Psalm 81
Sermon preached at Barclay Church, Edinburgh by Rev D. Graham Leitch
28 July 2002

TELLING STORIES

There are different ways of telling the same story. I¹m an old fashioned traditionalist when it comes to stories and like them to have a beginning, a middle and and end. I like the story to unfold in a linear and logical fashion. Not for me the modern novel in which chronology is confused - as though the author had dropped the loose pages of her manuscript on the way to the publisher. Not for me the television drama in which the principal character appears as an adult before he¹s ever seen on the screen as a child!!

I¹m a simple fellow with a simple mind!!

In our services this Summer we are exploring a number of what are called the Psalms contained in the Old Testament Book called by that name. Though traditionally called the Psalms of David not all were written by him. They were composed by various authors over a long period of time.

Some of them are simple and easily understood. Like the traditional story they have a beginning a middle and an end. They¹re straightforward. But others are less so and like the modern novel or contemporary play its sometimes quite hard to get a handle on what they¹re about!!

PSALM 81 Today¹s Psalm - Psalm 81 (Page 593) - is a bit like that. Here it is. Listen to it and see whether you can tell what it¹s about:

READING: PSALM 81

Now what¹s that all about? If the Bible says that ³all scripture (not just the New testament but the Old; not just some of the Word of God or most of the Bible but ALL of it) is ³profitable for training in righteousness² - that everything in the Bible has important lessons teach us - what is there for us to learn here!!

To find out what there is to learn we need first to discover what it¹s all about - and the text itself gives us three clues.

WHAT¹S IT ALL ABOUT? The first is in the command to praise in the opening verses of the Psalm. Look at vv.4 and 5. In vv.4 and 5 the command to praise, to celebrate, to hold a festival - is called ³a decree² and ³an ordinance²:

³Praise and celebrate² the writer commands ³...this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob² He tells them they are to praise, celebrate, rejoice, hold a festival on God¹s orders.

The second clue - and it¹s the key really - are the familiar words of 10a - the key to its meaning isn¹t revealed until half-way through where we find these words: ³I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt²

It¹s a quote from Exodus 20 - from the preface to the passage containing the ten commandments - and is a reference to the Passover - the deliverance of the the Jews from Egypt.

And the final confirmation of the subject of the Psalm comes in the references in vv.6 and 7 to God¹s delivering from their slavery in Egypt.

So the back cloth to all that we read in this Psalm is the miraculous, gracious and compassionate act of God in answering the cries of the oppressed Jews in Egypt and acting decisively in history to deliver them.

But what¹s that to do with me, you say - that was all to do with them, the Jews, not me. And it was all so very long ago. And that¹s true!

But we, like them, if we are indeed Christians, are a people delivered and set free by the miraculous, gracious, compassionate act of God in sending Jesus Christ to bear our sin, pay sin¹s penalty and set us free from its power.

We Christians - the people of God today -stand now in relation to Calvary where the Jews - the people of God then - stood in relation to the Passover.

We are those heard by God, delivered by his grace, set free from sin¹s slavery. But with this difference - that the promised land to which they journeyed was earthly where ours is heavenly.

THE GOD OF NATURE AND THE GOD OF GRACE As Christians we don¹t worship God, firstly, as the author of nature and Creator of all. Of course He is the God of nature - the Bible says so: The Old Testament speaks of Him as ³the creator of the ends of the earth²; the New Testament describes him as ³the Living God who made earth and heaven and sea and everything in them...²

But as Christians we do NOT worship God first and foremost as the Creator of All, the God of nature. We worship him first and supremely as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of grace. The God who has acted in time and space and entered history to deliver us from sin and by bearing its penalty has become our Saviour.

We are a redeemed people - ³redeemed² as Peter says ³not with silver or gold - as though earth¹s wealth could purchase heaven¹s pardon - but with the precious blood of Christ like that of a lamb without blemish or spot....²

We are a forgiven people - ³in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God¹s grace...²

We are a liberated people - ³for freedom Christ has set us free....²

These are the facts and the experience corresponding to it - of Gods mercy and deliverance and new life and the Spirit¹s power - are what are at the very heart of our faith.

And we thus stand in relation to God¹s grace today (in relation to Calvary) where the Jews stood in relation God¹s grace (in relation to the Passover) when this Psalm composed.

THE OBLIGATIONS OF GRACE And if you were to ask me what it¹s theme is and what lessons we can learn from it I would reply: THE OBLIGATIONS OF GRACE. Look at vv.1-5.

