32 In spite of all this, they still sinned;
despite his wonders, they did not believe.
33 So he made their days vanish like a breath,
and their years in terror.
34 When he killed them, they sought him;
they repented and sought God earnestly.
35 They remembered that God was their rock,
the Most High God their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouths;
they lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he, being compassionate,
atoned for their iniquity
and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,
a wind that passes and comes not again.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and grieved him in the desert!
41 They tested God again and again
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
Comment: My commentary is to rearrange the passage according the colours! Having done that, I am sorry that so often we as human beings often tread the same path – sin, repent, sin again, repent etc. The difference is that in the time between there stands the Cross, God’s ultimate atonement and the coming of the Holy Spirit! We live with no less temptations to self-will but with all the blessing which Christ stands willing to give us!
In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror. Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again. When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly. They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.
Psalm 30: 5 – For his anger is but for a moment, and his favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Prayer: I am so prone to be self-willed, my God. Thank You for Your repeated forgiveness and thank You very much for having restored my relationship with You by Jesus and His perfect sacrifice for us.