Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 81:14

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 81:14. I should soon have subdued — If God's promise appeared to fail in behalf of his people, it was because they rejected his counsel, and walked in their own. While they were faithful, they prospered; and not one jot or tittle of God's word failed to them.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 81:0 A festival song

In the traditions that grew up around the Jewish festivals, this song was sung annually at the Feast of Tabernacles. (For this feast see Leviticus 23:33-36,Leviticus 23:39-43.) The song opens with a reminder of God’s command to keep this joyous festival in remembrance of his goodness in saving his people from Egypt (1-5).

God then recounts how he lifted the burden of slavery from the backs of his people and looked after them as they travelled through the barren countryside (6-7). At Mount Sinai he gave them his law, adding a promise that he would continue to provide for them if they were faithful to him (8-10). But their stubborn disobedience prevented them from receiving God’s blessing (11-12). God still desires his people’s repentance and wholehearted loyalty; then he can pour out more of his blessings upon them. He can give them help and provision far greater than anything their ancestors experienced in the wilderness (13-16).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE HOMILY

"I removed his shoulder from the burden: His hands were freed from the basket. Thou callest in trouble, and I delivered thee I answered thee in the secret place of thunder; I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. (Selah) Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto me! There shall no strange god be in thee; Neither shall thou worship any foreign god. I am Jehovah thy God, Who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt: Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people hearkened not to my voice; And Israel would none of me. So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, That they might walk in their own counsels. Oh that my people would hearken unto me, That Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn my hand against their adversaries. The haters of Jehovah should submit themselves unto him: But their time should endure forever. He would feed them also with the finest of the wheat; And with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee."

"I removed his shoulder from the burden… his hands from the basket" This is a reference to the slavery in Egypt from which God had freed his people. `The basket' here was used by the slaves carrying clay for the making of bricks.

"I answered thee in the secret place of thunder" This seems to be a reference to the `cloud' which guided Israel in the day-time in the wilderness.

"I proved thee at the waters of Meribah" There were two instances in which God provided water for Israel at Meribah; and these are discussed fully in our Vol. II of the Pentateuch (Exodus), pp. 230-233, and in Vol. III, (Lev.-Num.), pp. 442-445.

"O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken" There seems to be an emotional factor in such pleading words as these; and they remind us of the words of the Christ: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37 f)."

"There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shall thou worship any foreign god" From these words it may be inferred that idolatrous, pagan worship was being indulged by God's people. Otherwise, no warning would have been necessary. This identifies the times of the psalm as prior to the exile, after which Israel did not worship pagan gods.

"Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it" The imagery here is that of a nest of small birds opening their mouths wide at the appearance of the mother bird. There is a deep spiritual lesson in this. "God's gifts, both spiritual and temporal, are proportioned to our eager longing for them. Christ could do no miracles in one place because of the people's unbelief (Mark 6:5); and God cannot give lavishly unless we desire eagerly."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 168. Tiny birds that never open their mouths are never fed.

"My people hearkened not to my voice… Israel would none of me" Israel paid no attention to the Word of God; they did not obey the Lord; they did not wish to have anything at all to do with God.

"So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart" "So I let them go"! No sadder words were ever spoken of a people. This expression is the equivalent of what God did to the hardened Gentile nations of the pre-Christian era. "God gave them up… God gave them up… God gave them up" (Romans 1:24; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28). All of the terrible things that later happened to Israel were due to only one thing: "God let them go."

There is a lesson in this for every man. God's Spirit will not always strive with sinful men; when it becomes evident that men love evil, God will eventually withdraw his influence and allow them to wallow in it.

"That they might walk in their own counsels" As Alexander Maclaren stated it, "There is no worse fate for a man than to be allowed to do as he chooses. `The ditch' sooner or later receives the man who follows his own understanding, which he himself has blinded by forbidding it to receive the truth from that One who alone is The Light."Alexander Maclaren, op. cit., p. 422.

"Oh that my people would hearken unto me" "One's entire relationship to God is always a matter of listening to Him,"H. C. Leupold, p. 590. and that simply means studying and meditating day by day upon the Word of God as revealed to mankind in the Holy Bible. There is no other way to "hearken unto God."

These last four verses (Psalms 81:13-16) provide a statement of what God "would have done for Israel" if they had only been willing to heed his word and walk in God's ways. Barnes summarized these as follows.

