Psalm 81
Sermon Series: Psalms
Sermon Title: The 81st Psalm
Psalm 81 is a song of Asaph who was a descendant of Gershon the son of Levi and he is identified as a member of the Levites. He is also known as one of the three Levites commissioned by David to oversee singing in the house of Yahweh. The backdrop of this Psalm is the Feast of Tabernacles which was the annual event when Israel remembered God’s goodness and upholding during their time of wandering in the wilderness, when they lived in tents and tabernacles.
The Bible has a lot to say about the wilderness, both the Old & New Testament speak of the wilderness as a place of testing & trials, a place to be refined, a place to seek Almighty God. In fact, the author of Hebrews calls us in chapters 3-4 to consider ourselves still in the wilderness, we have been set free from the slavery of sin but have not yet arrived at the promised land. So then, what does it mean to view our lives through the lens of the wilderness?
This Psalm gives us insight into the good and the bad of the Israelite people during their time in the wilderness and how God sustained them in a barren place. Often, our world can feel like a spiritual wasteland or wilderness, you look around and so much corruption and death, you long to see light and goodness but can become overwhelmed by the darkness. This Psalm, like the Feast, is a reminder that God is ever present in our times of trouble, if we look to Him and remain faithful, he will sustain us, he well let us see that the hope He has set us free to live in is greater than and wilderness desolation, and it is through that hope that we press on toward the promised land.
Peace,
Nathan Bentley