Psalms 81

Psalm 81 begins as a liturgical call to worship celebrating God's historical deliverance of Israel, but abruptly shifts into a divine prophetic oracle that laments Israel's stubborn refusal to obey Him.

• The psalmist calls for corporate worship with musical instruments and the blowing of the trumpet (vv. 1-3).
• The text establishes the historical foundation for this worship: God's decree to Israel following their exodus from Egypt and the waters of Meribah (vv. 4-7).
• God speaks directly in the first person, demanding exclusive worship and recounting His past faithfulness to His people (vv. 8-10).
• The Lord expresses divine lament over Israel's rejection of His voice and the tragic consequences of their disobedience (vv. 11-16).

• God/Elohim (vv. 1, 4, 10)
• Jacob/Joseph (vv. 1, 4, 5)
• Trumpet/Shofar (v. 3)
• Waters of Meribah (v. 7)
• The imagery of the shoulder/burden (v. 6)
• The promise of filling the mouth wide (v. 10)

This passage highlights the tension between God’s consistent saving action and human persistent rebellion, serving as a solemn warning against ignoring God’s voice after experiencing His grace.

True worship is anchored in remembering God's past redemption and manifests in present obedience to His voice.

The psalm transitions from the congregation speaking about God in the third person to God speaking to the congregation in the first person, forcing the reader to move from observing history to confronting the present requirement of obedience.

• I will fill it (v. 10)
• I should soon have subdued their enemies (v. 14)
• He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat (v. 16)

• Sing aloud unto God (v. 1)
• Take a psalm (v. 2)
• Blow up the trumpet (v. 3)
• Hear, O my people (v. 8)
• Open thy mouth wide (v. 10)

• Neither shalt thou worship any strange god (v. 9)

• The mention of the 'new moon' and 'solemn feast day' points to Israel's liturgical calendar, likely associated with the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah).
• The 'pots' (v. 6) allude to the brick-making labor Israel endured as slaves in Egypt (Exodus 1:14).

• The blowing of the shofar (שׁוֹפָר H7782) was a distinct, culturally recognized sound used to signal the beginning of a sacred time or a call to attention.
• The concept of 'hearing' (שָׁמַע H8085) in the Hebrew mind included the implication of active response and obedience, not merely auditory reception.

• The psalm belongs to the genre of a prophetic liturgy, where the psalmist prepares the congregation for a divine oracle.
• Matthew Henry observes that as the Jews were called on their solemn feast days to remember their redemption from Egypt, Christians are invited on the Lord's Day to recall a far more glorious redemption wrought by Christ from the bondage of sin.

• The psalm explicitly references the Exodus narrative and the testing at the waters of Meribah (Exodus 17:7; Numbers 20:13).
• The imagery of God feeding Israel with 'honey out of the rock' (v. 16) mirrors the historical provision of manna and water in the wilderness.

• The reference to 'Meribah' (v. 7) connects directly to the event where Israel tested God's presence and patience at the waters of strife (Exodus 17:7).

• נָצַח (H5329) 'choirmaster/chief musician' denotes one who is permanent and eminent in oversight of music.
• שׁוֹפָר (H7782) 'trumpet' refers specifically to the curved ram's horn used for signaling.
• שָׁפָה (H8193) 'language/lip' is used metaphorically for the foreign speech encountered in Egypt, emphasizing the alienation Israel felt.
• נָעִים (H5273) 'pleasant' denotes that which is delightful or sweet.

• The phrase 'I gave them up' (v. 12) illustrates that God's judicial abandonment is a response to the human rejection of His sovereign authority, not a lack of power on God's part.
• The contrast between what God provides (v. 10, 16) and what Israel chose (v. 12) frames the psalm as a dialogue about the source of human satisfaction.

• There is scholarly debate regarding whether the 'solemn feast day' refers specifically to the Feast of Trumpets or the Feast of Tabernacles, as both featured the blowing of the trumpet.
• The exact identity of the 'Asaph' (H623) mentioned in the title refers to the family or guild of Levitical singers rather than necessarily the individual contemporary of David, though this is a standard title in the Psalter.