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Psalm 81
(Psalms 81 KJV) "To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph.
Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of
Jacob. {2} Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp
with the psaltery. {3} Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time
appointed, on our solemn feast day. {4} For this was a statute for
Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. {5} This he ordained in Joseph
for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I
heard a language that I understood not. {6} I removed his shoulder from
the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots. {7} Thou calledst in
trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of
thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah. {8} Hear, O my
people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken
unto me; {9} There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou
worship any strange god.
Remember that the bowing down to a foreign God is an issue connected
with the hatred of God. It is hard to grasp that it is so, but the second
commandment is unequivocal in this regard (Exodus 20:4-5). Idolatry is
inseparably connected to the hatred of God as we will see below.
{10} I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of
Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. {11} But my people would
not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. {12} So I gave
them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own
counsels. {13} Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had
walked in my ways! {14} I should soon have subdued their enemies, and
turned my hand against their adversaries.
{15} The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto
him: but their time should have endured for ever. {16} He should have
fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the
rock should I have satisfied thee."
The word for hate in Hebrew implies, "to hate personally." It is a
little hard to grasp, but there is now and always has been a class of
people who hate God. You may not recognize them. They may not always be
overt in their hatred, but they are always there.
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