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Day 122

Psalm 78:21a "Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious..."

Day 122 – Psalm 78

“Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious…” Psalm 78:21a

THE ANGER OF THE LORD

One of the most important lessons Asaph the psalmist warned the children of Israel was the subject of The Anger of the Lord. The following text highlights this vital doctrine.

“Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel.”
Psalm 78:21

1. “Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious”

a) The anger of the Lord was caused by the sinful ways of Israel.
b) What was it that caused God to be so furious?
i) They sinned more and more. Psalm 78:17a
ii) They rebelled against Him. Psalm 78:17b
iii) They tested God. Psalm 78:18a
iv) They spoke against Him. Psalm 78:19-20
c) The LORD heard this.
i) This was virtually the last straw.
ii) He had tolerated Israel’s sinful ways all along.
iii) Speaking disdainfully about God’s ability to provide despite all that He had done tipped the scale against Israel.

2. “Fire”

a) This was a symbol of anger and judgment.
b) It was also a symbol of chastisement.

3. Jacob and Israel

a) They are synonyms.
b) Jacob is always used when the writer wished to point to his sinful state before his conversion.
c) In this context, though “Israel” was used, the sinfulness of “Jacob” tainted its usage.