[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-le-lxnW-ew&feature=youtu.be”]
In this week’s study from Tehillim / Psalms 81:1-16, the psalm opens saying, א לַמְנַצֵּחַ | עַל-הַגִּתִּית לְאָסָף: For the director of music. According to gittith. Of Asaph. (NASB) Asaph states, ב הַרְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִים עוּזֵּנוּ הָרִיעוּ לֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב: ג שְֹאוּ-זִמְרָה וּתְנוּ-תֹף כִּנּוֹר נָעִים עִם-נָבֶל: ד תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר בַּכֵּסֶה לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ: ה כִּי חֹק לְיִשְֹרָאֵל הוּא מִשְׁפָּט לֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב: 81:1 Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. 81:2 Raise a song, strike the timbrel, The sweet sounding lyre with the harp. 81:3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the full moon, on our feast day. 81:4 For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob. (NASB) What is the significance of blowing the Shofar (trumpet)? He continues saying, ו עֵדוּת | בִּיהוֹסֵף שָֹמוֹ בְּצֵאתוֹ עַל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם שְֹפַת לֹא-יָדַעְתִּי אֶשְׁמָע: 81:5 He established it for a testimony in Joseph When he went throughout the land of Egypt. I heard a language that I did not know: (NASB) Is Asaph referring to the Shofar as being a testimony? He says, ז הֲסִירוֹתִי מִסֵּבֶל שִׁכְמוֹ כַּפָּיו מִדּוּד תַּעֲבֹרְנָה: ח בַּצָּרָה קָרָאתָ וָאֲחַלְּצֶךָּ אֶעֶנְךָ בְּסֵתֶר רַעַם אֶבְחָנְךָ עַל-מֵי מְרִיבָה סֶלָה: 81:6 ‘I relieved his shoulder of the burden, His hands were freed from the basket. 81:7 ‘You called in trouble and I rescued you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder; I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Selah. (NASB) How did the Lord prove the people at Mirabah? Read more here: Tehillim 81-Part1
