Psa 81:7 | KingComments | STEP | “The burden” of slavery in Egypt, where the people had to lug stones, was taken from “his shoulder” by God ( ; ; cf. ). “His hands were freed from the basket” means that God freed them from the baskets in which they had to put the raw materials for building. They no longer had to use them. God had delivered them from their forced labor. They were in trouble because of their forced labor, and in trouble they called to God, and God rescued them and led them out of Egypt ( ; ). God speaks of Israel in still in the third person singular – “his shoulder”, “his hands” – that is, there is still a distance. Here in Israel calls to the LORD, and now He addresses Israel in second person singular – four times “you” – meaning that Israel has come closer. He answered them at Sinai “in the hiding place of thunder” ( ; ). They said there that they would do all that the LORD would command. Then His answer came and He entered into a covenant with them. This covenant He established in the law, which He gave to Moses, who took the law from the mountain to the people. He proved them “at the waters of Meribah” ( ; ; cf. ). It is a reminder of their disobedience without explicitly mentioning it, which is done in other places ( ). The reminder should make them ashamed and also willing to trust God now. The word “prove” is to test for genuineness, that is, the genuineness of faith. At Meribah the test was whether Israel really listen and obey.

‏ Psalms 81:7

God’s Care in the Past

“The burden” of slavery in Egypt, where the people had to lug stones, was taken from “his shoulder” by God (Psa 81:6; Exo 1:1-14 ; Exo 5:6-18; cf. Deu 26:7). “His hands were freed from the basket” means that God freed them from the baskets in which they had to put the raw materials for building. They no longer had to use them. God had delivered them from their forced labor.

They were in trouble because of their forced labor, and in trouble they called to God, and God rescued them and led them out of Egypt (Psa 81:7; Exo 2:23-24 ; Exo 6:4-5). God speaks of Israel in Psa 81:6 still in the third person singular – “his shoulder”, “his hands” – that is, there is still a distance. Here in Psa 81:7 Israel calls to the LORD, and now He addresses Israel in second person singular – four times “you” – meaning that Israel has come closer.

He answered them at Sinai “in the hiding place of thunder” (Exo 19:18-19 ; Exo 20:18; Psa 77:18). They said there that they would do all that the LORD would command. Then His answer came and He entered into a covenant with them. This covenant He established in the law, which He gave to Moses, who took the law from the mountain to the people.

He proved them “at the waters of Meribah” (Exo 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13; cf. Deu 33:8). It is a reminder of their disobedience without explicitly mentioning it, which is done in other places (Psa 95:8 ; Psa 106:32). The reminder should make them ashamed and also willing to trust God now. The word “prove” is to test for genuineness, that is, the genuineness of faith. At Meribah the test was whether Israel really listen and obey.