³1 Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! 2 Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. 3 Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; 4 this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5 He established it as a statute for Joseph ....²

The Jews were commanded by God to praise Him for his mercy, to remember the gracious acts by which he delivered them, to commemorate the day God saved them.

Is it not, then, much more our duty to praise God for the salvation wrought for us - for all that He has done for us and given to us, and promises us still, in Jesus Christ. How poor we are at praising God for Jesus Christ!

It¹s the difference between the gratitude of the child who receives school socks and a plain grey school jersey from his auntie every year and the gratitude of the child who¹s just received what he¹s dreamed of but never dare imagine he would ever get!

(v.1-2a) Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! 2 Begin the music.....!!

1. GRATITUDE This reminds us that the first obligation of grace is GRATITUDE - thankfulness - a rejoicing and praising spirit. In the Bible it¹s plain that the gratitude which praises God is not just heartfelt - though of course it must come from the heart or its no more than politeness - but expressed gratitude , spoken gratitude (in prayer) and sung gratitude (in praise and thanksgiving).

The quality of praise comes less from the tuning of the instrument that leads it, the skill of the instrumentalists who play it or the discipline and giftedness of the voices which lead it than from the warmth, genuineness and appreciation of God¹s grace in the hearts which participate in it.

This is not to say that the tuning of the instrument, the giftedness of the musicians and the dedication of the choir are unimportant. - but in worship more important than all of these in true praise is the heart of the worshipper.

The first OBLIGATION OF GRACE is GRATITUDE - a thankful heart.!! To survey what Jesus Christ has done for us, to embrace the Gospel and all it offers, to partake of the new life that is God¹s gift to those who turn to Christ and possess the promise of heaven is more wonderful than any earthly inheritance or prize -

Grace accepts the unworthy, forgives the sinner, strengthens the weak, comforts the sorrowing, mends the broken, cheers the sad, encourages the faint-hearted. Grace does all this (and a thousand times more) with heaven thrown in! How then can we remain silent or refuse Him praise?

The first OBLIGATION OF GRACE is GRATITUDE!! ³Begin the music!!²

SECONDARY LESSONS There are two or three lessons about praise and worship here worth noting in passing.

1. The first is that JOY should be one of the predominant features of Christian worship. Joy in God and joy at what God has done for us should mark our lives. As JOY is one of the defining marks of the Spirit¹s presence - the fruit of the Spirit in the Christian¹s life, so JOY is one of the defining features of true worship and ought to be evident wherever Christians gather to praise their God.

Verse 1 commands ³sing for joy to the Lord...² Notice that word JOY!

Christian services of the Presbyterian kind (including services when the Lord¹s Supper are celebrated) have an unfortunate reputation for being sombre and doleful occasions. I¹ve been at communion services which have been more life funerals than festivals!!

And sometimes ordinary services are just that - ORDINARY!!

Yet Jesus shared his Gospel with us, he has told us, so that ^Ìhis joy¹ might be in us, and our joy might be ^Ìfull.¹ (Jn.15:11) - Jesus Christ lived and taught, bled and died, rose and lives to make us a happy people!

A joyless service delights neither man nor God. A joyless service is a denial of the Gospel. A joyless service chills hearts that should be warmed by the praises of God and and set on fire with love and thankfulness.

Here is a test that the Church without Walls Strategy Group could apply to our worship - is it joy-filled, positive, happy? If it isn¹t, we should be doing something about it!!

2. The second lesson lies in the command to ³shout aloud² to God. Too often our praise is inhibited, respectable, polite, Exuberance and spontaneity have not hitherto been the defining marks of the traditional church at worship!

But the image here (³shout aloud²) bears more resemblance to a football fan on the terracing celebrating his teams last-minute winning goal than to today¹s average church-attender in a Church of Scotland pew! Unless the Church of Scotland has the humility to learn from the newer churches in this respect it will deservedly cease to be.

3. The third lesson is really the child of the other two - we may not all be able to sing entirely on tune or qualify for service in the choir, but we can all, to quote another Psalm ^Ìmake a joyful noise² to the Lord.

The first obligation of grace is GRATITUDE - a thankful heart. It shouldn¹t make any difference to us that this is a ³decree², ³an ordinance², ³a statute² - that God commands our praise. Because He deserves it and we should be giving it to him anyway!!

2. A LISTENING EAR The second obligation of grace revealed in the Psalm is A LISTENING EAR. When Israel had been delivered from Egypt by the miraculous power and loving mercy of God, this was what she failed to do... instead of giving attention to God and his commands, they turned their backs on Him and His will - making a carved idol to worship instead.

