Psalm 81:1-10

God’s Appeal to Stubborn Israel

To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph.

¹ Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob.
² Raise a song, sound the tambourine,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
³ Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our festal day.
⁴ For it is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
⁵ He made it a decree in Joseph,
when he went out over^[a] the land of Egypt.

I hear a voice I had not known:
⁶ “I relieved your^[b] shoulder of the burden;
your^[c] hands were freed from the basket.
⁷ In distress you called, and I rescued you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

⁸ Hear, O my people, while I admonish you;
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
⁹ There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
¹⁰ I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

The editors of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible add “headlines” to the individual Psalms, just as the compilers of this biblical book gave notes and directions for the songs.

Psalm 81 comes with the note: “To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph.”

The heading for this psalm suggests that it concerns “God’s appeal to stubborn Israel.”

It seems a little unkind (even if it is technically correct) to refer to the God’s people Israel as stubborn, but that they were at times. In the second half of the fifth verse we are told that God was hearing a voice which God had not known. (It’s not good to become a stranger to God.) In verse eight the people are accused of not listening to God, and then it appears that they are turning rather to foreign and strange gods. I guess you could say that this group of God’s people were a bit stubborn.

What’s the solution for those who have grown a little distant from God? How do we get back to where God recognizes the familiar tone of our voice?

¹ Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob.
² Raise a song, sound the tambourine,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
³ Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our festal day.

In the midst of the COVID-19 era, I have been inspired by two groups of people in our church. First, the musicians. Lynn McCoy, the Praise Band, and the other talented members who have come on Sunday to help us lift our songs of praise in worship have truly inspired me. And secondly, those who have “come” for worship each week give me great hope. I’ve seen you check in on Facebook. I’ve read your comments and heard you speak in phone conversations of the power of worship. When it would be so easy to become stubborn or distracted at this moment in time, you are still singing, and shouting, and raising songs of praise to our God.

And familiar notes of hope are still sounding in the world.

Prayer

God, You have given some of us great musical talents. Thank You. You have given all of us voices and hearts with which to raise our praise. Thank You. Let us eagerly share that joy each day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.