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PSALM 81 - Big Ears and Obedience 22 Jan 2020
Elephants do have huge ears. They are however not known for their excellent hearing. Israel has a God who talks to them. This God complains, "If they only would listen." Of course God means, "If they only would obey."
New Testament
In Act 5,32 it says: "The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey."
Quality of my Ears
I have one deaf ear. Therefore I am excused "half." Obedience is not always easy. To my earthly father's wisdom, I often responded with passive aggressive rebellion. Perhaps I did not know how to respond more positive. For sure I was irritated with his expectations.
Do I really love the commandments of God? I am sure that by time I am rebellious. "Is it really that bad?", is often my reasoning out.
Psalm 81
1 [For the choirmaster.
On the . . . of Gath. Of Asaph]
Sing for joy to God our strength,
shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.
2 Strike up the music, beat the tambourine,
play the melodious harp and the lyre;
3 blow the trumpet for the new month,
for the full moon, for our feast day!
4 For Israel has this statute,
a decision of the God of Jacob,
5 a decree he imposed on Joseph,
when he went to war against Egypt.
I heard a voice unknown to me,
6 'I freed his shoulder from the burden,
his hands were able to lay aside the labourer's basket.
7 You cried out in your distress, so I rescued you.
'Hidden in the storm, I answered you,
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Pause
8 Listen, my people, while I give you warning;
Israel, if only you would listen to me!
9 'You shall have no strange gods,
shall worship no alien god.
10 I, Yahweh, am your God,
who brought you here from Egypt,
you have only to open your mouth for me to fill it.
11 'My people would not listen to me,
Israel would have none of me.
12 So I left them to their stubborn selves,
to follow their own devices.
13 'If only my people would listen to me,
if only Israel would walk in my ways,
14 at one stroke I would subdue their enemies,
turn my hand against their opponents.
15 'Those who hate Yahweh would woo his favour,
though their doom was sealed for ever,
16 while I would feed him on pure wheat,
would give you your fill of honey from the rock.'
Excerpt from THE NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1985 by
Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division
of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
Large Ears