He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
Psalm 78 is a song recounting Israel's history in the wilderness, meant to be kept in mind as the people journeyed, keeping them in step like the rhythm of a song. The verse is part of that psalm's account of the rich blessings God bestowed on His people and their poor response and poor return for those benefits. Within that history, it belongs to the account of God's judgments on Israel. It shows a good God rebuking and chastising Israel because they constantly worked against Him.
The loss of cattle and flocks it describes came through Israel's own disobedience as the sure result of their own course of action. Under such rebuke and chastisement Israel repented, but when tempted to self-indulgence and self-gratification they fell again. The psalm should be read attentively in order to heed God's instruction and learn from Israel's history.
Psalm 78 is a song recounting Israel's history in the wilderness, meant to be kept in mind as the people journeyed, keeping them in step like the rhythm of a song. The verse is part of that psalm's account of the rich blessings God bestowed on His people and their poor response and poor return for those benefits. Within that history, it belongs to the account of God's judgments on Israel. It shows a good God rebuking and chastising Israel because they constantly worked against Him.
The loss of cattle and flocks it describes came through Israel's own disobedience as the sure result of their own course of action. Under such rebuke and chastisement Israel repented, but when tempted to self-indulgence and self-gratification they fell again. The psalm should be read attentively in order to heed God's instruction and learn from Israel's history.