(1)    Their enemies would have been subdued (Psalms 81:14);

(2)    the haters of God would have turned to the Lord (Psalms 81:15);

(3)    God would have given them abundant prosperity (Psalms 81:16).Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 edition), op. cit., p. 320.

This being true of the Old Israel, is it any less true of the New? The answer is negative. As Barnes expressed it, "This psalm is of special importance to the church now, reminding God's people of their obligation derived from the past mercies of God, and showing what would be the consequences if they should be wholly dedicated to the service of God."Ibid.

"With honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee" "This verse looks back to Deuteronomy 32:13-14 `Honey from the rock is not a natural product.' The parallel from Deuteronomy, where we have, `oil out of the flinty rock,' shows that we are `not here on the ground of the actual, but of the ideal.' The expression is hyperbole for incomparable abundance."

What a glorious thing it would be for all of God's people to devote themselves without reservation to the love and service of God. Should anyone be afraid that God either could or would fall to provide abundant blessings for his people who might do such a thing? Has not Christ himself said, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world"?

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

I should soon have subdued their enemies - This is one of the consequences which, it is said, would have followed if they had been obedient to the laws of God. The phrase rendered soon means literally like a little; that is, as we might say, in a little, to wit, in a little time. The word rendered subdued means to bow down; to be curved or bent; and the idea is, that he would have caused them to bow down, to wit, by submission before them. Compare Deuteronomy 32:29-30.

And turned my hand against their adversaries - Against those who oppressed and wronged them. The act of turning the hand against one is significant of putting him away - repelling him - disowning him - as when we would thrust one away from us with aversion.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

14.I would soon have brought their enemies low. Here the Israelites are taught, that all the calamities which had befallen them were to be imputed to their own sins; for their enemies did not fight against them with any other strength than that with which they were supplied from above. God had promised that under his leading the chosen people would prove victorious over all their enemies; and now to take away all ground for charging him with violating his word, he affirms that he would not have failed to enable them to do this had he not been prevented by their sins. He doubtless intends tacitly to remind them that the victories which they had formerly achieved were not owing to their own military valor, but to Him under whose conduct they had been placed. Now, he tells them that he was not only kept back by their sins from putting forth his power to defend them, but that he was also compelled by their perverseness to rush against them with the sword in his hand, while he left their enemies to remain in undisturbed tranquillity.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Let's turn to Psalms 81:1-16 .

On the first day of the seventh month in the Jewish calendar, which, because their calendar begins, the religious calendar begins the first of April, it usually coincides somewhere around the first of October on our calendar. There is a blowing of the trumpets. It's called the Feast of the Trumpets to announce the most holy month of the year, the seventh month. And so the first day of the seventh month the Feast of Trumpets, the blowing of the trumpets to inaugurate this holy month followed then by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is then followed by the Feast of Succoth or Tabernacles. And so this Feast of the Trumpets, the holy day, the sounding of the trumpets for the holy month, gathering the people in a holy convocation before God. Psalms 81:1-16 is the psalm that was read for the Feast of Trumpets. And so the beginning of the psalm is sort of a proclamation for this day that has arrived.

Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, and the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, and in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was the statute for Israel, and a law of God for Jacob. 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. I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots. So 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 ( Psalms 81:1-7 ).

And so the first section of the psalm is concluded with this: Selah. They just stop and think about that. So it is a call to the holy convocation, of singing unto the Lord with the psalm, the timbrel, the harp. The blowing of the trumpets, for God has established this as a statute in the law of Moses for the people.

God declares in verse Psalms 81:7 , "You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I proved thee at the waters of Meribah." Or, "I was testing thee at the waters of Meribah." So God recounts for them some of their wilderness experiences. How that there in the wilderness they cried unto the Lord because of their thirst. And how that God answered them and proved them, tested them there at the waters of Meribah, which means "waters of strife," because the people did strive with God and with Moses.

Now God Himself cries unto the people and He declares,

Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou will hearken unto me ( Psalms 81:8 );

So God is now calling for His people to listen to what He has to say. First of all,

There shall be no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange God ( Psalms 81:9 ).

God has declared in the law, the first commandment, that, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" ( Exodus 20:3 ). Now we usually think that that sets out a priority; God first, and then all of my little gods afterwards. But, "no other gods before Me," that is, in My presence, not having any other gods around Me. In other words, our heart is to be totally towards Him and our worship given completely to Him. There shall be no strange god.

