Psalms 78 - a question

 What's bugging me today? With war, social disruption, privacy laws that protect the rich from scrutiny even by the government, the attempted coding of 'trust' in the sphere of money, our fear for our planet and destruction by fire, I'm bugged by the difficulty of communicating with my children in any form of language - and it has to be metaphorical, for that's all that language is.

Asaph had the same problem and he had instruction to follow even if it was perplexing to them also. After all he as much as admits that their own generation didn't get it. But they could still try and find some common ground with their children.

I'm looking for a host of keywords and stories that we might begin to share. Things like creation, time, material, energy, birth, physics, light, science, metaphor, abundance, life, DNA, design, good and evil, relationships, puzzles, language, completeness, safety, courage, faithfulness, trust, truth, holiness, money, business, discipline, persistence, love, Yahweh, sanctus, sanctuary, Egypt, 

Stories and sayings, parables, riddles, ... so they might set up their folly in God, and not forget the prodigality of God, and observe his commandments, ...

Folly! Prodigality!

Interesting article from Bart Ehrman this morning. Essentially he asks: About what other form of knowledge or belief would we say that it is better that we should think the way we did when we were 16 than the way we think now?

We should never say this is anyone's ultimate expectation. It's an attempt to stultify growth. You can be sure that Asaph is not 16. 

So what does this set of religious stories give us that we can pass on?

מַשְׂכִּ֗יל לְאָ֫סָ֥ף הַאֲזִ֣ינָה עַ֭מִּי תּוֹרָתִ֑י הַטּ֥וּ אָ֝זְנְכֶ֗ם לְאִמְרֵי־פִֽי		1 An insight of Asaph. Listen my people to my instruction. Bend your ears to the sayings of my mouth.
אֶפְתְּחָ֣ה בְמָשָׁ֣ל פִּ֑י אַבִּ֥יעָה חִ֝יד֗וֹת מִנִּי־קֶֽדֶם		2 I will open my mouth in a parable. I will ferment riddles from of old,
אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁ֭מַעְנוּ וַנֵּדָעֵ֑ם וַ֝אֲבוֹתֵ֗ינוּ סִפְּרוּ־לָֽנוּ		3 which we have heard and known, and our ancestors recounted to us.
לֹ֤א נְכַחֵ֨ד ׀ מִבְּנֵיהֶ֗ם לְד֥וֹר אַחֲר֗וֹן מְֽ֭סַפְּרִים תְּהִלּ֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה וֶעֱזוּז֥וֹ וְ֝נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָֽׂה		4 ♪C We will not conceal from their children in the generation to follow, recounting the praises of Yahweh, and his strength and his wonders which he did.
וַיָּ֤קֶם עֵד֨וּת ׀ בְּֽיַעֲקֹ֗ב וְתוֹרָה֮ שָׂ֤ם בְּיִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִ֭וָּה אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵ֑ינוּ לְ֝הוֹדִיעָ֗ם לִבְנֵיהֶֽם		5 He raised a testimony in Jacob and he set up instruction in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors, to make known to their children,
לְמַ֤עַן יֵדְע֨וּ ׀ דּ֣וֹר אַ֭חֲרוֹן בָּנִ֣ים יִוָּלֵ֑דוּ יָ֝קֻ֗מוּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לִבְנֵיהֶֽם		6 so that the generation to follow will know. The children to be born, will arise and recount to their children,
וְיָשִׂ֥ימוּ בֵֽאלֹהִ֗ים כִּ֫סְלָ֥ם וְלֹ֣א יִ֭שְׁכְּחוּ מַֽעַלְלֵי־אֵ֑ל וּמִצְוֺתָ֥יו יִנְצֹֽרוּ		7 so they might set up their folly in God, and not forget the prodigality of God, and observe his commandments,
וְלֹ֤א יִהְי֨וּ ׀ כַּאֲבוֹתָ֗ם דּוֹר֮ סוֹרֵ֪ר וּמֹ֫רֶ֥ה דּ֭וֹר לֹא־הֵכִ֣ין לִבּ֑וֹ וְלֹא־נֶאֶמְנָ֖ה אֶת־אֵ֣ל רוּחֽוֹ		8 and not become like their ancestors, a rebellious and provocative generation, a generation not preparing its heart, and whose spirit did not believe God.