God Grieved for Forty Years - Psalms 95:10

In Psalms ninety-five the Psalmist shared how Jehovah God said, “Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness. When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work”, and in chapter ninety-five and verse ten of Psalms the Psalmist shared how Jehovah God said, “forty years long was I grieved with this generation” where we read,

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation,

and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

The verse begins, “Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, ...” The Psalmist began with the words, “forty years long” or “for the space of time of forty years long” “was I grieved” which means “was I, Jehovah God, feeling a loathing, detesting and cutting off” “with this generation” or “within this age, those living during a period and posterity”. The Psalmist referred to how Jehovah God endured and loathed the people of Israel for “forty years” while they wandered in the wilderness. (See Numbers 14:33 and Deuteronomy 1:3)

The verse goes on to say, “... and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:” The Psalmist continued with the words, “and said” or “and uttered, proclaimed and declared”, “it is a people” which means “it, the people of Israel, exist as a nation, members of one's people, compatriots, countrymen, kinsman and kindred” “that do err” or “who wander, go astray, stagger and are led astray” “in their heart” which means “within their inner man, soul, mind, will, desires, living being and seat of emotions and passions”, “and they have not known” or “and they, the people of Israel, have not in any means or fashion perceived, found out, discerned, discriminated and distinguished” “my ways” which means “my, Jehovah God's, paths, direction, manner, habits and course of life”. The Psalmist referred to how Jehovah God said the “people” of Israel wandered and were led astray within their souls and minds from perceiving His direction and course of life.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we see how the Psalmist referred to the way Jehovah God loathed and detested the ways of the people of Israel while they wandered in the wilderness, and He declared that it was because they were led astray in their souls and minds and were unaware of His paths, manners and habits. This is not the way God wanted it to be. God wants a personal relationship with people through His Son Jesus, and He sent Jesus into the world to be crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind which separate them from Him. Following the ways of God helps everyone, and when we surrender our lives to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and teach us to know and keep His paths all the days of our lives and throughout eternity.

Next time the Psalmist shares how Jehovah God says, “unto whom I swear … they should not enter into my rest”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".