Psalm 78:34-35 When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
For rebelling and turning away from God, the Lord sent enemies and serpents and all kinds of troubles upon His people. He slew them. When they got into troubles, they repented and called upon the Lord. They sought Him, returned, enquired after God and remembered. The history of Israel is a history of forgetting God, suffering for it, and remembering God again.
God is love, and in His mercy He “kills and makes alive.” Job says, “though He slay me, yet will I serve Him.” Mercifully He puts sin, rebellion, evil, and death to death, and He gives new life. He did this at the cross where He slew Sin, Death, and the power of the Devil in His Son. Then He raised Him up to grace us with forgiveness, life and salvation.
God graciously “slays” us, letting us go through hard times because of sin. Then He resurrects us to new life when we return, repent and remember. Daily repentance and forgiveness is the hallmark of the Christian life. We daily remember our Baptism in which the old man drowns and dies and the new man arises to new life.
Jesus was slain for us and took away all the sin and evil in us. He rose to grant us a new holy life that lives before God in righteousness, innocence and blessedness forever.