What is the meaning of Psalm 81:14? How soon • The phrase underscores God’s readiness to act the moment His people heed Him (Psalm 81:13). • Scripture shows that obedience releases immediate divine response: – Isaiah 65:24: “Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” – Deuteronomy 30:2-3 portrays swift restoration when Israel “return[s] to the LORD… and obey[s] Him.” – Psalm 46:1 reminds us that God is “an ever-present help in trouble,” never slow or reluctant. • The lesson: God’s timetable tightens when hearts align with Him; delay is never on His side. I would subdue their enemies • “Subdue” points to total domination, not a temporary truce. • Examples of God doing exactly that: – Deuteronomy 33:29: “Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights.” – Joshua 23:10: “One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you.” – Psalm 44:5: “Through You we repel our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies.” • For believers today, spiritual adversaries are likewise brought under Christ’s authority when we walk in faithful obedience (James 4:7). And turn My hand • God’s “hand” is a vivid picture of personal, powerful intervention (Exodus 6:6). • Turning it “against” enemies shows a deliberate pivot: the same hand that protects His people strikes what threatens them. • Isaiah 14:27 assures, “The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?” Against their foes • “Foes” covers every hostile force—military, political, or spiritual. • Exodus 23:22 echoes the promise: “I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.” • Nahum 1:2 portrays God as “a jealous and avenging God,” guaranteeing that opposition to His people ultimately faces Him. • Romans 8:31 caps the thought for New-Covenant believers: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” summary Psalm 81:14 delivers a conditional guarantee: if God’s people would only listen, He stands ready—instantly—to crush every adversary with His own hand. Obedience activates swift deliverance, total subjugation of enemies, and the personal involvement of the Almighty against all who oppose His children. |
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