8 ¶ "Hear, O my people, and I will warn you--if you would but listen to me, O Israel! 9 You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. 10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt.... 11 ..... but my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. 12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. 13 "If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, 14 how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!

This Psalm teaches us that next to a thankful heart we owe God a LISTENING EAR. But how does God speak to us? He speaks to us in nature¹s beauty - the whole of creation proclaims his power and points us to Him. He has spoken his definitive word to us in Jesus Christ - and still confronts the unbeliever with His claims saying ³Listen to me² But, in our every day living, it is in the Scripture and through the Bible that he speaks to us.

When we pick up our Bible uttering Samuel¹s ancient prayer ³Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.² and read it with an expectant faith-filled heart we shall hear HIS voice.

Today the whole church needs a new openness to His Spirit.

In this clamorous world of voices competing for our attention there is ultimately but ONE VOICE that matters, because it alone is eternal - the voice of GOD!!

Is God saying this about His Church - or about this church today - ³if you would but listen to me...my people would not listen to me...if my people would but listen to me!²

THE SECOND OBLIGATION OF GRACE - A LISTENING EAR.

3. LOYALTY - AN UNDIVIDED HEART The third obligation of grace, LOYALTY, is revealed in the writers quotation from Exodus in v.9: ³You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god.²

It matters not that the foreign or alien gods of Israel¹s day were fashioned from wood and stone while the gods of our day are more insidious and more sophisticated. What matters now is what mattered then - that God be given his rightful place - the first place and first priority - in His people¹s lives.

What are the 21st century gods which compete for the supreme place of Jesus Christ in the believers life? There is pleasure - the love of enjoyment; there is money - the love of wealth; there is power - the love of success; there is freedom - the lack of constraint. And there is that supremely post modern ³alien god² - relativism, the refusal to acknowledge let alone submit to absolute truth.

The post modern spirit is the darling of the younger generation precisely because it allows them to construct truth in their own image and trample the truth of God!!

The third obligation of grace revealed in this Psalm is LOYALTY. If gratitude is a thankful heart, LOYALTY is an undivided heart, wed in love and everlasting obedience to GOD himself and God alone!: ³You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god.²

It¹s the life centred on God; the life submitted to God. The LOYAL LIFE is the life that resists the clamorous voice and seductive appeal of other gods because it is settled and satisfied with Jesus Christ.

4. BELIEF IN GRACE The fourth and final obligation of grace is is BELIEF IN GRACE. There is a verse in the old version which sums it up completely. It says² ³he giveth more grace.² Let me explain what I mean when I say that the final obligation of grace is BELIEF IN GRACE!

In sending Jesus Christ to live on this earth, to bear the penalty of our sins reconciling us to himself and to change us from enemies into his friends; in giving HIMSELF for us, God has already shown to us the kind of God He is!!

He is the God of the open hand and the open heart!! The God who in the Bible is spoken of as ³The God of all grace² or ³the all-gracious One²

³From the fullness of his grace² John writes about Jesus at the beginning of his Gospel,³we have all received grace upon grace (or grace after grace, or grace added to grace)²

That¹s the kind of God He is - a God of abounding love and overflowing generosity. Those who have tasted the kindness of the LORD had a duty to believe in that kindness!! That¹s what I mean by saying that we are obliged by our experience of His grace to believe in grace!! To believe in the kind of God He is, to commit ourselves to the kind of God we have. Listen! (81:9) ³I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.²

In other words, ³Because I am the God has has delivered you and set you free - because I am the God who has saved you - because you have known my grace, believed in my grace, commit yourself to my grace......OPEN YOUR MOUTH WIDE AND I WILL FILL IT.²

God invites us to be be fed with what v.16, the last verse of the Psalm, calls ³the finest of wheat² and to be satisfied with ³honey from the rock² - the richest of fare!!

Here, then are the obligations of grace: GRATITUDE - a thankful heart. ATTENTIVENESS - a listening ear. LOYALTY - an undivided heart.

And lastly, as those who have known his grace and experienced it already in Jesus Christ -(4) a belief in the God who ³giveth more grace² - for as an old salvation army hymn puts it, and I've never seen it expressed better: ³He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labours increase, To added afflctions he addeth his mercy, To multiplied trials he mutiplies peace.²

³When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources. Our Father¹s full giving is only begun.

³His love has no limits, his grace has no measure, His power has no boundary known unto men; For out of his infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.² Amen

Previous sermon

Back to index

Next sermon