Psalm 81:4

Psalm 81:4

Sing and praise - it's an order!

The use of the words “decree” and “ordinance” varies in Scripture. As a general rule, we might say that a decree is a command or a law that has to be obeyed as in, “There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.” This is an edict from on high and it carries authority and the full weight of the Roman Emperor. God’s decrees are His laws and His commandments, they are not negotiable, and they do not vary with time and place. 

An ordinance is more likely to be a local law or it may be specific to a particular group of people. For instance, a church may have a set of ordinances that applies to its ministers and its people but that have no meaning outside of that specific congregation. Visitors may be expected to obey the ordinances and they remain important and binding subject to their context. 

The two words are inter-changeable in that a Court may decree on a certain line of action which does not bind everyone but is legally binding on those to whom it applies. Here, in our verse today, to worship God is both local and national, it is binding especially on the people of Israel. So, this Scripture is saying that singing for joy, shouting aloud to the God of Jacob, playing music to Him and keeping the festivals are not optional add-ons to the faith, these are decrees and the commands of the God of Israel. He knows that we need a noisy celebration at times, He knows that we need to express our joy, He knows that it does Him good and it does us good too! 

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