] I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN A PARABLE: I WILL UTTER DARK SAYINGS OF OLD: <<DARK SAYINGS>>: Hebrew "chidot" meaning riddles or conundrums, enigmas. <<I WILL UTTER>>: Hebrew "abia" literally "cause to gush forth" (Hirsch) or "give expression to" which S.R. Hirsch explains to mean "I shall solve". [Psalms 78:3] WHICH WE HAVE HEARD AND KNOWN, AND OUR FATHERS HAVE TOLD US. [Psalms 78:4] WE WILL NOT HIDE THEM FROM THEIR CHILDREN, SHEWING TO THE GENERATION TO COME THE PRAISES OF THE LORD, AND HIS STRENGTH, AND HIS WONDERFUL WORKS THAT HE HATH DONE. Our forefathers revealed profound truths to us. We will NOT conceal these verities from our children who are also the children of our forefathers. To do so would show ingratitude to our ancestors. Most of our progenitors are now in the World of Truth. On the whole they were good people and those who were not (if there were such) had the potential for good and gave rise to we who can with some effort also do good. We owe it to our ancestors to, as well as we can, show our children the right path. This is for our own good and also brings Redemption to our forebears. One should not make a cult out of reverence for ancestors but some respect is also in order. By doing as well as we can we fulfill an ancestral mission. At some level even in the genealogical sense we are all one. We carry within us heritage from the past and promise for the future. We are the ones living art present and in a sense one could say that whether we are worthy or not much is contingent upon us. This interpretation gives a new twist to the verse, FOR TO HIM THAT IS JOINED TO ALL THE LIVING THERE IS HOPE: FOR A LIVING DOG IS BETTER THAN A DEAD LION [The Preacher 9:4]. [Psalms 78:5] FOR HE ESTABLISHED A TESTIMONY IN JACOB, AND APPOINTED A LAW IN ISRAEL, WHICH HE COMMANDED OUR FATHERS, THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE THEM KNOWN TO THEIR CHILDREN: The Law was given to our ancestors and will be made known unto our descendants. We are in-between in a situation where "Judah" and "Israel" are divided from each other. [Psalms 78:6] THAT THE GENERATION TO COME MIGHT KNOW THEM, EVEN THE CHILDREN WHICH SHOULD BE BORN; WHO SHOULD ARISE AND DECLARE THEM TO THEIR CHILDREN: [Psalms 78:7] THAT THEY MIGHT SET THEIR HOPE IN GOD, AND NOT FORGET THE WORKS OF GOD, BUT KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: We should always hope in God. Sometimes troubles etc lead us away. This is to be expected but we should always both intend TO MAKE OUR WAY BACK and actualize it. [Psalms 78:8] AND MIGHT NOT BE AS THEIR FATHERS, A STUBBORN AND REBELLIOUS GENERATION; A GENERATION THAT SET NOT THEIR HEART ARIGHT, AND WHOSE SPIRIT WAS NOT STEDFAST WITH GOD. Sometimes we have to be honest with ourselves. Not all our forefathers were necessarily paragons of virtue, nor were we. The chances are that our children will not be such a great improvement on ourselves but we can always hope. [Psalms 78:9] THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM, BEING ARMED, AND CARRYING BOWS, TURNED BACK IN THE DAY OF BATTLE. It is not certain what event this is referring to. The Ancient Hebrews did not always win their battles. <<CARRYING BOWS>>: Bowmanship i.e. archery was an important branch of military activity in most ancient armies. Nevertheless there were some peoples who specialized in it more than others. The Scythians were known for their powerful compact bows and ability to fire from the back of a horse while in apparent retreat as well as in attack. The English acquired the long bow from the Welsh and through it obliterated the French cavalry several times over. English kings enforced the practice of practice with the bow on all their subjects. Football and other diversions were forbidden lest they divert the people from archery. Commentators have also claimed that the familiarity of the common man with archery must have also lead in England to a certain modification of feudal authority. The bow to a degree was one of the first "social equalizers". Wikipedia: English longbow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_longbow Extracts: The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, was a powerful type of medieval longbow (a tall bow for archery) about 2.0 m (6 ft 6 in) long used by the English and Welsh, both for hunting and as a weapon of war. English use of longbows was effective against the French during the Hundred Years' War, particularly at the start of the war in the battles of Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), and most famously at the Battle of Agincourt (1415). The longbow had a long range and high accuracy, but not both at the same time. Modern champion archers maintain that you cannot "guarantee" a hit on an individual target at more than 80 yards with any bow whatsoever. Most of the longer range shooting mentioned in stories was not marksmanship, but rather thousands of archers launching volleys of arrows at an entire army. Longbowmen armies would aim at an area and shoot a rain of arrows hitting indiscriminately at anyone in the area, a decidedly un-chivalrous but highly effective means of combat. In its day, it was considered amazingly accurate and, by the standards of the day, it was. Standards for accuracy have changed dramatically in the modern age. An archer could hit a person at 180 yards "part of the time" and could always hit an army. A Welsh or English military archer during the 14th and 15th Century was expected to shoot at least ten "aimed shots" per minute. An experienced military longbowman was expected to shoot twenty aimed shots per minute. A typical military longbow archer would be provided with between 60 and 72 arrows at the time of battle, which would last the archer from three to six minutes, at full rate of shooting. Young boys were often employed to run additional arrows to longbow archers while in their positions on the battlefield.[8] "The longbow was the machine gun of the Middle Ages: accurate, deadly, possessed of a long range and rapid rate of fire, the flight of its missiles was likened to a storm."[9]. This rate was much higher than that of its Western European projectile rival on the battlefield, the crossbow. It was also much higher than early firearms (although the lower training requirements and greater penetration of firearms eventually led to the longbow falling into disuse in English armies in the 16th century). The traditional construction of a longbow consists of drying the yew wood for 1 to 2 years, then slowly working the wood into shape, with the entire process taking up to four years. (This can be done far more quickly by working the wood down when wet, as a thinner piece of wood will dry much faster.) The bow stave is shaped into a D-section, from a half cross section of a tree or branch. The inner side of the bow stave consists of rounded heartwood and the outer of sapwood with a flat back. The heartwood resists compression and the outer sapwood performs better in tension. This combination forms a natural "laminate", similar in effect to the construction of a composite bow. Longbows will last a long time if protected with a water-resistant coating, traditionally of "wax, resin and fine tallow". The medieval English use of a powerful longbow as a decisive weapon of war was more of a social than a technical development. It required in particular the training, recruitment, and maintenance of a large number of men, their supply with yew wood by means of foreign trade, and their incorporation with other troop types into an effective tactical system. During the Anglo-Norman invasions of Wales, Welsh bowmen took a heavy toll on the invaders. The English were quick to realise the impact that the longbow could produce on the battlefield. As soon as the Welsh campaign was successfully over, Welsh conscripts began to be incorporated into the English army. The lessons the English learned in Wales were later used with deadly effect by Welsh mercenaries on the battlefields of France and Scotland. Their skill