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Worship God, Not Idols

Read

(By Asaph for the music leader.)

God Makes Us Strong

1Be happy and shout to God

who makes us strong!

Shout praises to the God

of Jacob.

2Sing as you play tambourines

and the lovely sounding

stringed instruments.

3 Sound the trumpets and start

the New Moon Festival.

We must also celebrate

when the moon is full.

4This is the law in Israel,

and it was given to us

by the God of Jacob.

5The descendants of Joseph

were told to obey it,

when God led them out

from the land of Egypt.

In a voice unknown to me,

I heard someone say:

6“I lifted the burden

from your shoulder

and took the heavy basket

from your hands.

7 When you were in trouble,

I rescued you,

and from the thunderclouds,

I answered your prayers.

Later I tested you

at Meribah Spring.

8“Listen, my people,

while I, the Lord,

correct you!

Israel, if you would only

pay attention to me!

9 Don't worship foreign gods

or bow down to gods

you know nothing about.

10I am the Lord your God.

I rescued you from Egypt.

Just ask, and I will give you

whatever you need.

11“But, my people, Israel,

you refused to listen,

and you would have nothing

to do with me!

12So I let you be stubborn

and keep on following

your own advice.

13“My people, Israel,

if only you would listen

and do as I say!

14I, the Lord, would quickly

defeat your enemies

with my mighty power.

15Everyone who hates me

would come crawling,

and that would be the end

of them.

16But I would feed you

with the finest bread

and with the best honey

until you were full.”

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
See this passage in other languages or Bible versions

Reflect

The worship leader starts (vv 1-5b) by calling the congregation to enthusiastic praise of God during a new moon festival (the first day of the month) as well as during the full moon (on the fifteenth day). The reference to the latter may point toward the Festival of Tabernacles (or Ingathering) since it started at that time in the seventh month and, while originally an agricultural festival, came to be a time to celebrate the Exodus and God’s provision for them during the wilderness wandering (Leviticus 23:42-43). Such exuberance should mark all our worship of God. While the Israelites could look back on God’s dramatic rescue from bondage in Egypt, we look back to Jesus’ victory over sin and death on the cross.

The psalm continues with a divine oracle. God himself speaks in the remainder of the poem and first of all reminds his people how he rescued them from their slavery in Egypt, but then sadly reports how they responded by worshipping false gods. Such behavior keeps God from blessing them, so he calls them back to worship him and him alone. If they do, then God will defeat their enemies and provide them with the finest foods.

As we read this psalm, we should be reminded of God’s great acts on our behalf and also of our tendency to worship “false gods.” Our idols are typically not like the idols of the ancients. We tend to worship money, work, relationships, and pleasure. Ultimately we tend to put ourselves first in life rather than God. This psalm is a powerful reminder that we will find satisfaction only when we put God first.

Respond

O God, you are our God. Keep us from false gods, putting anything or anyone in place of you in our lives. God we praise you for your great act of redemption in our lives, saving us from sin, guilt, and death. We love you Lord. Amen.

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Tremper Longman III

Dr. Tremper Longman III (B.A. Ohio Wesleyan University; M.Div. Westminster Theological Seminary; M.Phil. and Ph.D. Yale University) is Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. He has written over 30 books which have been translated into seventeen different languages. In addition, as a Hebrew scholar, he is one of the main translators of the popular New Living Translation of the Bible. His most recent book is How to Read Daniel. Tremper and Alice currently reside in Alexandria, VA and have three sons (Tremper IV, Timothy, Andrew) and four granddaughters (Gabrielle, Mia, Ava, and Emerson). For exercise, he enjoys playing squash.

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worship, festivals, idols


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