It is sad and tragic that the people did not hearken to God, and that their history was one of continual idolatry. From the time that they came into the land, they began to turn and to worship the gods of the Canaanites: Baal, Molech, Mammon, Ashtareth, and all of the gods and goddesses of the land. And they began to follow the practices of the people that dwelt in the land before them that God had driven out. And so the commandment of God, "There shall be no strange god in thee; neither shalt thou worship." And yet, they would not hearken.

I am Jehovah thy God, which brought thee out of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it ( Psalms 81:10 ).

God is declaring now the things that He desires to do for His people. And of course, He is addressing Himself to, "O my people." So He's declaring those things that He desires to do for His people. I am certain that we limit that which God would do in our lives so many times.

We are told in Jude, "Keep yourselves in the love of God" ( Jude 1:21 ). Now, by that is meant keep yourself in the place where God can demonstrate His love that He has for you. If you say, "Well, I've got to keep myself in the love of God," thinking, "I've got to keep myself real sweet and kind and generous and nice so that God can't help but love me," you've got the wrong concept of God's love. God loves you good or bad. God's love for you is uncaused by you. God's love for you is because of His nature of love. In reality, I cannot do anything to make God love me more. In the same token, I cannot do anything that would make God love me less. God loves me.

But it is possible for me to remove myself outside of that love of God. To put myself in the position where God really can't demonstrate that love that He has for me. And that's what Jude is telling us. And God is saying here the things that He desired to do for the people. "Just open your mouth wide; I'll fill it. I'll fill your life; just open yourself completely to Me. And I will fill your life."

But [He said] my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would have nothing to do with me ( Psalms 81:11 ).

Those that God had chosen as His people just had nothing to do with God. They were worshipping these other little gods.

So [He said] I gave them up to their own hearts' lust ( Psalms 81:12 ):

In Romans, the first chapter, we read also, "Wherefore God also gave them up" ( Romans 1:24 ). And it's always a tragic thing when God says of a man, "I've given up. Wherefore, I gave him up." God said to Jeremiah, He said, "Look, don't pray any more for their good, because if you do, I'm not going to listen to you." God said, "Ephraim is joined to her idols. Let her alone. They joined themselves to idolatry. Just forget it." For God says, "I've given them up. I'm no longer going to deal with them." And, of course, we are told that God's Spirit will not always strive with a man. And when God gives a man up, it's always a very tragic thing. God gave them up to their own hearts' lust.

You think that you want it so bad. You think that that's going to be the answer of your life and you do everything you can to achieve or to attain. And sometimes God just gives you up to go ahead and says, "All right, if you want to eat it, eat it, you know. But it's going to make you sick." And He gives you up to your own heart's lust. But that can be one of the most tragic things that ever happened, for you to get your own heart's desire. Because many times we desire things that aren't really beneficial for us. God knows that they're not good for us. And when God gives us up to our own heart's desires, many times we find that the most bitter experience of our lives.

they walked [He said] in their own counsels ( Psalms 81:12 ).

They wouldn't have anything to do Me. They wouldn't follow Me.

Oh [God said] that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! ( Psalms 81:13 )

Now God is lamenting over the people that would not walk in His ways. Oh, if they would only have listened.

I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries ( Psalms 81:14 ).

If they'd only have listened to Me.

The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: and their time would have endured for ever ( Psalms 81:15 ).

They would have remained in the land. They wouldn't have gone into captivity. I would have subdued their enemies.

And I would have fed them with the finest of wheat: with honey out of the rock I would have satisfied them ( Psalms 81:16 ).

But they would not hearken to God, and that's the cry of God. Because they would not hearken to Him, instead of knowing God's best, instead of experiencing the fullness of the demonstration of God's love, because they would not hearken unto God, they went into captivity. And then they were destroyed by their enemies.

When we get over to Israel this year, for the hearty ones I am planning to take a hike from Gihon Springs on up to the Dung Gate, because a lot of new archaeological excavations have been going on this past year. And some of the most exciting archaeological discoveries around the city of Jerusalem have been made on this hillside, as they have uncovered areas that date back to David's time. Areas that date back, actually, to the Canaanite period when the Jebusites had the city. But the interesting thing, as they have gone back in the various times of the history of Israel, they have uncovered many houses that were torn down by Nebuchadnezzar's army when he besieged Israel at the rebellion of Zedekiah. And in the debris of the houses of the people, they have found multitudes of little gods that the people had carved out.

