Christians know God personally. When we talk about our relationship with God, we usually tell our side of the story. We share our thoughts and feelings about Him. Like us, most of the psalmists express their thoughts, laments, and delights. Most of the psalms are songs of their life and experience of God. But in Psalm 81, it is God who speaks.

Most of Asaph's psalms have been laments. Psalm 81, however, opens on a note of exuberant praise, ″Sing for joy to God . . . shout aloud″ (v. 1). It is sung at one of Israel's festivals, where the chief cause for celebration is God's wonderful deliverance of His people from Egypt (v. 5).

The psalm takes a surprising turn when the psalmist hears ″an unknown voice″ (v. 5). As the following verses make clear: it is God's voice. God reminds Israel of His love for them demonstrated in setting them free and responding to their cries of distress (vv. 6-7).

However, God sadly laments, ″my people would not listen to me″ (v. 11). One scholar translates the second half of that verse as ″they did not want me″. One can almost hear the pain in God's voice. His people have turned their backs on God, who loved them and gave them everything. Yet they broke the first commandment, ″you shall have no other gods before me″ (Deuteronomy 5:7). Idolatry has always been humanity's primary act of rebellion against God (see Romans 1:18-23).

Again and again, we can hear the emotion behind God's pleading for His people to worship Him alone. ″If you would only listen to me″ (Psalm 81:8; see also v. 13), He says, so that He could pour His blessings on them. He would deliver them from all their enemies (vv. 10, 14), and satisfy their hunger with the finest foods (v. 16). In the wilderness, God gave them water from a rock when they grumbled (Exodus 17:1-7). But if they had repented and returned to Him then, symbolically, the rock would have brought forth sweet honey. The psalm ends with God inviting them to join Him at His table for such a feast (Psalm 81:16).

Relationships are risky. There is always a risk of rejection and that is painful. While we cannot presume to comprehend all of God's emotions, this psalm gives us a glimpse of God's sorrow that Israel would not listen to His pleas to return to Him (Psalm 81:8). Jesus expressed the same pain in His cry over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39). Similarly, Paul tells us that our sins grieve the Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30). Never forget that God is love; He is full of divine emotion.