Welcome to Day 2680 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2680 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 78:9-16 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2680 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2680 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today’s Wisdom Nugget is titled: Remembering God’s Wonders, Recalling Our Failures - A Trek Through Psalm 78:9-16 Today, we continue our crucial and comprehensive trek through Psalm 78 in the New Living Translation, encompassing verses 9 through 16. In our last conversation, we opened Psalm 78, a powerful didactic psalm by Asaph. We heard his solemn call for God’s people to listen to his "teaching" and "parables" – profound truths from their collective past. The purpose was clear: to ensure that the next generation would "not hide these truths from our children," but would learn from history, set their "hope anew on God," obey His commands, and avoid being "stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful" like their ancestors (Psalm 78:1-8). Asaph was setting the stage for a critical history lesson, explaining why it was so vital to pass on the glorious deeds of the Lord. Now, Asaph begins that very history lesson, starting with a stark example of early Israelite failure, followed immediately by a powerful reminder of God’s overwhelming, miraculous power during the Exodus and wilderness journey. This juxtaposition is key: human unfaithfulness contrasted with divine faithfulness. It challenges us to examine our own patterns of forgetting God’s past goodness when faced with new trials. So, let’s lean in and absorb the hard-learned lessons and awe-inspiring wonders of Israel’s early history. (Reads Psalm 78:9-11 NLT) The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned and fled on the day of battle. They did not keep God’s covenant; they refused to live by his law. They forgot what he had done— the wonderful miracles he had shown them. Guthrie Chamberlain: Asaph immediately plunges into a painful historical example of Israelite failure, focusing on a prominent tribe: "The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned and fled on the day of battle." Ephraim was a powerful and numerous tribe, the descendants of Joseph, and often held a leadership role in the Northern Kingdom. The "bow" was a significant weapon in ancient warfare, implying they were well-equipped and prepared for battle. Yet, despite their military readiness, they "turned and fled" when it counted most – "on the day of battle." This wasn't a strategic retreat; it was a humiliating defection, a failure of courage and commitment. This military failure, however, was not simply due to a lack of skill or strength. Asaph reveals its deeper, spiritual root: "They did not keep God’s covenant; they refused to live by his law." Their military cowardice was a symptom of their spiritual unfaithfulness. The "covenant" (berit) was the foundational agreement between God and Israel, establishing their...