was exercised under King Edward I of England (r. 12721307), who banned all sports but archery on Sundays, to make sure Englishmen practised with the longbow. As a result, the English during this period as a whole became very effective with the longbow. The longbow decided many medieval battles fought by the English, the most significant of which were the Battle of Crecy (1346) and the Battle of Agincourt (1415), during the Hundred Years' War and followed earlier successes, notably at the Battle of Halidon Hill (1333) during the Scottish wars. The longbow corps saw particularly heavy casualties at the Battle of Patay and this loss contributed to England's eventual defeat in that war. Although longbows were much faster and more accurate than any black powder weapons, longbowmen were always difficult to produce, because of the years of practice necessary before a war longbow could be used effectively (examples of longbows from the Mary Rose typically had draws greater than 65 kgf (143 lbf)). In an era in which warfare was usually seasonal and non-noble soldiers spent part of the year working at farms, the year-round training required for the effective use of the longbow was a challenge. A standing army was an expensive proposition to a medieval ruler. Mainland European armies seldom trained a significant longbow corps. Due to their specialized training, English longbowmen were sought as mercenaries in other European countries, most notably in the Italian city-states and in Spain. The White Company[11], containing men-at-arms and longbowmen and commanded by Sir John Hawkwood, is the best known English Free Company of the 14th Century. Longbows were difficult to master because the force required to draw the bow was very high by modern standards. Although the draw weight of a typical English longbow is disputed, it was at least 36 kgf (360 N, 80 lbf) and possibly more than 65 kgf (650 N, 143 lbf). Considerable practice was required to produce the swift and effective combat shooting required. Skeletons of longbow archers are recognizably deformed, with enlarged left arms and often bone spurs on left wrists, left shoulders and right fingers. It was the difficulty in using the longbow which led various monarchs of England to issue instructions encouraging their ownership and practice, including the Assize of Arms of 1252 and Edward III's declaration of 1363: "Whereas the people of our realm, rich and poor alike, were accustomed formerly in their games to practise archery - whence by God's help, it is well known that high honour and profit came to our realm, and no small advantage to ourselves in our warlike enterprises... that every man in the same country, if he be able-bodied, shall, upon holidays, make use, in his games, of bows and arrows... and so learn and practise archery." If the people practised archery, it would be that much easier for the King to recruit the proficient longbowmen he needed for his wars. Along with the greater ability of gunfire to penetrate plate armour, it was the amount of time needed to train longbowmen which eventually led to their being replaced by musketmen. The effects of a longbow are illustrated by this 12th century account by Gerald of Wales: [] in the war against the Welsh, one of the men of arms was struck by an arrow shot at him by a Welshman. It went right through his thigh, high up, where it was protected inside and outside the leg by his iron cuirasses, and then through the skirt of his leather tunic; next it penetrated that part of the saddle which is called the alva or seat; and finally it lodged in his horse, driving so deep that it killed the animal. Itinerarium Cambriae, (1191) See also: The following references concerning the long bow were obtained from the Brit-Am web site: #2-Samuel Chapter 1 British history the use of the longbow was very important. The ... firearms. The construction of a longbow consists of seasoning the yew ... the impact that the longbow could produce on the http://britam.org/2samuel-1.html # Brit-Am Now 