Sing for Joy to God Our Strength

The psalmist calls the congregation to sing aloud to God their strength and shout for joy to the God of Jacob. They are to raise a song, play the tambourine and lyre, and sound the ram's horn at the festival time. This celebration is not optional enthusiasm but a statute and ordinance appointed by God for Israel and established as a testimony for Joseph when he went through the land of Egypt.

F¹or the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph. ²Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, ³Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, ⁴For this is a statute for Israel, ⁵He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph

God himself speaks, recalling how he removed Israel's burden, freed their hands from the basket, and answered them in distress from the secret place of thunder. He also tested them at the waters of Meribah. On that basis he warns his people to listen, forbidding any strange god among them and reminding them that he is the LORD who brought them out of Egypt and stands ready to fill their open mouths.

⁶“I relieved his shoulder of the burden; ⁷You called out in distress, and I rescued you; ⁸Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: ⁹There must be no strange god among you, ¹⁰I am the LORD your God,

God laments that his people would not listen or submit, so he gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own counsels. Yet he immediately expresses how much he wishes they would listen, because then he would quickly subdue their enemies and turn his hand against their adversaries. Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, Israel's time would endure, and God would feed his people with the finest wheat and satisfy them with honey from the rock.

¹¹But My people would not listen to Me, ¹²So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts ¹³If only My people would listen to Me, ¹⁴how soon I would subdue their enemies ¹⁵Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, ¹⁶But I would feed you the finest wheat;