A Stubborn and Rebellious Generation

Psalm 78 is the great historical psalm of the Book of Psalms — a maskil of Asaph, the second-longest in the entire book. It unfolds the story of the people from the Exodus to David, but before it begins to tell, it explains why we tell: so that the coming generation may know.

Part 1 (verses 1-8) is the gateway of the psalm: a chain of four generations — our fathers told us, we will not hide it from their children, the children yet to be born will arise and tell their own. The whole chain stretches between two goals: that they set their hope in God — and that they be not like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation.

The central verse of the psalm, chosen as the name of the song, is:

"And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation"

This is also the heart of the chorus, with verse 6 — that the generation to come might know. Goal and warning sit side by side: we tell the children the praises of the LORD so the knowledge is kept in the heart.