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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 20 July 2025:
Psalm 81:1–3 — Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.
Worship is both joyful expression and spiritual strength. God’s people are called to celebrate His deliverance and goodness—not passively, but with full-bodied, enthusiastic praise. Worship is not entertainment or tradition, but an act of remembering who God is and what He’s done (see Phil. 4:4; Heb. 13:15).
Psalm 81:4–5 — For it is a statute for Israel, a rule of the God of Jacob. He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known….
Worship is not optional—it’s a commanded response to redemption. Just as Israel was delivered from Egypt, so we in Christ are redeemed from sin and death. Obedience to the call to worship flows from the memory of salvation (Rom. 12:1–2).
Psalm 81:6–7 — “I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah”
God reminds Israel of His faithfulness during their suffering. But deliverance came with testing. Even after rescue, there was refining. The “waters of Meribah” recall their grumbling and unbelief (Exodus 17:7). God’s grace delivers—but also disciplines, not just to punish but to purify and prune for future fruitfulness.
Psalm 81:8–10 – “Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
God longs to bless His people—but requires their exclusive allegiance. Like the First Commandment, this call centers on covenant loyalty. “Open your mouth wide” implies faith—an expectation that God will abundantly provide (Matt. 7:11). But this blessing is blocked by idolatry.
Psalm 81: 9, 10 — “There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. I am the Lord your God.”
The modern Christian risks breezing by verses such as this one too quickly: “I’m a Christian; of course I don’t worship other gods.” However, the danger of idolatry is just as alive and well today for the Christian it was for the Jew in ancient Israel, only we have made idolatry more subtle and sophisticated. Our greatest idol is ourselves.
Whenever we presume to place ourselves, our desires, our goals, our passions, our “needs” ahead of God’s will and commands, we introduce the “strangest god” of all into the equation, ourselves. We are a far worse idol than a carved image or any other created form – the inanimate object or god of imagination has a big thing over us: it has never sinned against God!
Uzzah died when he dared to touch the ark of the covenant in order to keep the holy ark from falling on the ground, presuming that his hand was cleaner than the dirt. How easy it is for us to forget from where we came. How easy it is for us to let pride rob God of His due glory, honor and praise and for us to lose sight of the wonderfulness of the grace He has poured out upon us through His One and Only Son Jesus Christ – “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (if you travel east on a globe, you never get to west). (Psalm 103:12)
Even when we think about God, we tend to consider Him from our own perspective – “How does God relate to me?” The fullness of joy is the removal of “me” so that there is only Him – “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
- Colossians 3:5 — Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
- 1 Samuel 15:23 — For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
- Galatians 5:24 — And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- Galatians 6:14 — But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Psalm 81:11-12 — “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.”
This is the tragedy of grace rejected. God’s greatest judgment may be to give us what we demand. When we resist His voice, we are left with our own—and it leads to ruin.
Compare these verses to Romans 1. A person doesn’t realize when they have been “given over” in their disobedience. It is a terrible thing to be turned over by God. Trust and obey! Surrender totally to Jesus, and walk with Him, not the world. Look to God to supply your every need, not idols. Proclaim His praises to everyone! (Rom. 1:24; Prov. 14:12)
Psalm 81:13–16 – “Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever. But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
God grieves over missed blessings. He longs to bless and protect, but His people resist Him. Obedience is not a burden—it is the gateway to divine strength and provision. “Honey from the rock” is an image of supernatural sweetness in hard places—a foretaste of Christ, the Rock who satisfies (1 Cor. 10:4).
1 Samuel 6:1–2 — The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.”
The presence of God, carried into Philistia, brought judgment—not because God was cruel, but because He is holy. After seven months of affliction, the Philistines seek a way to rid themselves of God’s presence. They prefer relief over repentance.
1 Samuel 6:3–5 — They said, “If you send away the ark… do not send it empty… make images of your tumors and… mice that ravaged the land… Perhaps he will lighten his hand…”
This offering is a strange mixture of guilt, fear, and superstition. The Philistines acknowledge God’s power, but they do not know His heart. They hope that a ritual offering might appease Him. Like many today, they seek relief through tokens rather than relationship.
