Psalm 81
- Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
- Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
- Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
- For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
- 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.
- I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
- 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.
- Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
- There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
- I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
- But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
- So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
- Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
- I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
- The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
- 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 is a call to worship and obedience to God. It begins with an exhortation to sing praises and make joyful noise to the God of Jacob, acknowledging His strength and power. The psalmist recalls God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt and establishes the observance of sacred feasts as a statute for the nation.
The psalmist recounts God’s faithfulness in delivering Israel from trouble, providing guidance, and offering sustenance. Despite God’s provision and promises, Israel’s disobedience led to their downfall. The psalm concludes with a lament over Israel’s rebellion and a reflection on what could have been if they had obeyed God’s commands.
Overall, Psalm 81 emphasizes the importance of obedience to God’s statutes and the blessings that come with following His ways, contrasting them with the consequences of disobedience and rebellion.