God’s Testimony Series

Psalm 81:1-16 God’s Testimony

1. HIS CALL -

TO PRAISE HIM

The Manner -

1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

The Means -

2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

The Moment - 3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon,

TO PROCLAIM HIM

When? - 3 in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

Why? - 4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob

Where? - 5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

TO PROMOTE HIM

Their Relief -

6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

Their Request - 7 Thou calledst in trouble,

Their Rescue - 7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee;

2. HIS COMMAND - Verses 8–10

TO LISTEN TO HIM -

8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

TO LEARN OF HIM -

9 there shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

TO LEAN ON HIM -

10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

3. HIS COMMITMENT -

13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

His Filling - God would have filled their mouths

10 open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

His Fighting - God would have given victory over enemies

14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

His Frustrating - God would have made God-haters submissive -

15 The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him

His Fencing - but their time should have endured for ever.

His Feeding - God would have satisfied their hunger

16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat:

and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

4. HIS COMPLAINT -

11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

The People - But my people

The Problem - would not hearken to my voice;

The Place - and Israel

The Parting - and Israel would none of me. (Total Rejection)

5. HIS CONDEMNATION -

a. Morally - the Lord Left Them to Their Folly

12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust:

Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

12 and they walked in their own counsels -

Jude 18 how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

b. Militarily - the Lord Left Them to Their Foes

14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

c. Materially - the Lord Left Them to Their Famines

16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat:

and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.