Psalm 78 (77):36Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He discovered a disconnect between their words and their true feelings, for the hidden actions of humanity are exposed before Him, and He clearly perceives their deeper affections. Thus, the heart is aligned with God when it pursues Him solely for His own sake. It desires one thing from the Lord, which is to reside eternally in His presence and reflect on His goodness. The faithful heart declares, I will not partake of the rich feasts of the Egyptians, nor indulge in melons and gourds, nor garlic and onions, which a perverse and resentful generation preferred over the bread from heaven, Exodus 16:3 nor with the visible manna or the quails; instead, I will be nourished when Your glory is unveiled.

They vowed to love Him with deceptive words; however, their thoughts conflicted with these promises, deliberating within themselves in opposition to the divine commandments, showing unwillingness to accept the divine truth.

They expressed their affection for Him verbally. Their love was not rooted in their hearts, but merely in their speech. The prophet Isaiah spoke against this hypocrisy on God's behalf, proclaiming, ‘This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me’ (Isaiah 29:13). Furthermore, they deceived Him through their speech. Although they professed their faith in Him, their true beliefs revealed their lack of faith. Their thoughts and expressions were at odds with one another. This aligns with what Paul writes: ‘They say they know God, but in deeds they deny Him’ (Titus 1:16).

The prophet Isaiah expressed similar sentiments regarding the people of Israel, stating, ‘This people draw near to Me with their mouth and honour Me with their tongue, but their heart is far from Me’ (Isaiah 29:13). How is this absence revealed? Many individuals can still be observed who pay lip service to God alone. This is evidenced when, as indicated by the prophet, they fail to uphold His covenant; when they do not adhere to God's commandments, it demonstrates their lack of genuine reverence for the One who has given them, alongside a deficient conscience. Paul also commented on such individuals by saying, ‘they say they know God, but in deeds they deny it’ (Titus 1:16).

Through these statements, he intensifies the wrongdoing of the Israelites. Although they acknowledged the justice of their punishment after being found guilty of their transgressions, their submission to God was not sincere; instead, they reviled Him with their deceitful pretense. Such malevolence was indeed inexcusable. A man who is deranged may not perceive his foolish actions and thus receives forgiveness; however, one who, while compelled to own up to his responsibilities, remains flawed or merely feigns righteousness but quickly returns to his former sins demonstrates an irredeemable wickedness. Consequently, the Prophet illustrates that the drastic measures to which the obstinate people were subjected to compel them to seek God were extraordinary.

This Psalm attributed to David, rich in prophetic insight, was entrusted to Asaph, the leader of the singers, so he could proclaim it for the understanding of all regarding the countless blessings from God Almighty bestowed upon the ungrateful people of Israel, admonishing them for their lack of gratitude and encouraging others to appreciate the inexpressible compassion of God, especially as demonstrated through Christ the Lord, who believes in His name. In this psalm, David speaks as though on behalf of Christ to the believers, urging them to pay attention to the teachings of the Gospel. The message of this psalm originally pertained to the Jewish people, but now it resonates with the faithful in Christ: the old law serves as a foreshadowing of the new covenant.