20 July Psalm 81

If you would listen to me

Psalm 81:8b(AMP) says: O Israel, if you would listen to Me!

This verse is central to Psalm 81, embodying the heart of Israel's relationship with God and calling for deep reflection on their connection with the Divine.

Israel's refusal to listen was not just a failure of attention but also of faith and obedience. The Psalm reiterates God's call for His people to heed His proclamation of truth. What was Israel meant to listen to? Firstly, they needed to hear God's word of deliverance.

Time and again, the people made unwise choices in the wilderness, including desiring to return to the bondage of Egypt, instead of heeding the wisdom of their God.

God promised blessings to His obedient people. First, He vowed to provide them with the necessary sustenance Psalm 81:16(NLT) But I would feed you with the finest wheat; I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.”

Secondly, God promised to preserve and protect those who did not test Him, as illustrated in Psalm 81:7(NLT): You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered out of the thundercloud and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah.

Thirdly, He promised abundant blessings to those who worship Him alone. Psalm 81:9-10(NLT) states: You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down before a false god. For it was I, the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.

This failure to heed God's Word was rectified by Jesus, God’s own Son, who always listened and honoured God’s Word, much to His Father's delight. This is echoed in Matthew 17:5b(NLT) “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

Refusing to listen to God is the ultimate folly, leading to our own detriment, as Jeremiah 25:7(NKJV) warns: Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the LORD, “that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

I conclude with a thought from Rick Warren: “We often miss hearing God's voice simply because we aren't paying attention.”