Psalms 78:7
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
Psalms 78:7
Psalm 78 is a retrospective Israelite meditation, recounting God’s mighty acts in the exodus and wilderness and urging the present generation to learn from their forebears’ successes and failures. Verse 7 sits at the heart of that exhortation: hope in God, remember His works, and maintain obedience through keeping His commandments. In a culture saturated with political upheaval, shifting loyalties, and competing philosophies, the psalmist is doing two things: grounding moral memory and directing future trust. The phrase “set their hope in God” signals a fidelity that goes beyond momentary relief or ritual performance; it’s a sustained trust in God’s character—His faithfulness, mercy, and guidance. “Not forget the works of God” presses the people to recall concrete acts—deliverances, provisions, and redemptive deeds—that reveal God’s initiative and reliability. Finally, “keep his commandments” ties memory to behavior. Remembering without obedience becomes hollow; obedience without memory can become legalistic. The verse, therefore, is a compact pedagogy: remember who God is by recounting what He has done, and respond by living in alignment with His will.
This verse crystallizes three enduring themes: remembrance, trust, and obedience. Remembering God’s works educates the heart, shaping expectations about how God acts in history and in daily life. Trust (“hope in God”) grounds ethical living in a relationship, not a set of rules detached from God’s character. Keeping commandments is not mere rule-keeping; it’s aligned living—a posture of allegiance to the God who reveals Himself in acts of salvation and provision. Psalm 78 as a whole teaches that memory functions theologically to form identity: the people are formed as God’s covenant people when they remember and respond in faithfulness. The verse also foreshadows the New Testament call to set our hope on the Lord Jesus, whose life embodies the faithful God and whose commandments are fulfilled in love.
Apply this by building a habit of spiritual memory and intentional obedience. Create a family or personal practice: quarterly “God-story nights” where you retell God’s acts in your life or in Scripture, and then ask, “What commandments or cues from this story call us to respond today?” Practically, let grateful remembrance shape decisions—if you recall God’s provision in a recent job loss, you’ll trust Him in future uncertainties and honor Him with finances, time, and generosity. When you read a command in Scripture, pause to connect it to God’s character as shown in His past deeds. In a busy world, small acts of obedience—consistent prayer, honest work, forgiveness, or generosity—become a public testimony that God is trustworthy. The goal is robust hope that translates into steady obedience, not performance or memory for memory’s sake.
Cross-References: Deuteronomy 6:12; Psalm 103:17-18; Psalm 106:7-8; Hebrews 12:2; Romans 15:4