LET HIS REDEEMED BE RESTORED

PSALM 80

FOR SCRIPTURE READING IN CHINESE Please click PSALM 80

SCRIPTURE READING IN ENGLISH

1 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

4 O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

9 Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;

15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.

16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.

17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

19 Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

INTRODUCTION

The psalmist appeals for God's favour to be restored upon His people for they are His flock and they are His vine. He is their Shepherd and He is their Cultivator. He described the anger of God upon His people as a result of sin that estranged them from receiving His favour. He described their great sorrow for their meals were accompanied with tears outpoured in great measure.

The phrase "Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved" is described three times in verses 3 ,7 19 . It provides for us the division for this psalm. Take note also the imperatives in bold given in the verses where the psalmist is providing an emphasis of the intensity of appeal in his heart.

The psalmist appealed for God's mercy to be upon His people (v 1b ) together with His provision and salvation from their desperate predicament. He described God as the "Shepherd of Israel" and Joseph His flock. Why was Joseph singled out for mention? If we look at the pronouncement of blessing by Israel upon Joseph before Israel (Jacob)'s death, it sheds some light.

Genesis 49:22-26 "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren."

This is a description of how Joseph was in great difficulty as a result of being sold by His brothers to Egypt and yet He prospered as a fruitful branch. Though he was in great distress, the strength and blessing of God was upon him. It brings the message of hope to the hearer.

Manasseh and Ephraim were the beloved descendents of Joseph. Benjamin was special to Joseph for he was also the son of their mother Rachel.

The psalmist knew that all that befall us are by the permissive will of God. When we choose to sin against Him and not repent, we face the wrath of God. God hates sin. It is sin that breaks the relationship between man and His Creator for God is holy. Remember Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."

Sin causes shame, unease and grief. The tears of the people were great and sorrow compassed their hearts.

Neighbours were antagonistic and there was no peace from them. They scorn and mocked. All this is from God, the psalmist acknowledged.

Again he appealed that God would restore His people.

Here is a rehearsal of God's past faithfulness and blessing. Israel in Egypt were in great distress before they were delivered. Exodus 3:7 "And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows…Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them." The metaphor of God's people as His vine is a beautiful people of God as the Farmer of farmers, the perfect cultivator in caring for His people.

His people have received much in the past (v 8-11 ) but now their blessing has been turned to desolation (v 12-16 ). The psalmist acknowledged it is the hand of God as appealed for God to stay His hand and be merciful to them (v 17-19 ).

Where we have sinned, let us quickly repent and make right with Him. God is most gracious and He does not afflict easily. May we realize this, let His redeemed be restored.