851 The subject strikes a chord with me because I carve primitive longbows as a hobby. ... bow. The great English longbow was a man tall ... him the their elm longbows' efficacy in battle. He http://britam.org/now/851Now.html # Brit-Am Now 849 English longbows to devastating and decisive ... wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Longbow#History . The use of ... Normans invaded in 1066. Curiously, longbows were never used anywhere else http://britam.org/now/849Now.html # http://britam.org/now/850Now.html English longbow which cast an arrow a long distance, but not ... above, points out, examples of European bows, even the English longbow, do not exist for the most part, because they were http://britam.org/now/850Now.html # Moses3 Welsh archers and their longbows. Robin Hood and his merry men were famous for their feats of archery and for robbing the rich to give to the poor . Robin Hood is placed at the http://britam.org/Moses/Moses-3.html [Psalms 78:10] THEY KEPT NOT THE COVENANT OF GOD, AND REFUSED TO WALK IN HIS LAW; Is virtue connected to courage and fighting ability? One could get the impression that many "he-men" are not exactly "saints" in their private lives. This is misleading. All other things being equal someone who believes in the Almighty and does as well as they can within whatever framework they are find themselves will most of the time be able to overcome their adversaries if they really want to do so. This is a complicated matter. The Almighty never leaves they who trust in HIM. The Almighty has HIS own way of reckoning things. BE NOT RASH WITH THY MOUTH, AND LET NOT THINE HEART BE HASTY TO UTTER ANY THING BEFORE GOD: FOR GOD IS IN HEAVEN, AND THOU UPON EARTH: THEREFORE LET THY WORDS BE FEW ["Ecclesiastes"-The Preacher 5:2]. [Psalms 78:11] AND FORGAT HIS WORKS, AND HIS WONDERS THAT HE HAD SHEWED THEM. They forgot. We forget. Everyone one of us at some times or other in their lives has experienced miracles or Divine Intervention in some way in their own lives. We forget this. [Psalms 78:12] MARVELLOUS THINGS DID HE IN THE SIGHT OF THEIR FATHERS, IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, IN THE FIELD OF ZOAN. Zoan was east of the Nile Delta. It was a Hycsos area. Brit-Am understands that the Hycsos were the Early Hebrews. Other researchers disagree with us on this matter. We discussed the subject and its implications for understanding later Irish Celtic tradition on our book "Lost Israelite Identity. The Hebrew Ancestry of Celtic Races". This work is now effectively our of circulation. We should perhaps endeavor to put out a new edition. [Psalms 78:13] HE DIVIDED THE SEA, AND CAUSED THEM TO PASS THROUGH; AND HE MADE THE WATERS TO STAND AS AN HEAP. The splitting of the Red Sea became an important theme in ancient Scottish, Irish, and Anglo-Saxon tradition. [Psalms 78:14] IN THE DAYTIME ALSO HE LED THEM WITH A CLOUD, AND ALL THE NIGHT WITH A LIGHT OF FIRE. [Psalms 78:15] HE CLAVE THE ROCKS IN THE WILDERNESS, AND GAVE THEM DRINK AS OUT OF THE GREAT DEPTHS. [Psalms 78:16] HE BROUGHT STREAMS ALSO OUT OF THE ROCK, AND CAUSED WATERS TO RUN DOWN LIKE RIVERS. [Psalms 78:17] AND THEY SINNED YET MORE AGAINST HIM BY PROVOKING THE MOST HIGH IN THE WILDERNESS. [Psalms 78:18] AND THEY TEMPTED GOD IN THEIR HEART BY ASKING MEAT FOR THEIR LUST. [Psalms 78:19] YEA, THEY SPAKE AGAINST GOD; THEY SAID, CAN GOD FURNISH A TABLE IN THE WILDERNESS? [Psalms 78:20] BEHOLD, HE SMOTE THE ROCK, THAT THE WATERS GUSHED OUT, AND THE STREAMS OVERFLOWED; CAN HE GIVE BREAD ALSO? CAN HE PROVIDE FLESH FOR HIS PEOPLE? [Psalms 78:21] THEREFORE THE LORD HEARD THIS, AND WAS WROTH: SO A FIRE WAS KINDLED AGAINST JACOB, AND ANGER ALSO CAME UP AGAINST ISRAEL; [Psalms 78:22] BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED NOT IN GOD, AND TRUSTED NOT IN HIS SALVATION: [Psalms 78:23] THOUGH HE HAD COMMANDED THE CLOUDS FROM ABOVE, AND OPENED THE DOORS OF HEAVEN, [Psalms 78:24] AND HAD RAINED DOWN MANNA UPON THEM TO EAT, AND HAD GIVEN THEM OF THE CORN OF HEAVEN. [Psalms 