1 Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD? Who can ever praise him half enough?
3 Happy are those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.
4 Remember me, too, LORD, when you show favor to your people; come to me with your salvation.
5 Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones. Let me rejoice in the joy of your people; let me praise you with those who are your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
7 Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the LORD's miracles. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea. [fn]
8 Even so, he saved them-- to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power.
9 He commanded the Red Sea [fn] to divide, and a dry path appeared. He led Israel across the sea bottom that was as dry as a desert.
10 So he rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes.
11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies; not one of them survived.
12 Then at last his people believed his promises. Then they finally sang his praise.
13 Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn't wait for his counsel!
14 In the wilderness, their desires ran wild, testing God's patience in that dry land.
15 So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it.
16 The people in the camp were jealous of Moses and envious of Aaron, the LORD's holy priest.
17 Because of this, the earth opened up; it swallowed Dathan and buried Abiram and the other rebels.
18 Fire fell upon their followers; a flame consumed the wicked.
19 The people made a calf at Mount Sinai [fn]; they bowed before an image made of gold.
20 They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating ox!
21 They forgot God, their savior, who had done such great things in Egypt--
22 such wonderful things in that land, such awesome deeds at the Red Sea.
23 So he declared he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the LORD and the people. He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them.
This is a sobering Psalm. God saved His people, and His people "forgot" over and over. Verse 21a sums it up: "They forgot God their savior."
It's easy to shake our heads in disgust with the Israelites. But, many times we forget the great things God has done for us. We grow oblivious for lack of memory or attention to His saving grace in our life.
Let us endeavor not to grumble, but to trust—remembering that we have been bought with a precious price.