Articles
Listen to God - Psalm 81
Listen to God
As we continue our reading of the genealogies in 1 Chron. 7-10, I want to go back and think about yesterday's reading of Psalm 81.
Psalm 81 is an interesting insight into God's desire for His people and the people's sad response to God's goodness. God had saved them out of Egypt. God then revealed unto this His law, commands, precepts, instructions (cp. Ps. 119:1-8).
We hear God twice desiring that the people would only listen to Him (vs. 8 and vs. 13). God doesn't speak to hear His own voice, but to instruct His people. His commandments are for our good always (Deut. 6:24). By His words we are instructed (read again Ps. 119).
This desire for us to listen to God has been a constant refrain in the scriptures:
"“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!" Deut. 6:4
"“Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, your God." Psalm 50:7
"He said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. “For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”" Deut. 32:46–47 -
God, for His part of the covenant, had promised to provide for, protect, and bless the people. It is unfathomable what would have happened to His people IF they had listened!
We will never know. Unfortunately, God also notes their response: "But my people did not listen to My voice, and Israel did not obey Me" (vs. 11). Our reading of the OT has shown generation after generation of people refusing to listen to God. It wasn't that they were unable, it was that they were unwilling. The great passages in the Bible that summarize the history of the people are filled with instance after instance of their rebellion (cp. Psalm 78, 106, Nehemiah 9, Acts 7, etc.).
This refusal continued even into the New Testament era as we hear Jesus say:
Matthew 23:37 - "“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling."
This desire to have people hear was also a constant theme in the New Testament. As Jesus finished speaking about the mission and purpose of John the Baptist, he said: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matt. 11:15). To the seven churches of Asia, Jesus still says "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Rev. 2:7, 2:11, 17; 3:6, 13, 22). Later we read: "If anyone has an ear, let him hear" (Rev. 13:9).
To those who ARE willing, God has blessed them with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Jesus (Eph. 1:3). Are you listening? Hugh DeLong