1 Samuel 6:6 — “Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed?”
Even pagans recognize the futility of resisting God. The Philistines remind themselves of Egypt’s fate under Pharaoh. They urge humility. The memory of God’s judgment on pride lingers even among idolaters. How much more should God’s people walk humbly?
1 Samuel 6:7–9 — “Now then, take and prepare a new cart…. If it goes up… then it is he who has done us this great harm….”
The Philistines test whether the affliction was truly from God. The use of cows that have never been yoked and have calves they’d naturally want to stay with sets up a supernatural sign. If they head straight to Israel, it’s clearly divine.
1 Samuel 6:9 — If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.
The Philistines knew that God controlled nature and would more powerfully influence the milk cows than their natural desire to be with their calves. The cows would obey God over instinct. Only man rebels against the Creator; only man requires salvation. The power of God in a person’s life overpowers all other desires.
1 Samuel 6:10–12 — The cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh… lowing as they went… and did not turn aside…
God confirms that His hand was at work. Even animals obey His command. The “lowing” of the cows suggests a costly obedience—they were not robotic. This reminds us that submission to God’s will often involves grief and sacrifice (Matt. 26:39).
1 Samuel 6:13–15 — The people of Beth-shemesh were reaping… and when they saw the ark… they rejoiced. The cart… was used for a burnt offering…
Israel rejoices at the return of the ark and offers worship. But this reverence will soon be tested. The return of God’s presence is always a call to holiness, not just celebration.
1 Samuel 6:19–21 — And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark…. And the people mourned… and said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God?”
Though Israelites, the men of Beth-shemesh treated the ark casually — peering into what only the high priest was permitted to see. God’s holiness is not partial. Familiarity does not breed immunity. Their question is the right one: Who can stand before the LORD, this holy God? Only those clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Heb. 10:19–22).
1 Samuel 6:20 – Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?”
“When the ark came to Beth-shemesh, God put seventy inhabitants of the city to death because they “looked into the ark” (vv. 17–21). They treated the ark with contempt, handling it even though only the Kohathites, from the tribe of Levi, were supposed to touch it (Num. 3:27–32). That they did so should not surprise us, for the Israelites had lost the ark in the first place by treating it as a magical talisman, trusting in its presence instead of the God whose footstool it was (1 Sam. 4:1–11).
The Bible reveals a God who cannot be manipulated by human beings. However, God’s people have not always embraced this truth consistently. In Samuel’s day, they treated the ark as a talisman and looked inside it when they were not supposed to (1 Sam. 4:1–11; 6:17–21). Such idolatrous and manipulative practices ended poorly for the Israelites. Things will not go well for us either if we try to manipulate the Lord.” (Ligonier Ministries)
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 20 July 2025: Both Psalm 81 and 1 Samuel 6 point to a central truth: God desires to dwell with His people—but only in holiness, obedience, and reverent fear. Whether it was Israel’s refusal to listen (Ps. 81) or the careless treatment of the ark (1 Sam. 6), the lesson is the same: God’s nearness is a privilege, not a possession. Before you begin any task—especially spiritual ones like prayer, Bible study, or worship—pause and acknowledge the holiness of God. Bow your heart in reverence. Ask, “Am I approaching God with awe, or assumption?” Then obey whatever He has already revealed in His Word. Let God’s presence shape your posture. Open your mouth wide — and your heart deeper. Let worship and obedience be your response.
Pray: “Holy God, You are near to the brokenhearted, yet You are high and exalted. Teach me to walk in reverent fear, not casual assumption. Forgive me for treating Your presence lightly, for singing without surrender, and for hearing without heeding. Help me to listen to Your voice today with humility and joy. Satisfy me with honey from the Rock — Christ Jesus — and keep me obedient in heart and action. I want to walk in Your ways and reflect Your holiness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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