78:25] MAN DID EAT ANGELS' FOOD: HE SENT THEM MEAT TO THE FULL. [Psalms 78:26] HE CAUSED AN EAST WIND TO BLOW IN THE HEAVEN: AND BY HIS POWER HE BROUGHT IN THE SOUTH WIND. [Psalms 78:27] HE RAINED FLESH ALSO UPON THEM AS DUST, AND FEATHERED FOWLS LIKE AS THE SAND OF THE SEA: [Psalms 78:28] AND HE LET IT FALL IN THE MIDST OF THEIR CAMP, ROUND ABOUT THEIR HABITATIONS. [Psalms 78:29] SO THEY DID EAT, AND WERE WELL FILLED: FOR HE GAVE THEM THEIR OWN DESIRE; [Psalms 78:30] THEY WERE NOT ESTRANGED FROM THEIR LUST. BUT WHILE THEIR MEAT WAS YET IN THEIR MOUTHS, [Psalms 78:31] THE WRATH OF GOD CAME UPON THEM, AND SLEW THE FATTEST OF THEM, AND SMOTE DOWN THE CHOSEN MEN OF ISRAEL. [Psalms 78:32] FOR ALL THIS THEY SINNED STILL, AND BELIEVED NOT FOR HIS WONDROUS WORKS. [Psalms 78:33] THEREFORE THEIR DAYS DID HE CONSUME IN VANITY, AND THEIR YEARS IN TROUBLE. [Psalms 78:34] WHEN HE SLEW THEM, THEN THEY SOUGHT HIM: AND THEY RETURNED AND ENQUIRED EARLY AFTER GOD. [Psalms 78:35] AND THEY REMEMBERED THAT GOD WAS THEIR ROCK, AND THE HIGH GOD THEIR REDEEMER. [Psalms 78:36] NEVERTHELESS THEY DID FLATTER HIM WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND THEY LIED UNTO HIM WITH THEIR TONGUES. [Psalms 78:37] FOR THEIR HEART WAS NOT RIGHT WITH HIM, NEITHER WERE THEY STEDFAST IN HIS COVENANT. [Psalms 78:38] BUT HE, BEING FULL OF COMPASSION, FORGAVE THEIR INIQUITY, AND DESTROYED THEM NOT: YEA, MANY A TIME TURNED HE HIS ANGER AWAY, AND DID NOT STIR UP ALL HIS WRATH. [Psalms 78:39] FOR HE REMEMBERED THAT THEY WERE BUT FLESH; A WIND THAT PASSETH AWAY, AND COMETH NOT AGAIN. [Psalms 78:40] HOW OFT DID THEY PROVOKE HIM IN THE WILDERNESS, AND GRIEVE HIM IN THE DESERT! [Psalms 78:41] YEA, THEY TURNED BACK AND TEMPTED GOD, AND LIMITED THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. [Psalms 78:42] THEY REMEMBERED NOT HIS HAND, NOR THE DAY WHEN HE DELIVERED THEM FROM THE ENEMY. [Psalms 78:43] HOW HE HAD WROUGHT HIS SIGNS IN EGYPT, AND HIS WONDERS IN THE FIELD OF ZOAN. [Psalms 78:44] AND HAD TURNED THEIR RIVERS INTO BLOOD; AND THEIR FLOODS, THAT THEY COULD NOT DRINK. [Psalms 78:45] HE SENT DIVERS SORTS OF FLIES AMONG THEM, WHICH DEVOURED THEM; AND FROGS, WHICH DESTROYED THEM. [Psalms 78:46] HE GAVE ALSO THEIR INCREASE UNTO THE CATERPILLER, AND THEIR LABOUR UNTO THE LOCUST. [Psalms 78:47] HE DESTROYED THEIR VINES WITH HAIL, AND THEIR SYCOMORE TREES WITH FROST. [Psalms 78:48] HE GAVE UP THEIR CATTLE ALSO TO THE HAIL, AND THEIR FLOCKS TO HOT THUNDERBOLTS. [Psalms 78:49] HE CAST UPON THEM THE FIERCENESS OF HIS ANGER, WRATH, AND INDIGNATION, AND TROUBLE, BY SENDING EVIL ANGELS AMONG THEM. [Psalms 78:50] HE MADE A WAY TO HIS ANGER; HE SPARED NOT THEIR SOUL FROM DEATH, BUT GAVE THEIR LIFE OVER TO THE PESTILENCE; [Psalms 78:51] AND SMOTE ALL THE FIRSTBORN IN EGYPT; THE CHIEF OF THEIR STRENGTH IN THE TABERNACLES OF HAM: [Psalms 78:52] BUT MADE HIS OWN PEOPLE TO GO FORTH LIKE SHEEP, AND GUIDED THEM IN THE WILDERNESS LIKE A FLOCK. [Psalms 78:53] AND HE LED THEM ON SAFELY, SO THAT THEY FEARED NOT: BUT THE SEA OVERWHELMED THEIR ENEMIES. [Psalms 78:54] AND HE BROUGHT THEM TO THE BORDER OF HIS SANCTUARY, EVEN TO THIS MOUNTAIN, WHICH HIS RIGHT HAND HAD PURCHASED. All of the above events are spoken of in the Biblical Book of Exodus. Beyond our own and other commentaries etc it is very worthwhile going through the Bible on your own. Even if you do not understand it all or cannot take it all in keep going. You will be pleased you did. The Bible is a very powerful tool. It is available. It should be utilized. God took them out of Egypt and brought them into the Hold Land where the Mountain of God is to be found in Jerusalem. This was the whole purpose of everything that had happened to them. This in a sense is the end of the journey. All Israelites in some sense will have to return to the Land of Israel. It does not have to be now and it does not to have to be through our own doing. It is however the last station on our journey. [Psalms 78:55] HE CAST OUT THE HEATHEN ALSO BEFORE THEM, AND DIVIDED THEM AN