◄ Psalm 81:14 ►
how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!
Study Bible
how soon I would subdue their enemies
This phrase reflects God's readiness and willingness to act on behalf of His people if they would only listen and obey Him. The context of Psalm 81 is a call for Israel to return to faithfulness. Historically, Israel faced numerous enemies, including the Canaanites, Philistines, and later, the Assyrians and Babylonians. God's promise to subdue enemies is consistent with His covenant with Israel, where obedience would lead to protection and victory (Deuteronomy 28:7). This also foreshadows the ultimate victory over spiritual enemies through Christ, who subdues sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:25-26).

and turn My hand against their foes!
The imagery of God's hand signifies His power and intervention. In biblical times, the hand was often a symbol of strength and action. God's turning His hand against Israel's foes indicates a direct and decisive action to protect and deliver His people. This reflects the divine warrior motif found throughout the Old Testament, where God fights on behalf of Israel (Exodus 15:3). It also points to the eschatological hope where God will ultimately defeat all evil, as seen in Revelation 19:11-21, where Christ returns as the conquering King.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The speaker in this verse, expressing His willingness to act on behalf of His people.

2. Israel
The implied audience of the Psalm, representing God's chosen people who are being addressed.

3. Enemies/Foes
Those who oppose or threaten Israel, whom God promises to subdue.

4. Psalmist
Traditionally attributed to Asaph, who is conveying God's message to the people.

5. Historical Context
Reflects a time when Israel faced external threats and needed divine intervention.
Teaching Points
God's Readiness to Act
God is always ready to intervene on behalf of His people when they turn to Him in obedience and faith.

The Importance of Obedience
The promise of subduing enemies is contingent upon Israel's obedience, highlighting the importance of aligning our lives with God's will.

Divine Protection
Believers can trust in God's protection against spiritual and physical adversaries when they remain faithful to Him.

God's Sovereignty Over Enemies
God has ultimate control over all adversaries, and His power is sufficient to overcome any opposition we face.

Call to Repentance and Faithfulness
This verse serves as a reminder to repent from disobedience and return to a faithful relationship with God to experience His deliverance.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's readiness to subdue our enemies encourage you in your current life challenges?

2. In what ways can you ensure that you are living in obedience to God to experience His protection?

3. Reflect on a time when you felt God intervened on your behalf. How did that experience strengthen your faith?

4. How can the promise of God's sovereignty over enemies influence your approach to spiritual warfare?

5. What steps can you take to align your life more closely with God's will, based on the teachings of this verse and its connections to other scriptures?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 23:22
This verse promises that God will be an enemy to the enemies of Israel if they obey His voice, echoing the promise of divine protection and intervention.

Deuteronomy 28:7
Describes how God will cause the enemies of Israel to be defeated if they follow His commandments, reinforcing the theme of obedience leading to divine protection.

James 4:7
Encourages believers to submit to God and resist the devil, promising that he will flee, which parallels the idea of God subduing enemies when His people are faithful.
Sermons
A Revelation of Three Great SubjectsHomilistPsalm 81:1-16
Exhortation to Sing God's PraisePsalm 81:1-16
Jehovah's Complaint Against the Condition and Conduct of His PeopleJ. E. Giles.Psalm 81:13-14
Man's InconsiderationC. Short Psalm 81:13, 14
What Might have BeenS. Conway Psalm 81:13-16
People
Asaph, Jacob, Joseph, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Adversaries, Bow, Cause, Enemies, Foes, Haters, Overcome, Quickly, Subdue, Subdued, Turn, War
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 81:13-16

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Library
Chapter I Beginning and Early Days of the Orphan Work.
BEGINNING AND EARLY DAYS OF THE ORPHAN WORK. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."--1 Peter, i. 7. Mr. George Mueller, the founder of the New Orphan-Houses, Ashley Down, Bristol (institutions that have been for many years the greatest monuments of modern times to a prayer-answering God), gives in that most valuable and instructive book, "A …
George Müller—Answers to Prayer

Ask what I Shall Give Thee. 1Ki 3:05
 …
John Newton—Olney Hymns

How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Religion Pleasant to the Religious.
"O taste and see how gracious the Lord is; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."--Psalm xxxiv. 8. You see by these words what love Almighty God has towards us, and what claims He has upon our love. He is the Most High, and All-Holy. He inhabiteth eternity: we are but worms compared with Him. He would not be less happy though He had never created us; He would not be less happy though we were all blotted out again from creation. But He is the God of love; He brought us all into existence, …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

