The
PS 81 belong to
Book III of the
Book of PS composed of a collection of texts 150 arranged by 5 poetry books. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book III encompasses Psalms 73 to 89 . The
PS 81 is divided into 17 verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience . They portray the
common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for any blessing received.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan
Psalm 81 - Eternal Covenant
1 To the director. About Gat's lyre. Of Asaf.
2 Rejoice in God, our strength,
acclaim the God of Jacob!
3 Lift up a chant, play drum
and gentle zither along with harp.
4 Make the trumpet sound in the new moon
and in the full moon, our feast days.
5 For this is a precept for Israel,
a sentence of the God of Jacob;
6 is a testimony he left in Joseph
when he left the land of Egypt:
"I heard the voice of someone I didn't know.
7 Then I removed his shoulders from the yoke,
his hands ceased to carry the baskets.
8 In anguish you called and I delivered you,
I answered you, from the midst of thunder.
And I put you to the test by the waters of Meriba.
9 Listen, my people, that I will warn you!
O Israel, see if you can hear me!
10 There must be no strange god among
you, neither shall you prostrate yourself before any strange god.
11 I am the Lord your God, the
one who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
12 But my people would not listen to my voice,
and Israel would have nothing to do with me.
13 So I gave him to the stubbornness of their hearts.
May they follow their purposes.
14 I wish that my people would listen to me,
and that Israel would follow my ways!
15 In an instant, I would humiliate your enemies
and raise My hand against your adversaries.
16 Those who hate the Lord must bow down to Him,
their destiny is forever fixed.
17 But I will feed the people with flour
and fill you with honey from the rocks.
"
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 81 is a prayer has characteristics of a prophetic exhortation. It begins with a hymn (Verses 1-6), inviting people to the feast, and then includes a divine oracle (Verses 7-17), which recalls the commandments and the experiences lived by the people in the desert.
The new moon and the full moon were the two most significant moments in the moon's monthly movement and represented the most important festival days of the month. They defined a biweekly cycle of festivals, in a month divided by the phases of the moon into four weeks.
The direct speech used in most of the Psalms verses turns it into a declaration or testimony placed in the mouth of God as a message to be preserved since the departure from Egypt.
The
Prophetic Psalms or
Royal Psalms are prayers of praise to the king, affirmations of God's favor to the king, prayers for the king, royal oracles, and descriptions of the righteousness and piety due to the figure who has the responsibility to govern the people. These Psalms were performed at court parties, in the presence of the king, in celebrations of victory over an enemy, among other occasions involving the government. Often, the text refers to a
messianic note where certain behaviors can lead to certain outcomes. The Prophetic Psalms reinforce the
holiness of God , creator of all that exists between heaven and earth. They also remember his
mercy and
eternal justice and the importance of showing your face to the believer and to the peoples. Their action provides a
guide to behavior not only for individuals but also for those responsible for governing and enforcing justice.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak with Him. Depicting the
common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still
move ,
sensitize ,
awaken feelings ,
inspire and
enchant . In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation ,
supplication ,
praise, and
gratitude .
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and
prayer is the
power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called
prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our
God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in
transforming life . Prayer can produce
miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for
change ,
harmony and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this
peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
The
faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of
peace and
communion with the higher energy.
