Sing Aloud to God Our Strength

The psalmist calls to make music to God, including singing, shouting, playing the harp, lute, trumpet and timbrel. He recalls the promises of God established since God led the Israelites out of Egypt. There is also a clear reminder that God desire full loyalty from His children and warn them against worshipping any other Gods.

And the psalmist recounts the stubbornness of the people who walk in their own ways and some went towards other foreign false gods. However there is always an opportunity for them to return and then God will again deliver them from their enemies


Psalm 81
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath.[a]A Psalm of Asaph.

 1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
         Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
 2 Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
         The pleasant harp with the lute.
        
 3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
         At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
 4 For this is a statute for Israel,
         A law of the God of Jacob.
 5 This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
         When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
         Where I heard a language I did not understand.
        
 6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;
         His hands were freed from the baskets.
 7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
         I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
         I tested you at the waters of Meribah.  Selah 
        
 8 “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!
         O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
 9 There shall be no foreign god among you;
         Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
 10 I am the LORD your God,
         Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
         Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
        
 11 “But My people would not heed My voice,
         And Israel would have none of Me.
 12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,
         To walk in their own counsels.
        
 13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
         That Israel would walk in My ways!
 14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
         And turn My hand against their adversaries.
 15 The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him,
         But their fate would endure forever.
 16 He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat;
         And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”

My heart is overflowing with a good theme

This is a song of praising an individual with the imagery of that of a King and royalty. This individual being praised may be the Messiah. For example, Grace is poured on Him, and God has blessed Him forever. He also has glory and majesty like a king but perhaps more. He is also characterise by truth, humility, and righteousness; whereas a human king usually lacks humility.
The next part may be a give away when it says "Your throne, O God". He is anointed by God, love righteousness and hate wickedness. It also says "He is your Lord, worship Him" - the Israelites know quite well that they are only to worship God alone and never worship any mere human kings. So this king in this passage is more than a human king.
So this song or psalm could in fact be a prophetic song about the Messiah Yeshua who is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.

Psalm 45
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.”[a] A Contemplation[b] of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

 1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
         I recite my composition concerning the King;
         My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
        
 2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
         Grace is poured upon Your lips;
         Therefore God has blessed You forever.
 3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
         With Your glory and Your majesty.
 4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
         And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
 5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
         The peoples fall under You.
        
 6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
         A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
 7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
         Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
         With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
 8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
         Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
 9 Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
         At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
        
 10 Listen, O daughter,
         Consider and incline your ear;
         Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
 11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
         Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
 12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
         The rich among the people will seek your favor.
        
 13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
         Her clothing is woven with gold.
 14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
         The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
 15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
         They shall enter the King’s palace.
        
 16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
         Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
 17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
         Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

David's Song to God his Deliverer

This is one of the many songs of David, thanking God and praising Him. The first verse has many phrases in common with his other songs of praise such as: my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my strength, my shield, my Saviour.

From the acknowledgement of the personal God to him, David first describes his hopeless situation which nothing on earth can help him. He then calls God for help. Then God answers and make himself known as the awesome God through his control of nature.

Then David describes how God helped him through his crises. This is followed by what God actually means to David and a more detailed description of the phrases in verse 1 are revealed. David describes the victories and dominion that God has given him. Then he repeats who God is to him and give God thanks.



2 Samuel 22

Praise for God’s Deliverance

 1 Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 And he said:[a]

      “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
 3 The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
      My shield and the horn of my salvation,
      My stronghold and my refuge;
      My Savior, You save me from violence.

 4 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
      So shall I be saved from my enemies.

 5 “When the waves of death surrounded me,
      The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

 6 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
      The snares of death confronted me.

 7 In my distress I called upon the LORD,
      And cried out to my God;
      He heard my voice from His temple,
      And my cry entered His ears.

 8 “Then the earth shook and trembled;
      The foundations of heaven[b] quaked and were shaken,
      Because He was angry.

 9 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
      And devouring fire from His mouth;
      Coals were kindled by it.

 10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down
      With darkness under His feet.

 11 He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
      And He was seen[c] upon the wings of the wind.

 12 He made darkness canopies around Him,
      Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

 13 From the brightness before Him
      Coals of fire were kindled.

 14 “The LORD thundered from heaven,
      And the Most High uttered His voice.

 15 He sent out arrows and scattered them;
      Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.

 16 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
      The foundations of the world were uncovered,
      At the rebuke of the LORD,
      At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

 17 “He sent from above, He took me,
      He drew me out of many waters.

 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
      From those who hated me;
      For they were too strong for me.

 19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
      But the LORD was my support.

 20 He also brought me out into a broad place;
      He delivered me because He delighted in me.

 21 “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
      According to the cleanness of my hands
      He has recompensed me.

 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
      And have not wickedly departed from my God.

 23 For all His judgments were before me;
      And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.

 24 I was also blameless before Him,
      And I kept myself from my iniquity.

 25 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
      According to my cleanness in His eyes.[d]

 26 “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
      With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

 27 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
      And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

 28 You will save the humble people;
      But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.

 29 “For You are my lamp, O LORD;
      The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.

