Psalm 81
Honey from the Rock
The gospel is God drawing life from death. It is him creating hope from the most unlikely of places.
In this Psalm, we are invited to draw near in worship and repentance to the God who is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3.20), such as drawing honey from a rock.
For the director of music. According to gittith. Of Asaph.
1 Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
2 Begin the music, strike the tambourine,
play the melodious harp and lyre.3 Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;
4 this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 When God went out against Egypt,
he established it as a statute for Joseph.I heard an unknown voice say:
6 ‘I removed the burden from their shoulders;
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called and I rescued you,
I answered you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8 Hear me, my people, and I will warn you –
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.11 ‘But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.13 ‘If my people would only listen to me,
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,
and their punishment would last for ever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.’
Sing (1-5)
The Psalm opens with a call to the chorus and orchestra of the people of God to exuberant celebration (1-2). This cacophony of joy is centred on God. For he is the strength of his people. Their confidence and assurance rests in his matchless might. He is also the God of Jacob. He is not just powerful but faithful. The promises made to their ancestors are their’s as well by faith. The people are called to use their vocal chords and harp strings to make a loud and joyful noise in praise to God.
The occasion is the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). In the seventh month, at the beginning of the new moon, the trumpets would be sounded to summon the people. And at the full moon, the week long feast would begin. The Feast was a time to remember when the people dwelled in tents after the liberation from Egypt (Lev 23.43). God’s word decreed this remembrance and celebration (4). It was at this Feast where Jesus sent out his invitation of grace, “‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7.37).
Hear (6-10)
This Psalm is an invitation to us to sing and draw near to the God of our Salvation. But we who sing to God must also listen to God (8).
And through the rest of this song, we hear directly from God himself.
His opening words remind us of his redemption. He is the one who lifted the heavy weight of slavery from Israel (6-7). When he speaks of the basket, this was what they carried the bricks in. That back breaking burden was removed from them. God spoke his law to them from the thundercloud of Mount Sinai. And at Meribah, where Israel grumbled against God, his waters of grace were poured out to them.
God heard their cries of anguish and now he commands them to hear and heed his warning (8).
Here the first two commandments are reiterated (9; see Exodus 20.3-4), as God reminds them of their obligations. God remembered his covenant promises when they cried out to them (7; see Exodus 2.23-25) and now he reminds us of our right response to his salvation. We are are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called (Ephesians 1). And the foundation of that is total allegiance to God. Because he is the one who has made us alive in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2.4-10). And he is the one who will fill up his people.
Repent (11-16)
The history of Israel sadly is not of a people who listened but went their own way (11). And God gave them up to their own devices and desires (12). This is the same verdict of Paul in Romans 1. This is a devastating result. For to walk away from God is to walk away from joy, peace and life itself.
The Psalm culminates then with a call to repent and return to the living and true God. Those who forsake the world, giving themselves to God in faith will be rescued and redeemed. God will dispel our enemy, delivering us from his schemes (14).
The invitation of grace closes with a beautiful image (16). As Derek Kidner puts it, God is not miserly or ineffectual but “he gives the best, and brings sweetness out of what is harsh, forbidding and wholly unpromising.” Doesn’t this capture the upside down and lavish generosity of God? Jesus, the one who was crucified on the cross is the one who promised an overflow of living water to all who believed in him (John 7.37).
So Church, let’s turn back to God, hear his sweet promise and sing aloud to the glory of his name!
Glory be to God the Father, who has removed the burden from our shoulders.
Glory be to God the Son, who is the Rock of Ages, from whom we receive sweet grace.
Glory be to God the Spirit, who is the living waters that satisfy our thirsty souls.
Ever three and ever One.
Home Group: Luke 11.29-36
Jesus criticises those around him for seeking signs. What is wrong with that?
The Queen of the South is commended for seeking the wisdom of Solomon. How might we seek wisdom from Jesus?
The Ninevites are highlighted as a picture of true repentance. If we are saved by faith, why must we also repent? What does a repentant person look like?
What would a body full of darkness look like? How do we fill our bodies with light?