Sing and celebrate with music and instruments. It isn’t a suggestion, it’s a lasting ordinance for Israel. It’s to happen on the feast days and the sabbaths, the new moon and the full moon. There is a recognition of the changing of the times and the seasons and celebrating
Then there’s the recount of the marvelous things God did in the Exodus. It’s always about the Exodus as it was such an extraordinary and pivotal point.
And God had told them. Do not follow a strange god or bow to them. But they didn’t listen. Repeatedly. And for many, many years.
“So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own plans” (Ps 81:12).
That’s what God has to do sometimes when we persist in not listening. He has to give us over to do as we wish. It’s a dreadful thing as it always turns out bad. Always.
And that’s what happened. Israel didn’t listen. God finally let them have their own way. Suffering abounded. But here’s the heart of God.
“If only my people would listen to Me and Israel would follow My ways, I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes” (Ps 81:13-14).
He is a Father. He is having to dole out discipline by letting them have their own way. But he is aching and waiting for Israel to turn back to him so He can quickly deliver and rescue them. He’s on the edge of his seat waiting. Just waiting for them to turn back to him.
And when they do he is waiting to feed them “with the best wheat. ‘I would satisy you with honey from the rock‘” (Ps 81:16).
God is waiting to come quickly.
