The Psalmist rehearses all that God has done for Israel, from the miraculous deliverance of Exodus down to his present day, and then contrasts it with Israel's constant forgetfulness. The tale he tells is more than just an indictment of Israel, it's a catalogue of the propensities of the Natural Man.
First in the wilderness:
- rebellious and stubborn, not setting their hearts aright, not steadfast with God (v. 8)
- turning back (v.9)
- keeping not the covenant, refusing to walk in his law (v. 10)
- forgetting God's works and wonders (v. 11)
- provoking God and sinning more (v. 17)
- tempting God by asking him to fulfill their lusts (v. 18)
- speaking against God (v. 19)
- not believing nor trusting in Him (v. 22)
- even when he answered their prayers miraculously, they didn't turn their attention to God, they were "not estranged from their lust" (v. 30)
- instead of being humbled by affliction, they continued to sin and to not believe (v. 32)
- when affliction got so bad that they were compelled to humble themselves before Him, it wasn't from the heart - "their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant" (v. 37)
- they provoked, grieved, tempted and limited God, and turned back, forgetting past deliverances (v. 41-2)
- tempted and provoked God
- the kept not his testimonies
- they turned back
- dealt unfaithfully
- they were turned aside
- they moved God to jealousy by worshiping other Gods
As Mormon tells us
1 And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.
2 Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
3 And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him.
4 O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!
5 Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom’s paths!
6 Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide.
7 O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.
Helaman 12:1-7
But in the heart of the Psalm is a note of hope --
38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
The natural man is indeed an enemy to God and he who willfully persists in it will face its consequences, but (and the "but" here is everything) we have a God who took upon himself flesh, experienced the full mortal condition for himself, that he might understand us and know how to succor us according to the flesh. He remembers our mortal condition with its inherent unsteadiness and it gives rise to compassion, patience, understanding and a willingness to forgive.
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