Festivals were a time of remembrance, rejoicing, and renewal when the people of Israel gathered for “The Feasts of Jehovah” each year. They allowed the Jews to worship together, as they believed God's blessings had been with them in the past. It was at the Feast of Tabernacles and Trumpets, which was likely the time this psalm was sung in a particular way by the whole congregation of Israel. The professional singers of the tribe of Levi and the musicians of the priesthood were joined by the entire company to “Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.”
This psalm begins on a high note as the words of the psalm urge those who sang to remember who they were and who they were called to serve. When God’s people gather today, there is a unique, uplifting attitude when the voices of the saints join in praise, worship, and testimony to our Lord. The music of spiritual songs and hymns to us today and to the Israelis in the past focuses our thoughts and emotions on God and spiritual things. Worldly music often has to do with heartbreak or sentimental words that make much of what people are missing rather than what we have and what God has given us. When we come together at our Bible conferences for teaching, exhortation, and fellowship, we also need to join our voices to praise God for His goodness to us as individuals, families, assemblies, and nations.
Then, as the voices of praise were quietened, a prophet spoke for God to the people, addressing them as to their condition of soul and what God saw and knew, not just what they said about God and themselves. God had delivered His people from the bondage of Egypt. He had delivered them when they called on Him in their despair. He “removed his shoulder from the burden.” Interestingly, instead of removing the burden from his shoulders, He removed them from under it. The Lord delivered His people in many ways. But Israel went on their own stubborn, blind way instead of following the Lord and doing what He said.
God instructed His people on the necessity of faithfulness to Him and of rejecting idolatry. Yet, in various ways of compromise and departure, they followed the ways of the world around them. God had promised that if they opened their mouths, He would fill them by granting their requests. God wishes to feed His people if they openly and completely trust Him. God delights in blessing obedient people.
God has every right to expect our loyalty and obedience. We have choices to make and consequences to accept. Wrong decisions will turn us to the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Life's experiences should lead us to follow the Lord in faith and obedience to Him. Faithfulness in relationships is expected, particularly with our Lord Jesus Christ. If we choose to disobey and ignore Him, the stubborn dictates of a deceitful heart bring their consequences. If we listen to His counsel and obey our Lord, He will deal with the opposition of enemies Himself. He will feed His people with the finest of wheat and the best honey that comes unadulterated from the rock.
Deliberate deafness to God’s word and disobedience to His will led Israel to be abandoned by God and allowed to go their way and do what they wanted. Because of their stubbornness and foolishness, they did things as they wished and suffered. God had heard the cries of distress of His people in Egypt and down through the centuries since. He had the right to expect them to listen to Him, “open thy mouth wide,” and He would have filled them. Faith is willing to trust the Lord to meet life’s needs.
When God’s people “would not hearken,” we need to remember that ingratitude, like that of Israel, will leave us on our own. Things would have been different if they had gone God’s way. That lesson is one we must learn. God’s way is not just the best but the only right way. Israel has had to suffer defeat and misery instead of victory and blessing. There is hope for us to continually enjoy victory and blessings when we submit to divine guidance and live according to the scriptures of truth.