Psalm 811 Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our feast day.4 For it is a statute for Israel,
a rule of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known:
6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket.
7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
In Psalm 81, the psalmist is reminding us of God's faithfulness, power and desire for God's people to feast on the joy of God's presence. Over the last few years I have learned some valuable lessons in remembering the Story that is our faith. I have learned the importance of knowing what God has done for us, from the grace that was shown to Adam and Eve, to the covenants made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is important to remember God's faithfulness to Moses and the people as they left captivity in Egypt and wandered in the desert. And, we remember God's intense love and passion for God's people, even when they turn to idols. We remember that God condescended to us in the form of Jesus the Christ, who died so that we might live, who taught us the way to servanthood and showed us the importance of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Remembering these things are important because they remind us of who God is and who we are as God's creation and love. We remember that God's intentions are for good, not to harm us. God wants us to feast on the "finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock." This is something to rejoice about.
When we tell the story we are led to worship, like the psalmist calls us to, and we remember the truth and faithfulness of God. When we forget the story, we pursue those idols that are false, and we forget that it is not money or earthly relevance that saves us. Our cars, boats or houses are not faithful to us. It was not Pharoah who delivered Israel from Egypt, it was not their hard work, it was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who wanted to lead them into the land flowing with milk and honey.
Lord, help us to remember that you are our faithful God, who delights in us feasting at Your table. We boldly pray for You to expose any idols among us, and for you to remind us of Your story of salvation for Your people.
Joseph Nader
