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Psalm 80: “Restore us, O Lord.”
Have you ever watched a tv show where there is an old house which needed heating, its glass panes windows replaced and for the rest of the house to be lovingly restored as a family home? It was not fit for purpose but was lovingly restored. What happens to old homes is similar to what can happen to us spiritually.
Psalm 80 is a community lament, written at a time when Israel was in the north and Judah in the South. Possibly, this psalm was written when the northern Kingdom had fallen and was taken into exile. Asaph laments the destruction and exile and prays this doesn’t happen to the southern Kingdom. What has this to do with us? The circumstances are not dissimilar to us; we live in a day when Biblical truths are mocked. The central prayer of Psalm 80 is what we need to hear today. This is repeated in verses 3, 7 and 19, “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” The Psalmist realises this is their greatest need and our greatest need is to restore us and make His face shine upon us.
There are four truths about the character of God in this Psalm.
In verses 1-3, Asaph is praying to the Shepherd who saves,
“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.”
Psalm 80:1
The Lord is called our Shepherd, as he is in Psalm 23. He is concerned for His church. A good Shepherd never leaves His sheep. The Lord above is the one alone who provides and guides. He is also the God who dwells among His people. This is a prayer asking the Lord to hear them and appear in His glorious and saving power. The Psalmist knew that the Lord had great strength. Asaph wants the Lord to act and bring deliverance, He will come in power and save,
“Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!”
Psalm 80:3
This this is a simple prayer – we need the Lord to restore us. We are like sheep who have wandered far and wide and get distracted by the idols of this world. We are unfaithful to Him, therefore we do not know the favour of God in our lives. When we don’t prioritise time with the Lord, we cannot expect God’s face to shine upon us.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance[c] upon you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26
When the face of the Lord shines on His people they are blessed. Do you know something of God’s face shining on you? Do you know the grace of the Lord Jesus, the one who lays down His life for his sheep? Are you walking closely with your Shepherd or are you in need of restoration?
The second truth of who God is found in verses 4 to 7,
O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbours,
and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
The almighty is angry. Would God really threaten to leave His people? We might not like to think of God in that way. These verses show God is the judge of all the earth. He is angry with His people. They have prayed for His blessing but have known ridicule from their enemies. There is no leading into green pastures. The people of God are mocked.
The question of verse 4 is ‘How long will this go on for?” In verse 5 we read that their mourning is continuous, there are so many tears. The care of the Shepherd King is not felt. Don’t make the mistake that God does not care or is not in control. The anger of God is not an accident. He never does wrong. Even through evil, the Lord works and is achieving for His people. The people were living sinful lives. They left the land of blessing. The Lord’s judgement came upon them. Is not neutral with sin, it is an offence to Him. That is why we today might not be experiencing God’s love in our lives.
Verse seven says He saves. There is a growing longing for divine salvation, a cry amongst the sin, that God might show favour again. Sometimes, there is a direct link between our sin and God’s favour. In such times, the Lord might be chastising us. He knows it is only then we will come to know true blessing. The people had fallen out of favour with God. If you are in a position where you have fallen out of favour with God and your heart has grown cold, when you don’t prioritise God, our communion with the Lord can suffer. The Lord knows what is best to draw us back. We are presented with hope in this wonderful, repeated prayer. You can come back and know the reality of the sun shining on you again. Disciplining judgement blocks out warm rays of grace. Pray He might restore you – He is willing. Repent and come back to the Lord.
Thirdly, we see God is a merciful deliverer in verses 8 to 14. This is what God has revealed Himself to be, caring for us like a gardener. God is so kind, so merciful. He is so patient and provides for their daily needs. He is full of mercy and able to save from the most dire of situations. Israel is pictured as a vine which covers the whole land. The people had been mercifully delivered from Egypt. But sadly, in verses 12 to 13, things didn’t stay that way,
“Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13 The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.”
The Lord has broken down the walls. The people have been unfaithful to Him. The Psalmist knows God has allowed it. It seems God is turning His back on His people, allowing the land to be ravaged. Isaiah prophesized what would happen to this vine – it would be fruitless. This vine of God should have been full of truthful, faithful followers, but instead it was full of fruitless, faithless disobedience. He has allowed the vineyard to decline because of the incredible descent into faithlessness in His people. It is so sad that God’s people would respond to His mercy and grace in such a way.
How would you respond if you were in this situation? Would you pray verse 14?
“Turn again, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine.”
The Psalmist asks that the Lord almighty would look down in kindness. There is a recognition of sin, guilt and shame, and pleading with God to restore. We have to grasp that God is merciful. The people had been so disobedient, yet they know they can approach God in prayer. The wonderful truth is we can lift up our eyes to heaven and ask God to return to us and restore us. We can plead that God will be merciful and do a work in our heart. Come humbly to Him and He will draw near to you once more.
Because the merciful deliverer is who He is, He is a ruler who revives. Asaph Praise that the Lord would watch over this vine, His people.
“They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your face!” (verse 16).
The vine is cut down and burnt. The situation is bleak. Fire will bring destruction. This is a totally just judgement. So, Asaph prays,
“But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call upon your name!”
In the hour of need, may the Lord sustain his people. The focus of the hope of God’s people is one of David’s line. The Lord would always be true to David. Ultimately, the hope of God’s people is the Rescuer who will come – the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord really did watch over His people. God sent His son. The Messiah came, in whom we have been given new life, and access to God.
Verse 18 points us to the hope found in the Lord Jesus Christ. We were once dead in trespasses and sin, yet He died on the cross on our behalf so we can be brought into a relationship with Him. It is only His breath of life that can refresh and renew us. We are powerless in ourselves. We need the spirit of God to come, to give us life, power, and greater awareness of our sin. We need the Lord to revive us ( verses 3, 7, 14, 19). Every time there is a little more added to each verse. The Lord is the Covenant name of God, Yahweh. He is a promise-keeping God. He is faithful in every way.
In the final plea of Psalm 80 we see the Psalmist appeals again to the Covenant, to the promise God has made. He asks God to be faithful in His promise, to forgive the people of their sins as they call upon Him and confess their sins. This conclusion is like an Old Testament conclusion of what we find in 1 John 1: 9., “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Brothers and sisters, do we see and feel our need? Our nation is in a mess. The church feels so powerless. We can do nothing by ourselves, but with God all things are possible, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a prayer we need. We need to be awoken from individual slumber. As a church we need to know the face of God shining on us, to know His favour. Is this prayer of this Psalm your desire? Pray to restore yourself, your church, your nation, that you might know more of Him. Do you want to know more of Him? Do you want the Lord to restore the honour of His name? Can you commit to pray for this, in the coming days and weeks, that the Lord might restore us? We come as sons and daughters to Him in prayer. Will you be bold and pray this bold prayer of Asaph?
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Penuel Baptist Chapel, Roch 