This verse warns us that neglecting God’s truths leads to perpetual wandering and missed blessings.
“Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies” (v.56). This piercing indictment falls within a psalm attributed to Asaph, a Levite who served as chief musician under King David around 1000 BC. Asaph and his successors, often called “sons of Asaph,” led worship in the tabernacle and later in the temple, composing psalms that reminded God’s people of His mighty works. In Psalm 78, Asaph recounts many of the miracles and gracious acts God performed for Israel, urging them not to forget His wonders and commandments.
By verse 56, the psalmist laments the nation’s cycle of defiance. Despite God’s faithfulness in delivering them from slavery and sustaining them through miracles in the wilderness, the people still tested Him. They chose stubbornness over obedience, turning their backs on the One who had delivered them time and again. This lack of remembrance and reverence led them astray, a pattern echoed elsewhere in Scripture, where turning from the LORD usually follows a willful disregard of His instructions (see Psalm 78:57; Zephaniah 1:6).
Such rebellion, as Asaph notes, illustrates the self-destructive consequences of ignoring God’s care and authority. The “Most High God” points to His supreme place above all nations, and “His testimonies” refer to His covenantal instructions that guide His people in righteousness. When believers forget God’s deeds, they risk falling into the same unbelief that characterized Israel, missing out on the abundant life and purpose He offers.
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Psalms 78:56 meaning
“Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies” (v.56). This piercing indictment falls within a psalm attributed to Asaph, a Levite who served as chief musician under King David around 1000 BC. Asaph and his successors, often called “sons of Asaph,” led worship in the tabernacle and later in the temple, composing psalms that reminded God’s people of His mighty works. In Psalm 78, Asaph recounts many of the miracles and gracious acts God performed for Israel, urging them not to forget His wonders and commandments.
By verse 56, the psalmist laments the nation’s cycle of defiance. Despite God’s faithfulness in delivering them from slavery and sustaining them through miracles in the wilderness, the people still tested Him. They chose stubbornness over obedience, turning their backs on the One who had delivered them time and again. This lack of remembrance and reverence led them astray, a pattern echoed elsewhere in Scripture, where turning from the LORD usually follows a willful disregard of His instructions (see Psalm 78:57; Zephaniah 1:6).
Such rebellion, as Asaph notes, illustrates the self-destructive consequences of ignoring God’s care and authority. The “Most High God” points to His supreme place above all nations, and “His testimonies” refer to His covenantal instructions that guide His people in righteousness. When believers forget God’s deeds, they risk falling into the same unbelief that characterized Israel, missing out on the abundant life and purpose He offers.