DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
\Home\

Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture
plus an explanation with links

2015 April 23



The Concert (c. 1615)
Lionello Spada (1576-1622)
Baroque Style
Musee du Louvre, Paris, France
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art


     Explanation: In the first part of Psalm 81 Asaph calls on Israel to worship and serve God for his blessings to them; and, in the second part of the Psalm, God reminds them that, if they had worshipped and served him correctly, things would have gone well for them. The Psalm begins with a call to a concert, or sorts, to honor the LORD. The painting above depicts a small concert -- much smaller than the concert Asaph had in mind.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: KINGSHIP AND COVENANT PSALMS: Psalm 2. Psalm 18. Psalm 20. Psalm 21. Psalm 24. Psalm 29. Psalm 45. Psalm 47. Psalm 50. Psalm 72. Psalm 81. Psalm 89. Psalm 93. Psalm 95. Psalm 96. Psalm 97. Psalm 98. Psalm 99. Psalm 100. Psalm 101. Psalm 132. Psalm 144. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Psalm 81 - #1. Psalm 81 - #2. Psalm 81 - #3. Psalm 81 - #4. Psalm 81 - #5. Psalm 81 - #6. ]

     In Psalm 81, Asaph speaks to the people of God; and then God himself speaks to his people. Asaph tells Israel to sing to God joyfully with musical instruments in the feast days, as God ordained when he brought them out of Egypt, when he delivered them from their heavy burdens, and when he tested them at Meribah (1-7). God then speaks to Israel, telling them to have no strange gods among them and not to worship them. He reminds them that he is the God who brought them out of the land of Egypt; and he tells them to open their mouth wide and he will fill it (8-10). But his people would not listen to him; and they rejected him (11). He therefore gave them up to their lusts; and they walked in their own counsels (12). He yearned for it to be otherwise (13). If it had been, he would have quickly subdued their enemies; and they would have submitted to Israel; and Israel would have endured forever; and the LORD would have fed them with the finest of food (14-16).


THE PSALTER:

BOOK THREE OF FIVE:

Psalms 73-89.


Psalm 81

1 To the chief Musician [Transposed To Psalm 80 ] *


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.
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.



* NOTE: On Opening and Closing Comments in the Psalms.
[Some commentators take the Psalm in Habakkuk 3 to be a standard model for the Psalms.
Habakkuk's Psalm begins with the name of the composer (Habakkuk) and a musical notation ("upon Shigionoth").
It closes with a dedication or a "send to" notice ("To the chief singer on my stringed instruments").
I have arranged similar material, where it is found in the Psalter, in accord with the model in Habakkuk.]




Home | DAWN Archive

Tomorrow's Picture: TBA

     ADDITIONAL AD LIB MATERIAL: Prose, Poetry, Writers, Visual Artists, Music, DAWN, and ILLUMINATION. ILLUMINATION features a compact, Illuminated Bible. DAWN, the page you are presently visiting, features a new image and explanation daily.

Please Email Comments and Questions To

AD LIB ARTS EMAIL
copyright 2014, Scott Souza