Astarte, the goddess of fertility with her exaggerated breasts, and all of these little idols that they've uncovered. In all, it seems, in all of the houses they were just full of these little idols. The very thing that the scripture cried out against, the very thing that God was crying out against here. "Don't serve strange gods. Hearken unto Me. Oh, if they would only have hearkened unto Me, then I would have kept them in the land. I would have preserved them. I would have subdued their enemies. But they would not have anything to do with Me." And so God was weeping because the people were going to go into captivity. God was weeping because of all of the hardship that they were bringing upon themselves because they would not walk in the ways of the Lord.

And I'm certain that as God looks at us and He sees us as we so often follow our own self-willed path. And God can see where that path is leading. That God just weeps as we refuse to listen, as we stubbornly say, "But I want this," and I'm pursuing the desire of my own heart. The tragic thing when God gives me over to my own lust, my own heart's lust. And He just has to stand there and weep as I go into captivity, as I am bringing all of the sorrow and hurt upon myself because I won't hearken to Him, because I won't listen to Him, because I don't want anything to do with His law.

And so God's lament. It's a very beautiful psalm as we see God really just His heart broken over the failure of the people, over the worshipping of these little gods. And how, actually, even in this last year, God has allowed evidence to be uncovered that just so vitally proves this psalm and makes the whole thing so real, as they have uncovered the houses that were destroyed by the Babylonians and found all of these strange gods. And we understand how the people had turned from Him.

As David said, you know, they've taken and they've carved gods out of stone. Eyes they have but they cannot see. Ears they have but they cannot hear. And David talked about the things that people were doing even in his time and the folly of them. And so we hope to look at these ruins when we're over there this time. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 81

This psalm is a joyful celebration of God’s deliverance of His people. The Israelites probably sang it at the Feast of Tabernacles, since it is a review of God’s faithfulness and focuses especially on the wilderness wanderings. [Note: A. Ross, p. 853.] The Feast of Tabernacles reminded the Israelites of this period in their history.

"Psalms 81 is a close companion to Psalms 50. If anything, the lines of the argument are even clearer here." [Note: Brueggemann, p. 92.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. A report of God’s communication 81:6-16

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Asaph continued to relate God’s account of Israel’s history since the Exodus. If only His people would obey Him, He would subdue their enemies and adversaries. He would also bless them abundantly with prosperity (cf. Deuteronomy 32:13-14). The last verse addresses Israel in the second person and constituted a call to the present generation of readers to follow God faithfully.

It is important to review God’s past grace periodically and regularly, because recalling His faithfulness will challenge His people to remain faithful to Him. This is one of the values of attending church services regularly.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

I should soon have subdued their enemies,.... The Canaanites, and others: this he would have done in a very little time, or at once, and that easily, and without any trouble; he would quickly have humbled them, and brought them on their knees, as the word g signifies, to terms of peace; for when a man's ways please the Lord, he makes his enemies to be at peace with him, Proverbs 16:7 so those that hearken to the voice of Christ, and walk in his ways, he subdues their iniquities, and will bruise Satan under their feet shortly, and make them more than conquerors: through himself, over the world; the men and things of it he has overcome:

and turned my hand against their adversaries; that troubled, distressed, and oppressed them; and it is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that trouble his people; he turns his chastising hand off of them, which sometimes is heavy upon them, and presses them sore, and turns it in a way of wrath and vindictive justice against their adversaries; and so the Targum,

"and turned the stroke of my power against their adversaries;''

this is the lighting down of his arm with the indignation of his anger, which is intolerable, Isaiah 30:30.

g אכניע "flecterem", Cocceius.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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.   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.

      God, by the psalmist, here speaks to Israel, and in them to us, on whom the ends of the world are come.

      I. He demands their diligent and serious attention to what he was about to say (Psalms 81:8; Psalms 81:8): "Hear, O my people! and who should hear me if my people will not? I have heard and answered thee; now wilt thou hear me? Hear what is said with the greatest solemnity and the most unquestionable certainty, for it is what I will testify unto thee. Do not only give me the hearing, but hearken unto me, that is, be advised by me, be ruled by me." Nothing could be more reasonably nor more justly expected, and yet God puts an if upon it: "If thou wilt hearken unto me. It is thy interest to do so, and yet it is questionable whether thou wilt or no; for thy neck is an iron sinew."

