Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
Psalms 78:1-72.-God's address, through Asaph, to Israel to hear His law and His parabolic instruction. His past dealings with Israel are a parable of spiritual lessons for all ages, as illustrating His eternal principle of government. Compare Matthew 13:35. Christ, the Highest Teacher, is Antitype to Asaph. Join 5:3 with 5:4, 'The things which we have heard we will not hide; nay, we will make them (the historic facts) enigmatic means of instruction.' When Israel shall give ear to the antitypical Asaph, they shall understand, and show forth to "the generation to come," God's praises in His various dealings with them. Introduction (Psalms 78:1-4); God appointed a law to keep Israel from imitating their fathers rebellion in Moses' time (Psalms 78:5-8); Israel proved false to the law under Ephraim (Psalms 78:9-11), like their fathers, whose unbelief under Moses is described in contrast to God's marvelous works in their behalf (Psalms 78:12-40); Israel under the Judges tempted God, and forgat His judgments done for them in Egypt, as well as His planting them in Canaan (Psalms 78:41-55); therefore He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, and gave them over to the sword (Psalms 78:56-64); but now He awakes as one out of sleep, and destroys their foes, and restores the ark, but not to its former place, Shiloh, in Ephraim. Zion henceforth is His sanctuary and David His chosen king. Let all therefore serve without revolting as heretofore (Psalms 78:65-72). The design is to warn Ephraim against incurring a fresh judgment by rebelling against God's appointment, which transferred the prerogative of Ephraim, for its sins, to Judah. On Ephraim's haughty, rebellious spirit, cf. Judges 8:1; Judges 12:1; 2 Samuel 20:2. The Psalmist delicately avoids wounding the sensitiveness of Ephraim, by not naming revolt as a likely event. He leaves the application to themselves. The references to the Pentateuch as the sacred book of the nation attest its genuineness. Also, cf. Psalms 78:64 with Job 27:15.
The Title. - Maschil of Asaph - instruction by Asaph, the musician contemporary with David.
Give ear, O my people, to my law. God's word by His prophet is not merely doctrine, but God's LAW ( towraah (H8451)), which 'His people,' as such, at once from love and from reverential fear, are bound to obey (Isaiah 1:10; Isaiah 51:4).