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Psalms 106:16-30

Psalms 106:13-31 The Message (MSG)

But it wasn’t long before they forgot the whole thing, wouldn’t wait to be told what to do. They only cared about pleasing themselves in that desert, provoked God with their insistent demands. He gave them exactly what they asked for— but along with it they got an empty heart. One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses, also of Aaron, holy priest of GOD. The ground opened and swallowed Dathan, then buried Abiram’s gang. Fire flared against that rebel crew and torched them to a cinder. They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeb and worshiped the statue they’d made. They traded the Glory for a cheap piece of sculpture—a grass-chewing bull! They forgot God, their very own Savior, who turned things around in Egypt, Who created a world of wonders in the Land of Ham, who gave that stunning performance at the Red Sea. Fed up, God decided to get rid of them— and except for Moses, his chosen, he would have. But Moses stood in the gap and deflected God’s anger, prevented it from destroying them utterly. They went on to reject the Blessed Land, didn’t believe a word of what God promised. They found fault with the life they had and turned a deaf ear to GOD’s voice. Exasperated, God swore that he’d lay them low in the desert, Scattering their children here and there, strewing them all over the earth. Then they linked up with Baal Peor, attending funeral banquets and eating idol food. That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the plague was stopped. This was counted to his credit; his descendants will never forget it.

Psalms 106:16-30 Amplified Bible (AMP)

¶They envied Moses in the camp, And Aaron [the high priest], the holy one of the LORD, [Num 16:1-32] Therefore the earth opened and swallowed Dathan, And engulfed the company of Abiram. [Num 16:31, 32] And a fire broke out in their company; The flame consumed the wicked. [Num 16:35, 46] ¶They made a calf in Horeb (Sinai) And worshiped a cast image. [Ex 32:4] Thus they exchanged [the true God who was] their glory For the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God their Savior, Who had done such great things in Egypt, Wonders in the land of Ham, Awesome things at the Red Sea. Therefore He said He would destroy them, [And He would have done so] had not Moses, His chosen one, stepped into the gap before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them. [Ex 32:10, 11, 32] Then they despised the pleasant land [of Canaan]; They did not believe in His word nor rely on it, But they sulked and complained in their tents; They did not listen to the voice of the LORD. Therefore He lifted up His hand [swearing] to them, That He would cause them to fall in the wilderness, And that He would cast out their descendants among the nations And scatter them in the lands [of the earth]. ¶They joined themselves also to [the idol] Baal of Peor, And ate sacrifices offered to the dead. Thus they provoked Him to anger with their practices, And a plague broke out among them. Then Phinehas [the priest] stood up and interceded, And so the plague was halted. [Num 25:7, 8]