Psalm 81

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Joshua

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Psalm 81
To the chief Musician upon Gittith,
A Psalm of Asaph.
This psalm was probably composed for the Feast of Trumpets, on the first day of the seventh month, Lev. 23:24. Here are, (1.) Solemn exhortations to praise God for what he is to his people, and for what he hath done for them, ver. 1-7. (2.) Instructions concerning God's new-covenant grant of himself and his benefits to men; their ungrateful refusal thereof; and the misery they incur, and happiness they lose thereby, ver. 8-16.

While I sing, let my soul consider what God is to, hath done for, and given to men ­ to me: and let all my inward powers steadfastly believe his declarations, and eagerly embrace his offers. Let my heart be filled with grief, that ever I refused to hear my own gracious God speaking from heaven, and offering to me all the unsearchable riches of Christ.

1 Sing loud to God our strength; with joy
to Jacob's God do sing.
2 Take up a psalm, the pleasant harp,
timbrel and psalt'ry bring.

3 Blow trumpets at new-moon, what day
our feast appointed is:
4 For charge to Isr'el, and a law
of Jacob's God was this.

5 To Joseph this a testimony
he made, when Egypt land
He travell'd through, where speech I heard
I did not understand.

6 His shoulder I from burdens took,
his hands from pots did free.
7 Thou didst in trouble on me call,
and I deliver'd thee:

In secret place of thundering
I did thee answer make;
And at the streams of Meribah
of thee a proof did take.

8 O thou, my people, give an ear,
I'll testify to thee;
To thee, O Isr'el, if thou wilt
but hearken unto me.

9 In midst of thee there shall not be
any strange god at all;
Nor unto any god unknown
thou bowing down shalt fall.

10 I am the Lord thy God, which did
from Egypt land thee guide;
I'll fill thy mouth abundantly,
do thou it open wide.

11 But yet my people to my voice
would not attentive be;
And ev'n my chosen Israel
he would have none of me.

12 So to the lust of their own hearts
I them delivered;
And then in counsels of their own
they vainly wandered.

13 O that my people had me heard,
Isr'el my ways had chose!
14 I had their en'mies soon subdu'd,
my hand turn'd on their foes.

15 The haters of the Lord to him
submission should have feign'd;
But as for them, their time should have
for evermore remain'd.

16 He should have also fed them with
the finest of the wheat;
Of honey from the rock thy fill
I should have made thee eat.
 
Thomas Case on v. 10:

Verse 10. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. You may easily over expect the creature, but you cannot over expect God: "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it; "widen and dilate the desires and expectations of your souls, and God is able to fill every chink to the vastest capacity. This honours God, when we greaten our expectations upon him, it is a sanctifying of God in our hearts. Thomas Case (1598-1682), in "Morning Exercises."
 
John Ryland:

Verse 10. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Surely this teaches us, that the greater and more valuable the blessings are which we implore from the divine beneficence, the more sure shall we be to receive them in answer to prayer...But, though men are to be blamed, that they so seldom acknowledge God in any thing, yet they are still more to be blamed, that they seek not from him the chief good. Men may, however, possibly cry to God for inferior things, and apply in vain. Even good men may ask for temporal blessings, and not receive them; because the things we suppose good, may not be good, or not good for us, or not good for us at present. But none shall seek God for the best of blessings in vain. If we ask enough, we shall have it. While the worldling drinks in happiness, if it will bear the name, with the mouth of an insect, the Christian imbibes bliss with the mouth of an angel. His pleasures are the same in kind, with the pleasure of the infinitely happy God. John Ryland.
 
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