LHC Midday Word: PSALM Eighty One

For the director of music.

According to gittith.

Of Asaph.

Sing for joy to God our strength;

shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

Begin the music, strike the tambourine,

play the melodious harp and lyre.

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,

and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;

this is a decree for Israel,

an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

When God went out against Egypt,

he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:

‘I removed the burden from their shoulders;

their hands were set free from the basket.

In your distress you called and I rescued you,

I answered you out of a thundercloud;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Hear me, my people, and I will warn you –

if you would only listen to me, Israel!

You shall have no foreign god among you;

you shall not worship any god other than me.

I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

‘But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not submit to me.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own devices.

‘If my people would only listen to me,

if Israel would only follow my ways,

how quickly I would subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes!

Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,

and their punishment would last for ever.

But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;

with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.’

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Psalm 81: “melodious” (v.2)

It’s easy to forget when we read the Psalms that actually they were songs to be sung. This fact can be clearly seen from the opening sentence, “sing for joy to God our strength (v.1). However in a number of them we discover comments, such as in the heading (‘for the director of music’), or with words like “melodious” (v.2), describing the ”harp and lyre.” Other musical instruments that are mentioned are the “tambourine” and “ram’s horn” (v.2).

Paul encouraged the Ephesians to use “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs … make music in your hearts to the Lord” (5v.19). Why? Godly music is so uplifting!

-=-=-=-=-=-=

READINGS

PSALM 81

Read by Sir David Suchet