1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.
6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
Psalm 81, authored by Asaph, a prominent Levite musician, is a divine call to the Israelites to remember their covenant with God and return to Him. The psalm is structured into three sections: the first being a call to worship, the second a recollection of Israel's history and God's deliverance, and the third a lament over Israel's disobedience and a call to obedience. This Psalm is a potent mix of praise, history, lament, and instruction, offering vital lessons about the importance of obedience, the dangers of idolatry, and the unending love and patience of God.
Asaph begins Psalm 81 with a call to worship, urging the people of Israel to sing aloud to God, their strength, and to raise a song to the God of Jacob. In this opening, the psalmist invites the community to engage in joyous worship, using musical instruments such as the tambourine, lyre, and harp. The call to worship is not merely about singing songs; it is a call to remember and celebrate God's faithfulness, power, and love. The new moon and full moon, mentioned in verse 3, were times of festivity and religious celebration, and the psalmist is encouraging the people to use these occasions to worship God.
In verses 5-7, Asaph recalls the Israelites' history, specifically their time in Egypt and their liberation from slavery. This historical recollection serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and His ability to deliver His people from hardships. It is a reminder that God heard their distress, intervened in their circumstances, and relieved their burdens. This section also emphasizes God's testing of His people at the waters of Meribah, a reference to an incident recorded in Exodus 17 where the people complained about their thirst. This serves to highlight the Israelites' recurrent disobedience despite God's repeated deliverance.
The final section of Psalm 81 (verses 8-16) is a lament over Israel's disobedience and a call to obedience. Here, God admonishes the Israelites for their disobedience, stating that He is the one true God and there should be no foreign god among them. This is a clear reference to the First Commandment, and God is reminding His people of their covenant with Him. He expresses His desire to feed and satisfy His people, but only if they would heed His commandments and walk in His ways.
This section is particularly poignant because it reflects God's deep longing for His people to return to Him. God's tone is not one of anger, but of sadness and disappointment. He wishes for His people to turn away from their idols and return to Him, promising that if they do, He will subdue their enemies and feed them with the finest wheat and honey.
Several themes emerge from Psalm 81. The first is the importance of obedience. God's call to His people to obey His commandments is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, and Psalm 81 is no exception. The psalmist emphasizes that obedience is not merely about following rules; it is about recognizing God's sovereignty, trusting in His wisdom, and aligning one's life with His divine will.
The second theme is the danger of idolatry. In the psalm, God laments His people's tendency to turn to foreign gods and neglect their covenant with Him. This theme is a reminder of the First Commandment and the dangers of placing anything before God. Idolatry is not merely the worship of carved images; it is the act of giving ultimate worth to anything other than God.
The third theme is the unending love and patience of God. Despite Israel's repeated disobedience, God continues to call them back to Himself. He promises to bless them if they would only heed His commandments. This theme is a testament to God's enduring love, mercy, and patience.
Psalm 81 serves as a reminder that God is not only a God of love and mercy but also a God of justice who requires obedience from His people. It underscores the importance of keeping God at the center of our lives and cautions against the dangers of idolatry. It also serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness, His power to deliver, and His unending love and patience.
Despite its historical context, the lessons from Psalm 81 are timeless. The call to obedience, the warning against idolatry, and the assurance of God's love and mercy are as applicable today as they were when Asaph penned the psalm. It serves as a reminder that God is always ready to hear, deliver, and bless those who turn to Him and obey His commandments.
In conclusion, Psalm 81 is a call to communal worship, a reminder of God's faithfulness, a lament over disobedience, and a call to return to God. It is a powerful psalm that encapsulates the complexity of the Israelites' relationship with God, and by extension, our relationship with Him. It serves as a reminder of God's enduring love, His desire for our obedience, and His readiness to bless those who turn to Him.
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