Psalm 81:1–16 / Open Wide Your Mouth and I Will Fill It
📘 Scripture
1. Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
2. Begin the music, strike the timbrel, 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 festival;
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 forever.
16. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
📖 Scripture Summary
The psalmist calls God’s people to rejoice in Him, recalling His deliverance from Egypt. God’s people are to listen and worship Him alone but they refuse, following their own ways instead. God laments their disobedience, longing to bless them with victory. The psalm ends with a promise that if God’s people return to Him, He will protect them and provide for them abundantly.
💬 Reflection
Joyful Worship (81:1–7)
This psalm expresses God’s desire for His people to joyfully worship Him. These praises are not timid. The people are exhorted to sing for joy to the God who is their strength and to shout aloud to Him. The music comes from many instruments including some that they strike and blast during festivals. Like the nation of Israel, we should also celebrate God because He has saved His people. The immediate context of this psalm is about a people being saved from slavery in Egypt, but we have even greater reason to celebrate because of the salvation achieved through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Let us joyfully celebrate the Lord with all our might, with joyous praises of thanksgiving!
Reflection question: When was the last time you worshiped God with heartfelt joy? Meditate on what He has saved you from and let this inspire praise.
To Listen and Obey (81:8–16)
God continues to speak to His people. After He reminds Israel of His deliverance, warnings, and commands, God then tells His people of how they have neglected Him. In the rest of the psalm, there is a strong emphasis on listening. If we simply listen to God and obey Him, He is quick to rescue and restore us. Let us not make the same mistakes that His people made in the past. Let us not live day by day ignoring God. Rather, let us listen to Him by reading and obeying the life-giving commands He has provided in Scripture. Sometimes, God’s commands may seem restrictive or undesirable, but following them pleases the Lord, protects us, and fuels our love for Him.
Reflection question: What pursuits often tempt you to compromise obedience to God’s commands? Confess to Him the difficulties you encounter when trying to obey Him.
🙏 Prayer
Dear God, You are what brings me joy. Even when I feel discouraged and disappointed, You remain the joy of my salvation. Open my ears so that I may hear You. Help me listen to and obey Your wonderful decrees. In Jesus’ name, amen.
✍ Essay
Love and Obedience
Love before obedience. This sequence is essential in understanding the kind of relationship we have with God. The Father so loved the world that He sent His Son to die for our sins. The gospel teaches us that no amount of good works will save our souls. In response to God’s love, we love Him, and we faithfully obey Him.
However, what about the days when we do not feel as much love for God? Shouldn’t we work on loving our God in mind and heart before we put any additional effort in obeying His commands? A French novella might help us understand the answer.
The Little Prince, authored by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, focuses on a boy who travels from planet to planet. While the novella presents various experiences the little prince has during his celestial travels, one significant episode is the prince’s close relationship with a rose. At the time, the prince cherishes the rose, believing that she is unique in the universe. However, after landing on earth, he realizes that numerous roses exist. He becomes greatly disappointed until he meets a talking fox. The fox shares, “It’s the time you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important.”
When we feel like God is no longer as important, one way to reawaken our souls and rekindle our hearts is to be attentive to His Word. By devoting our time and effort to cultivating our relationship with God, we grow in our love for Him, and we see Him as the treasure that He is.
Written by John Pai
💬 Today’s Inspiration
“Christian obedience is an obedience from the inside out, not from the outside in.”
– Joe Rigney