Click here to read PSALM 81 in poetic form.
Background
Psalm 81 is in the Leviticus book of the Psalms (73—89). The Old Testament book of Leviticus focuses on matters in the sanctuary: the priesthood, ceremonial laws, and feasts. Almost all of these 17 Psalms mention the sanctuary and God’s relation to it. Psalms 80, 81, and 82 show God in the sanctuary.
This Psalm has the title “of Asaph.” Psalm 50 in the Exodus book of the Psalms also has this title. There are 11 Psalms (73-83) with this title in the Leviticus book of Psalms. Regarding Asaph, Nehemiah 7:44 speaks of “The singers: the children of Asaph.” They were responsible for worship in the Temple. For further study on Asaph, see II Kings 18:18,37; I Chronicles 6:39; 9:15; 15:17,19; 16:5,7,37; 25:1,2,6,9; 26:1; II Chronicles 5:12; 20:14; 29:13,30; 35:15; Ezra 2:41; 3:10; Nehemiah 2:8; 7:44; 11:17,22; 12:35,46; Psalms 50:1; 73:1; 74:1; 75:1; 76:1; 77:1; 78:1; 79:1; 80:1; 81:1; 82:1; 83:1; Isaiah 36:3,22.
This Psalm is divided into two sections by the Hebrew term “Selah,” which means to pause. Some Bible teachers say this connected the truths that come before and after the term.
Structure
(Verses 1-3) People should sing praise to God
(Verses 4-7) Saved from Egypt: God faithful to His Word (statute, law, testimony)
Pause
(Verses 8-16) Saved from Egypt: but people refuse His Word and deliverance
(Verse 16,17) God’s desire for His people
Key Scriptures
Verse 3—“Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.” The word for “trumpet” is shofar, made from the horn of a ram. Joshua 6:4: “And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.” Trumpets were to be blown at the new moon. Numbers 10:10: “Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God.”
Verse 6—“I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.” This refers to the burdens of the children of Israel under Pharaoh. They may have used “pots” or baskets to carry the bricks that they made (Exodus 1:14).
Verse 7—“I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah.” The word meribah means “chiding” or “complaining.” Exodus 17:3-7: “And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?” There is another record of Meribah in Numbers 20:1-13. There God commands Moses to “gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock” (verse 8). Yet Moses did not carry out the command to only “speak,” and so he could not enter the promised land. “And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them” (verse 11-13). Moses should have taught them about how the Messiah would bring “living water.” Jesus Christ is the true “rock” and foundation for eternal life. I Corinthians 10:4: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” For more details see “Our God, the Fountain of Living Waters” and “Jesus in the Gospel of John, Part 1: Bringing Eternal Life as Savior.”
Verse 9—“There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.” This is the greatest commandment. To love God above all others (Deuteronomy 6:5; 7:9; 10:12; 11:1,13,22; 13:3; 19:9; 30:6,16,20; Joshua 22:5; 23:11; Nehemiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27; Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:19; 8:19; 26:10; Psalms 99:5,9; Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8).
FOR FURTHER STUDY
All 150 of The Psalms in Poetic Form are available from Amazon in a book, either Large Print or a smaller Bedside Reader. Also available for free with a Kindle Unlimited membership. Enjoy!
The entire blog series is now available in the publication The Psalms: Background & Structure with Key Scriptures Explained.
