Dave’s Monday Blast – April 20, 2020
In Psalm 81, the Lord says to His people, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” (v.10a) This sentence captures a miracle that transcends anything we can fully comprehend.
Pastor Jim Denison comments: “Egypt was the greatest empire the world had ever seen, its military feared the world over. For a fugitive shepherd and two million slaves (likely 6 million in family groups) to defy pharaoh and defeat their army required a demonstration of omnipotence that changed human history.”
Now, reminding His people of what He has done for them in the past, God encourages them to trust Him for what He can do for them in the present: “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (v.10b) “Open your mouth wide” translates a Hebrew phrase meaning to “open yourself completely.” “Will fill it” could be translated, ‘” will fill it until it is completely full.”
However, the Lord could do this for them only if they turned to Him and not to themselves or each other. This is what Scripture has in mind when it commands us to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). We ask the Spirit to show us anything in our lives that displeases the Lord, then we confess all that comes to our thoughts. We admit to Him that we need His empowering and leading. We ask Him to “fill” or control us. And we go forward in faith that He has answered our prayer.
Denison comments” “Here’s the tragedy: God’s people did not accept His invitation. They did not turn to Him for the help and hope only He could provide.”
Psalm 81 continues: “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels” (vv. 11 – 12). The result was civil war, the destruction of the Northern Kingdom, and the enslavement and exile of the Southern Kingdom.
Of course none of this had to happen: “Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes” (v.14). Such spiritual consequences would change everything: “Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward Him, and their fate would last forever. But He would feed you with the finest wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (vv. 15 – 16).
If we turn to God, He can turn to us. The result will be His best in this life and His eternal reward in the next. When we remember what our Father has done for us, we find the faith to trust Him for what He will do.
I am reminded of the passage in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray…I will fill them up”!