      II. He puts them in mind of their obligation to him as the Lord their God and Redeemer (Psalms 81:10; Psalms 81:10): I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt; this is the preface to the ten commandments, and a powerful reason for the keeping of them, showing that we are bound to it in duty, interest, and gratitude, all which bonds we break asunder if we be disobedient.

      III. He gives them an abstract both of the precepts and of the promises which he gave them, as the Lord and their God, upon their coming out of Egypt. 1. The great command was that they should have no other gods before him (Psalms 81:9; Psalms 81:9): There shall no strange god be in thee, none besides thy own God. Other gods might well be called strange gods, for it was very strange that ever any people who had the true and living God for their God should hanker after any other. God is jealous in this matter, for he will not suffer his glory to be given to another; and therefore in this matter they must be circumspect, Exodus 23:13. 2. The great promise was that God himself, as a God all-sufficient, would be nigh unto them in all that which they called upon him for (Deuteronomy 4:7), that, if they would adhere to him as their powerful protector and ruler, they should always find him their bountiful benefactor: "Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it, as the young ravens that cry open their mouths wide and the old ones fill them." See here, (1.) What is our duty--to raise our expectations from God and enlarge our desires towards him. We cannot look for too little from the creature nor too much from the Creator. We are not straitened in him; why therefore should we be straitened in our own bosoms? (2.) What is God's promise. I will fill thy mouth with good things, Psalms 103:5. There is enough in God to fill our treasures (Proverbs 8:21), to replenish every hungry soul (Jeremiah 31:25), to supply all our wants, to answer all our desires, and to make us completely happy. The pleasures of sense will surfeit and never satisfy (Isaiah 55:2); divine pleasures will satisfy and never surfeit. And we may have enough from God if we pray for it in faith. Ask, and it shall be given you. He gives liberally, and upbraids not. God assured his people Israel that it would be their own fault if he did not do as great and kind things for them as he had done for their fathers. Nothing should be thought too good, too much, to give them, if they would but keep close to God. He would moreover have given them such and such things,2 Samuel 12:8.

      IV. He charges them with a high contempt of his authority as their lawgiver and his grace and favour as their benefactor, Psalms 81:11; Psalms 81:11. He had done much for them, and designed to do more; but all in vain: "My people would not hearken to my voice, but turned a deaf ear to all I said." Two things he complains of:-- 1. Their disobedience to his commands. They did hear his voice, so as never any people did; but they would not hearken to it, they would not be ruled by it, neither by the law nor by the reason of it. 2. Their dislike of his covenant-relation to them: They would none of me. They acquiesced not in my word (so the Chaldee); God was willing to be to them a God, but they were not willing to be to him a people; they did not like his terms. "I would have gathered them, but they would not." They had none of him; and why had they not? It was not because they might not; they were fairly invited into covenant with God. It was not because they could not; for the word was nigh them, even in their mouth and in their heart. But it was purely because they would not. God calls them hi people, for they were bought by him, bound to him, his by a thousand ties, and yet even they had not hearkened, had not obeyed. "Israel, the seed of Jacob my friend, set me at nought, and would have none of me." Note, All the wickedness of the wicked world is owing to the wilfulness of the wicked will. The reason why people are not religious is because they will not be so.

      V. He justifies himself with this in the spiritual judgments he had brought upon them (Psalms 81:12; Psalms 81:12): So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lusts, which would be more dangerous enemies and more mischievous oppressors to them than any of the neighbouring nations ever were. God withdrew his Spirit from them, took off the bridle of restraining grace, left them to themselves, and justly; they will do as they will, and therefore let them do as they will. Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. It is a righteous thing with God to give those up to their own hearts' lusts that indulge them, and give up themselves to be led by them; for why should his Spirit always strive? His grace is his own, and he is debtor to no man, and yet, as he never gave his grace to any that could say they deserved it, so he never took it away from any but such as had first forfeited it: They would none of me, so I gave them up; let them take their course. And see what follows: They walked in their own counsels, in the way of their heart and in the sight of their eye, both in their worships and in their conversations. "I left them to do as they would, and then they did all that was ill;" they walked in their own counsels, and not according to the counsels of God and his advice. God therefore was not the author of their sin; he left them to the lusts of their own hearts and the counsels of their own heads; if they do not well, the blame must lie upon their own hearts and the blood upon their own heads.