INHERITANCE BY LINE, AND MADE THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL TO DWELL IN THEIR TENTS. The Israelites after coming out of Egypt had to drive out the Canaanite Peoples wh dwelt there before them. [Psalms 78:56] YET THEY TEMPTED AND PROVOKED THE MOST HIGH GOD, AND KEPT NOT HIS TESTIMONIES: [Psalms 78:57] BUT TURNED BACK, AND DEALT UNFAITHFULLY LIKE THEIR FATHERS: THEY WERE TURNED ASIDE LIKE A DECEITFUL BOW. When we do bad and our ancestors were also bad our transgressions are liable to be visited upon us with extra severity. This however also goes to re-emphasize the point we made above. At a higher level we are one with our ancestors. We are all they have left amongst the living. They are depending on us by doing the best we can we redeem both ourselves and them. [Psalms 78:58] FOR THEY PROVOKED HIM TO ANGER WITH THEIR HIGH PLACES, AND MOVED HIM TO JEALOUSY WITH THEIR GRAVEN IMAGES. Our Hebrew forefathers sinned often against the Almighty and in the most dreadful way. [Psalms 78:59] WHEN GOD HEARD THIS, HE WAS WROTH, AND GREATLY ABHORRED ISRAEL: [Psalms 78:60] SO THAT HE FORSOOK THE TABERNACLE OF SHILOH, THE TENT WHICH HE PLACED AMONG MEN; Shiloh was in the territory of Ephraim. It was the place of the Tabernacle until being destroyed by the Philistines in the time of Samuel. The ruins of Ancient Shiloh may still be seen. The surrounding area is beautiful and inspiring. [Psalms 78:61] AND DELIVERED HIS STRENGTH INTO CAPTIVITY, AND HIS GLORY INTO THE ENEMY'S HAND. <<HIS STRENGTH>>: This refers both to the strength of Israel and that of the A|lmighty Himself. Israel represents God Almighty on this earth. The heathen are aware of this. When we sin we are liable to shame not only ourself but also the ONE who made us and chose us to be HIS people. On the other hand the Almighty wants us to do as well as we can that it might go well with us not only for our own sakes but for the sake of God Himself. [Psalms 78:62] HE GAVE HIS PEOPLE OVER ALSO UNTO THE SWORD; AND WAS WROTH WITH HIS INHERITANCE. [Psalms 78:63] THE FIRE CONSUMED THEIR YOUNG MEN; AND THEIR MAIDENS WERE NOT GIVEN TO MARRIAGE. [Psalms 78:64] THEIR PRIESTS FELL BY THE SWORD; AND THEIR WIDOWS MADE NO LAMENTATION. [Psalms 78:65] THEN THE LORD AWAKED AS ONE OUT OF SLEEP, AND LIKE A MIGHTY MAN THAT SHOUTETH BY REASON OF WINE. [Psalms 78:66] AND HE SMOTE HIS ENEMIES IN THE HINDER PARTS: HE PUT THEM TO A PERPETUAL REPROACH. [Psalms 78:67] MOREOVER HE REFUSED THE TABERNACLE OF JOSEPH, AND CHOSE NOT THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM: On the simple level this is referring to Shiloh which was destroyed along with the Tabernace that was there. Later the Tabernacle moved to the region of Judah and Jerusalem where it received its permanent eternal abode. [Psalms 78:68] BUT CHOSE THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, THE MOUNT ZION WHICH HE LOVED. The Lost Tribes were exiled by the Assyrians and lost their identity. From a spiritual and religious-legal point of view their membership of the obligatory body of the Israelite Community according to the Law of Moses was suspended. Only Judah and those attached to Judah remained to keep and develop the Law of Moses. [Psalms 78:69] AND HE BUILT HIS SANCTUARY LIKE HIGH PALACES, LIKE THE EARTH WHICH HE HATH ESTABLISHED FOR EVER. [Psalms 78:70] HE CHOSE DAVID ALSO HIS SERVANT, AND TOOK HIM FROM THE SHEEPFOLDS: David was originally just a shepherd who lived outside in wilderness areas minding the flocks. [Psalms 78:71] FROM FOLLOWING THE EWES GREAT WITH YOUNG HE BROUGHT HIM TO FEED JACOB HIS PEOPLE, AND ISRAEL HIS INHERITANCE. [Psalms 78:72] SO HE FED THEM ACCORDING TO THE INTEGRITY OF HIS HEART; AND GUIDED THEM BY THE SKILFULNESS OF HIS HANDS. A lot of the pain and suffering expressed by David in the Book of Psalms appears to be due initially to the worry of David to fulfill his monarchical duties and prevent injustice. Under Solomon Israel became exceedingly wealthy and powerful but the foundations had been laid by David. |