 30 For by You I can run against a troop;
      By my God I can leap over a wall.

 31 As for God, His way is perfect;
      The word of the LORD is proven;
      He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

 32 “For who is God, except the LORD?
      And who is a rock, except our God?

 33 God is my strength and power,[e]
      And He makes my[f] way perfect.

 34 He makes my[g] feet like the feet of deer,
      And sets me on my high places.

 35 He teaches my hands to make war,
      So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

 36 “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
      Your gentleness has made me great.

 37 You enlarged my path under me;
      So my feet did not slip.

 38 “I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them;
      Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.

 39 And I have destroyed them and wounded them,
      So that they could not rise;
      They have fallen under my feet.

 40 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
      You have subdued under me those who rose against me.

 41 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,


 42 They looked, but there was none to save;
      Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.

 43 Then I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
      I trod them like dirt in the streets,
      And I spread them out.

 44 “You have also delivered me from the strivings of my people;
      You have kept me as the head of the nations.
      A people I have not known shall serve me.

 45 The foreigners submit to me;
      As soon as they hear, they obey me.

 46 The foreigners fade away,
      And come frightened[h] from their hideouts.

 47 “The LORD lives!
      Blessed be my Rock!
      Let God be exalted,
      The Rock of my salvation!

 48 It is God who avenges me,
      And subdues the peoples under me;

 49 He delivers me from my enemies.
      You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
      You have delivered me from the violent man.

 50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles,
      And sing praises to Your name.

 51 He is the tower of salvation to His king,
      And shows mercy to His anointed,
      To David and his descendants forevermore.”

Song of Deborah

This seems to be a victory song to celebrate the defeat of the Canaanite forces under Sisera. Typically, God's people's victory songs are often based on praising the LORD and giving thanks to Him. It would be wonderful to hear how this song sound musically but we can leave that to the imagination.

Following the victory, Israel had peace for another 40 years.


Judges 5

The Song of Deborah

 1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:
 2 “When leaders lead in Israel,
      When the people willingly offer themselves,
      Bless the LORD!

 3 “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes!
      I, even I, will sing to the LORD;
      I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

 4 “ LORD, when You went out from Seir,
      When You marched from the field of Edom,
      The earth trembled and the heavens poured,
      The clouds also poured water;

 5 The mountains gushed before the LORD,
      This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel.

 6 “In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath,
      In the days of Jael,
      The highways were deserted,
      And the travelers walked along the byways.

 7 Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel,
      Until I, Deborah, arose,
      Arose a mother in Israel.

 8 They chose new gods;
      Then there was war in the gates;
      Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.

 9 My heart is with the rulers of Israel
      Who offered themselves willingly with the people.
      Bless the LORD!

 10 “ Speak, you who ride on white donkeys,
      Who sit in judges’ attire,
      And who walk along the road.

 11 Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places,
      There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD,
      The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel;
      Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates.

 12 “ Awake, awake, Deborah!
      Awake, awake, sing a song!
      Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away,
      O son of Abinoam!

 13 “Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles;
      The LORD came down for me against the mighty.

 14 From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek.
      After you, Benjamin, with your peoples,
      From Machir rulers came down,
      And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff.

 15 And the princes of Issachar[a]were with Deborah;
      As Issachar, so was Barak
      Sent into the valley under his command;[b]
      Among the divisions of Reuben
      There were great resolves of heart.

 16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds,
      To hear the pipings for the flocks?
      The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart.

 17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan,
      And why did Dan remain on ships?[c]
      Asher continued at the seashore,
      And stayed by his inlets.

 18 Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death,
      Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.

 19 “The kings came and fought,
      Then the kings of Canaan fought
      In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
      They took no spoils of silver.

 20 They fought from the heavens;
      The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.

 21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
      That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.
      O my soul, march on in strength!

 22 Then the horses’ hooves pounded,
      The galloping, galloping of his steeds.

 23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel[d] of the LORD,

      ‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly,
      Because they did not come to the help of the LORD,
      To the help of the LORD against the mighty.’

 24 “Most blessed among women is Jael,
      The wife of Heber the Kenite;
      Blessed is she among women in tents.

 25 He asked for water, she gave milk;
      She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.

 26 She stretched her hand to the tent peg,
      Her right hand to the workmen’s hammer;
      She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head,
      She split and struck through his temple.

 27 At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still;
      At her feet he sank, he fell;
      Where he sank, there he fell dead.

 28 “The mother of Sisera looked through the window,
      And cried out through the lattice,

      ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
      Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?’

 29 Her wisest ladies answered her,
      Yes, she answered herself,

 30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil:
      To every man a girl or two;
      For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments,
      Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed,
      Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’

 31 “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD!
      But let those who love Him be like the sun
      When it comes out in full strength.”

   So the land had rest for forty years.