Psalm Chapter 81

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph.

Psalm 81:1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

Rejoicing in the Lord and worshipping Him with music is a wonderful way to honor God from deep within our inner being. The bible is full of exhortations to this type of worship. I believe in it and I practice it. However, this should never be a test of whether or not someone is spiritual. We shall know them by their fruits, not the way they worship. Football fans are enthusiastic and very vocal about their favorite team and we should be enthusiastic about our God but we can't judge character by whether one worships God quietly or with a lot of music and enthusiasm.

No matter how we worship, it should be from the depths of our heart and not just for show. This should not be forced upon anyone, neither should it be suppressed. I've seen worship leaders who try to force everyone to raise their hands, and publicly worship God and I've heard of those who try to stop people from raising their hands and worshipping God. Both are wrong.

Suppose someone came to visit a church that was very vocal and loud in their worship and someone made them feel uncomfortable because they were not ready to join in. Then suppose we visit a church where it is frowned upon if we say, "Praise the Lord" when we feel God's presence. Both quiet worshippers and vocal worshippers should be respected and not judged.

Human nature has an uncanny way of expecting everyone to be just alike when all of us have different talents so that we serve Him in areas of need. All of us are not plumbers and we need plumbers. All of us are not preachers and we need preachers. If everyone preached, who would do the listening? If everyone wanted to sing in the choir, who would play the instruments?

Psalm 81:4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This 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.
6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

There is no power like our God. There is nothing else in the universe like our God. He is worthy of praise and adoration. How is it that we can receive good things from God but then never speak to Him, never worship Him and ignore His very existence. The biggest insult of all is to worship a strange god instead or an idol of some kind.

Psalm 81:10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Our great and wonderful God promises us many good things if we would only listen for His voice and follow after His ways.

Suppose we had a neighbor that was out of food. They had no money, no income and refused to ask anyone for help. Suppose we went to them everyday with a load of groceries and everyday they would refuse those offerings. We offered them money, we offered them vouches, coupons and even a bag of groceries we decided to pick out for ourselves and give it to them. Still they refused. So we leave it on the doorstep, ring the door bell and they come to the door only to ignore the groceries. Sooner or later they would die if they didn't eat.

This is how some people treat the gift of salvation God offers to them. He offers them a way out of the sin mess the human race is consumed with. He sent His own Son Jesus to die in our place on our behalf to pay the sacrifice for our sins. The penalty for sin is death. This death is both physical for the body and eternal for the soul if the soul dies in sin. This eternal death is eternal but the soul never really dies so it is a place of torment called hell where the soul remains for eternity.

Hell was made for the devil and his angels to stop sin from being eternal. All who sin go to the eternal place of torment. All who reject Jesus and choose to serve Satan, will end up where Satan will end up. God sent Jesus to save us from sin so that our soul will go to heaven at the point of physical death instead of hell. We can have eternal life instead of eternal doom but many ignore this good way.

The reason many ignore it, is because they do not want to admit they are sinners in need of salvation or else they prefer to keep their sin and do what is right in their own eyes instead of what is right in God's eyes.

The bible was written to show us what sin is and how to be delivered from sin. Repent means to turn from and move away from. We must repent of sin and believe in the Son of God, Jesus the Christ for remission of sin. He then in return gives us the Holy Spirit to abide with us and give us the power over sin. We usually do what we want to do and God's Spirit gives us the power to "not want to sin." We can still return to sin and resist the wonderful Spirit of God but His power is available and we don't have to give into temptation.

Psalm 81:11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

This is exactly why Israel had so much trouble come upon them. Yet God is dealing with Israel and wants them to receive the Messiah they rejected over 2000 years ago. More trouble is ahead for Israel because they continue to reject the Messiah but a remnant will be saved and God will send Jesus back to them where they will mourn when they see the one their ancestors rejected. They will know that this Jesus was the same one that was once sent to them.

Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Jesus is the way, the path to eternal life, to the infilling of the Holy Spirit, and to a new body that can never get sick or die again.

Psalm 81:12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

This is a warning to all of us. If we reject God's word and continue to sin, we will be given over to lust and eventually our minds will be reprobate and we no longer will think that sin is sin.

There are some people that justify murder, rape, slavery because they did it so long that their conscience no longer condemns them. In America we no longer see sexual immorality as sin. Years ago sex outside of marriage for instance was frowned upon. That no longer is even an issue. It now has gotten so bad that there is some isolated groups of people that are claiming pedophilia is a normal sexual orientation and should be permitted. Many children are confused about their gender identity. We have more confusion and mental illness than ever before.

Is it because we are more educated and know better? Is it because God has changed His mind? NO. It is because little by little we have rejected God's standard of holiness and goodness preferring to do what is right in our own eyes. Romans chapter one is being fulfilled before our eyes. Our minds are fast becoming reprobate.

Those that speak out against these things are considered full of prejudice and hate. We are calling evil good and good evil. Our conscience is seared and we no longer believe God's word has any relevance in our society. If we continue this, our nation will eventually die.

There is a way out of this mess. God through Jesus has given us power of all types of sin if we would receive Him. All can be delivered from that sin so that they can be saved from sin and inherit eternal life.

It is not just sexual sin that is harming us but killing the unborn children. I can say this for sure. We as a nation are not going to get away with murdering the millions of little babies. Take that to the bank. We will not. We can be forgiven but we must stop doing these things and warn against it. It was supposed to reduce child abuse but child abuse has continued and even increased.

We need deliverance from all sin, and those I mentioned. Some sins harm the body and bring in disease that is incurable and will wipe out the human race if it continues. This is what the enemy of our souls wants. He has always hated God's creation. From the beginning Satan has wanted to kill what God has created. He is the one that brought in abortion, nuclear weapons, sexual relationships that are not lawful according to God's word, and also trying to change a child's gender. That is so cruel and evil.

Sin is killing many slowly both physically and spiritually. They will die and be lost forever if they continue in sin. That applies to all who have sinned. Jesus came to save us and remove the curse of sin from all of us but we must repent or turn from sin and turn to Him to be saved.

Psalm 81:13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

We must walk in God's ways and reject our own ways in order to be saved. Any sexual impurity, theft, murder (abortion), lying, cruelty, dishonoring parents etc. is sin that must be repented of to be saved.

America is in trouble and needs this salvation.

Psalm 81:14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

God has all good things for those that trust Him. He sets them on the door step of our hearts and it is up to us to open the door or be turned over to a reprobate mind and be lost forever.

Romans 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them

We do not have to be part of this reprobate society. Do not follow the crowd and those that reject God and God's holiness. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. DC

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Psalm 82

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