      VI. He testifies his good-will to them in wishing they had done well for themselves. He saw how sad their case was, and how sure their ruin, when they were delivered up to their own lusts; that is worse than being given up to Satan, which may be in order to reformation (1 Timothy 1:20) and to salvation (1 Corinthians 5:5); but to be delivered up to their own hearts' lusts is to be sealed under condemnation. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still. What fatal precipices will not these hurry a man to! Now here God looks upon them with pity, and shows that it was with reluctance that he thus abandoned them to their folly and fate. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?Hosea 11:8; Hosea 11:9. So here, O that my people had hearkened! See Isaiah 48:18. Thus Christ lamented the obstinacy of Jerusalem. If thou hadst known,Luke 19:42. The expressions here are very affecting (Psalms 81:13-16; Psalms 81:13-16), designed to show how unwilling God is that any should perish and desirous that all should come to repentance (he delights not in the ruin of sinful persons or nations), and also what enemies sinners are to themselves and what an aggravation it will be of their misery that they might have been happy upon such easy terms. Observe here,

      1. The great mercy God had in store for his people, and which he would have wrought for them if they had been obedient. (1.) He would have given them victory over their enemies and would soon have completed the reduction of them. They should not only have kept their ground, but have gained their point, against the remaining Canaanites, and their encroaching vexatious neighbours (Psalms 81:14; Psalms 81:14): I should have subdued their enemies; and it is God only that is to be depended on for the subduing of our enemies. Not would had have put them to the expense and fatigue of a tedious war: he would soon have done it; for he would have turned his hand against their adversaries, and then they would not have been able to stand before them. It intimates how easily he would have done it and without any difficulty. With the turn of a hand, nay, with the breath of his mouth, shall he slay the wicked,Isaiah 11:4. If he but turn his hand, the haters of the Lord will submit themselves to him (Psalms 81:15; Psalms 81:15); and, though they are not brought to love him, yet they shall be made to fear him and to confess that he is too hard for them and that it is in vain to contend with him. God is honoured, and so is his Israel, by the submission of those that have been in rebellion against them, though it be but a forced and feigned submission. (2.) He would have confirmed and perpetuated their posterity, and established it upon sure and lasting foundations. In spite of all the attempts of their enemies against them, their time should have endured for ever, and they should never have been disturbed in the possession of the good land God had given them, much less evicted and turned out of possession. (3.) He would have given them great plenty of all good things (Psalms 81:16; Psalms 81:16): He should have fed them with the finest of the wheat, with the best grain and the best of the kind. Wheat was the staple commodity of Canaan, and they exported a great deal of it, Ezekiel 27:17. He would not only have provided for them the best sort of bread, but with honey out of the rock would he have satisfied them. Besides the precious products of the fruitful soil, that there might not be a barren spot in all their land, even the clefts of the rock should serve for bee-hives and in them they should find honey in abundance. See Deuteronomy 32:13; Deuteronomy 32:14. In short, God designed to make them every way easy and happy.

      2. The duty God required from them as the condition of all this mercy. He expected no more than that they should hearken to him, as a scholar to his teacher, to receive his instructions--as a servant to his master, to receive his commands; and that they should walk in his ways, those ways of the Lord which are right and pleasant, that they should observe the institutions of his ordinances and attend the intimations of his providence. There was nothing unreasonable in this.

      3. Observe how the reason of the withholding of the mercy is laid in their neglect of the duty: If they had hearkened to me, I would soon have subdued their enemies. National sin or disobedience is the great and only thing that retards and obstructs national deliverance. When I would have healed Israel, and set every thing to-rights among them, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and so a stop was put to the cure, Hosea 7:1. We are apt to say, "If such a method had been taken, such an instrument employed, we should soon have subdued our enemies:" but we mistake; if we had hearkened to God, and kept to our duty, the thing would have been done, but it is sin that makes our troubles long and salvation slow. And this is that which God himself complains of, and wishes it had been otherwise. Note, Therefore God would have us do our duty to him, that we may be qualified to receive favour from him. He delights in our serving him, not because he is the better for it, but because we shall be.