Psalm 81:8-13

8."Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me!
9."Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10."I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt ; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
11."But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me.
12."So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices.
13."Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways !

During my time at DTS I have had the opportunity to take Old Testament history I and II, and I have also attended Walk Thru the Bible for both the Old and New Testaments. Going through this process has given me a much better understanding of the “big picture” or whole story of the Bible. I think I am much better able to understand Psalm 81 because of this. I know what the writer is talking about when he mentions certain historical events, and I can understand the emotions of the psalm based on what God was doing through the whole Old Testament.

I love the emotions and concepts expressed in the second part of this psalm. In verses 8-13, God expresses His longing for His people. God has a desire for His people that we could compare to a husband’s desire for his wife. Just as a husband should be a wife’s only lover, Yahweh desires that He be the one and only God of His people (vs 9). God loves His people so much that He delivered them from oppression (vs 10). He knows that His people can only be satisfied by Him, and He is ready and willing to do it. Verse 10 says, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” I love that line. God cares for His people. He will sustain them, if only they will open their mouth! In this context, God wants His people to walk in His ways so they can be with Him and He can fill them (vs 13). I also love the emotion that verse 13 communicates. It is like the cry of God showing His passion for His people.

Throughout history, God calls His people to satisfaction in Him.