The Heart's Desire Given to Help Mission Work in China.
"Sept. 30 [1869].--From Yorkshire L50.--Received also One Thousand Pounds to-day for the Lord's work in China. About this donation it is especially to be noticed, that for months it had been my earnest desire to do more than ever for Mission Work in China, and I had already taken steps to carry out this desire, when this donation of One Thousand Pounds came to hand. This precious answer to prayer for means should be a particular encouragement to all who are engaged in the Lord's work, and who may …
George Müller—Answers to Prayer

The Fifth Day in Passion-Week - Make Ready the Passover!'
When the traitor returned from Jerusalem on the Wednesday afternoon, the Passover, in the popular and canonical, though not in the Biblical sense, was close at hand. It began on the 14th Nisan, that is, from the appearance of the first three stars on Wednesday evening [the evening of what had been the 13th], and ended with the first three stars on Thursday evening [the evening of what had been the 14th day of Nisan]. As this is an exceedingly important point, it is well here to quote the precise …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Spiritual Hunger Shall be Satisfied
They shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 I proceed now to the second part of the text. A promise annexed. They shall be filled'. A Christian fighting with sin is not like one that beats the air' (1 Corinthians 9:26), and his hungering after righteousness is not like one that sucks in only air, Blessed are they that hunger, for they shall be filled.' Those that hunger after righteousness shall be filled. God never bids us seek him in vain' (Isaiah 45:19). Here is an honeycomb dropping into the mouths of …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Second Coming of Christ.
^A Matt. XXIV. 29-51; ^B Mark XIII. 24-37; ^C Luke XXI. 25-36. ^b 24 But in those days, ^a immediately after the { ^b that} ^a tribulation of those days. [Since the coming of Christ did not follow close upon the destruction of Jerusalem, the word "immediately" used by Matthew is somewhat puzzling. There are, however, three ways in which it may be explained: 1. That Jesus reckons the time after his own divine, and not after our human, fashion. Viewing the word in this light, the passage at II. Pet. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Covenanting Adapted to the Moral Constitution of Man.
The law of God originates in his nature, but the attributes of his creatures are due to his sovereignty. The former is, accordingly, to be viewed as necessarily obligatory on the moral subjects of his government, and the latter--which are all consistent with the holiness of the Divine nature, are to be considered as called into exercise according to his appointment. Hence, also, the law of God is independent of his creatures, though made known on their account; but the operation of their attributes …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Man's Inability to Keep the Moral Law
Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but does daily break them, in thought, word, and deed. In many things we offend all.' James 3: 2. Man in his primitive state of innocence, was endowed with ability to keep the whole moral law. He had rectitude of mind, sanctity of will, and perfection of power. He had the copy of God's law written on his heart; no sooner did God command but he obeyed. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

How Does it Come?
How does the Filling of the Spirit come? "Does it come once for all? or is it always coming, as it were?" was a question addressed to me once by a young candidate for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. There are many asking the same question. We have considered how the Fullness is obtained, but now we proceed to consider, How does the Fullness come? In speaking of the blessing of being filled with the Spirit, the New Testament writers use three tenses in the Greek--the Aorist, the Imperfect, and the …
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life

The Nature of Spiritual Hunger
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness Matthew 5:6 We are now come to the fourth step of blessedness: Blessed are they that hunger'. The words fall into two parts: a duty implied; a promise annexed. A duty implied: Blessed are they that hunger'. Spiritual hunger is a blessed hunger. What is meant by hunger? Hunger is put for desire (Isaiah 26:9). Spiritual hunger is the rational appetite whereby the soul pants after that which it apprehends most suitable and proportional …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Justifying or Sanctifying Grace
Sanctifying grace is defined by Deharbe as "an unmerited, supernatural gift, imparted to the soul by the Holy Ghost, by which we are made just, children of God, and heirs of Heaven." As it makes sinners just, sanctifying grace is also called justifying, though this appellation can not be applied to the sanctification of our first parents in Paradise or to that of the angels and the sinless soul of Christ. Justification, as we have shown, consists in the infusion of sanctifying grace, and hence it …
Joseph Pohle—Grace, Actual and Habitual

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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