Ps. 78.40 (perpetuity)

Repeatedly / they tested God
and vexed him / the Holy One of Israel

One thing we have observed from the beginning of the psalm but more particularly in the history section of the psalm is the sense of perpetuity, of an on-going state of affairs. As to God, it is one of prodigal deliverance and provision. As to Israel, it is one of a deeply ingrained sense of rebellion. We see this most clearly when Israel, directly in the midst of blessing, ‘forgets god’ and rebels against Him; indeed, even in the midst of God’s killing, they refuse to turn to him. This is clearly not a merely wayward act but rather it reveals a deep tendency on Israel’s part toward rebellion. Here, that is summarized by the words “how often” and “repeatedly”. As to God, though, there is an equal sense of ‘perpetuity’. The immediately preceding verses emphasized that while God does give vent to his wrath, he does not give it full sway but rather he “frequently turns his anger back”. The frequency of Israel’s rebellion—their deeply held sense of rebellion—is met by the frequency of God’s mercy. This is not to say that God’s wrath is silent; it is, rather, to say that it is not fully released. The note struck in these verses, however, is on the rebelliousness of Israel. In the face of God’s ‘frequency’ is set the ‘frequency’ of Israel. And, from this ‘frequency’ emerges the frustration of God: his ‘vexing’. It seems one danger of these reflections, especially the last, is turning the reflection into a principal. For example, that God’s wrath is never given full vent because of his memory of man’s ephemeral nature. The problem with this is what we see in this verse—that Israel’s rebellion against him becomes for him a constant source not of enacted mercy (although it is that) but of pain and vexation. God is not ‘content’ with man’s rebellion or somehow stoically resigned to their behavior. Rather, we might phrase it in the more abstract way as: God’s relation to Israel is ‘perpetually present’ and never dulled by their constancy away from him; for this reason, they become to him a ‘perpetually present’ vexation and source of pain precisely because of his ‘perpetually present’ desire to bring them into his presence. While man can ‘slip out of history’ into forgetfulness (and hubris), God remains constantly engaged (and pained) by Israel. Man’s perpetuity (in this psalm) results in a withdrawal and attack; God’s perpetuity results in a movement toward and in vexation.