CHAPTER 81

WRITTEN BY ASAPH: GODS GOODNESS AND MANS WAYWARDNESS

¹Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. (The expression, God of Jacob, means the God of all Grace. These are His Old Testament and New Testament titles. Israels Messiah is the Speaker in this Psalm. In it are the tender Thoughts and loving Purposes of His Heart for His Sheep [Mat. 23:37; Lk. 19:42].)

²Take a Psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. (As many other Passages do, this Passage proclaims not only the approval, but actually the creation, of musical instruments for the worship of God. Such was done at that time, is being done now, and actually will be done forever in eternity, in praise to God [Rev. 5:89].)

³Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. (The terms, new moon and solemn feast day, all have to do with the Law of Moses, which was all fulfilled in Christ, and in actuality is no more. But that which it represented, the worship of God, most definitely continues, and will ever continue.)

⁴For this was a Statute for Israel, and a Law of the God of Jacob. (Under the Old Covenant, Israel was the only nation on Earth that had the Law of God.)

⁵This 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. (This does not mean that the Great Shepherd did not understand the Egyptian language, but that He did not acknowledge the Egyptians as His Sheep. The Hebrew verb here should be translated acknowledge, as in Psalms 32:5, instead of the word understood.)

⁶I removed his (Israels) shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots (this refers to Israels deliverance as slaves from Egyptian bondage).

⁷You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder: I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Selah. (This means that the waters of Meribah, etc., [waters of murmuring and strife] were a test [Ex. 17:7]. In fact, everything, as it regards the Child of God, is a test.)

⁸Hear, O My People, and I will testify unto You: O Israel, if you will hearken unto Me (Verses 8 through 10 may be understood as having been addressed to Israel upon leaving Egypt);

⁹There shall no strange god be in you; neither shall you worship any strange god. (The strange god expressed here refers to heathenistic idols, which were actually representations of demon spirits. Regrettably, many strange gods abide in the modern Church. Modern psychology is a strange god. So is philosophy, which is vain deceit [Col. 2:8]. In fact, anything that is not Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, and that exclusively, presents a strange god.)

¹⁰I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt: open your mouth wide, and I will fill it (this meant that every desire and need of Israel would be fulfilled, if they would only believe God).

¹¹But My People would not hearken to My Voice; and Israel would none of Me. (Is the modern Church presently in the same spiritual condition?)

¹²So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust: and they walked in their own counsels. (If Believers do not desire Gods Counsel, which is His Word, and that exclusively, then He will allow such Believers to walk in their own counsels. Such presents disaster!)

¹³Oh that My People had hearkened unto Me, and Israel had walked in My Ways! (The Ministry of the Holy Spirit is to straighten out mans walk, which can only be done as we evidence Faith in Christ and what Christ did for us at the Cross; this is the Faith through which the Holy Spirit exclusively works [Rom. 8:12, 11].)

¹⁴I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned My Hand against their adversaries. (The adversaries came whenever Israel turned to her own ways instead of Gods Way.)

¹⁵The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto Him: but their time should have endured forever. (The Lord is saying that He would have subdued these haters, if only Israel would have submitted themselves unto Him God. If they had done so, Israel would have never been defeated, and would have, in fact, endured forever.)

¹⁶He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied you. (These are affectionate terms, with wheat speaking of prosperity and honey out of the rock speaking of Gods special additional Blessings.)