Psalm 85 - Prayer for restoration

The author of this psalm looks back into Israel’s history and recalls a time when God restored his people. He had punished them for their sins, but he had forgiven them and restored them to his favour and removed the expressions of his strong anger. That experience is a reminder that sins of his people are highly offensive to him, especially if they are done wilfully. Severe chastisement can follow, but so also will restoration when they repent.

At the time of writing the psalm, Israel is once again under divine chastisement (v. 4). The punishment has been experienced for a long time, so perhaps it is connected to the exile in Babylon (v. 5). God’s people no longer have his joy, which is usually a sign of the withdrawal of divine favour. The circumstances cause the author to pray earnestly for divine recovery, and although his experience is of divine chastisement, he still regards the Lord as the God of salvation (vv. 4-6).

Even although the psalmist himself was very devout, he does not separate himself from those in Israel who had not been. Instead, he realises that God deals with them as a people. All of them are suffering the consequences of his anger, and therefore the psalmist prays to him as a member of the covenant community undergoing divine displeasure.

Why should God provide restoration? His name reveals why. He is Yahweh, the God of the covenant (v. 7). He has been silent, but the psalmist wants him to speak. He knows that when God speaks in answer to this prayer, the message will be a good one of peace. However, the answer is connected to a warning. His people cannot repeat the foolish behaviour they had shown in departing from God (v. 8). But since the answer is imminent, the psalmist anticipates glory arriving once again in the land (v. 9).

What will such glory look like? Heaven and earth will be in harmony once again. The psalmist describes it in verses 10 and 11: steadfast love (from heaven) and faithfulness (on earth) meet; righteousness (from heaven) and peace (experienced on earth) kiss each other. Faithfulness (on earth) springs up from the ground, and righteousness (heaven) looks down from the sky. Righteousness here means the good blessings God provides for his faithful people. He will certainly provide them, and prosperity will be the outcome (v. 12). Along with his blessings of good things, God will once more walk among them in fellowship.

The psalm reminds us that we can use the experiences of past restoration as an argument in prayer, that current spiritual poverty is not a wise method of assessing the future, and that God delights to have fellowship with his people when they are devoted to him.

Psalm 84 - Worship Matters

This psalm was composed by one or more of the sons of Korah who were Levites working in the temple. Their responsibilities included participating in the praise and manning the entrances to ensure that those who came in had appropriate access. They would engage in their duties by rotation, which meant that some were away from the temple at certain times. This psalm describes the response of those who were not on duty (v. 2). Nevertheless, their thoughts and their hearts were at the temple.

The author’s statement that the temple is lovely indicates that he loves it and the reason why he loves it is because it was the place where the God of heaven had chosen to dwell on earth. Since the death of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection and ascension, buildings are no longer the house of God. Rather his people are where he dwells, so we are not to assume that the building where we gather is God’s house. But do we love his people because they are where God dwells by his Spirit?

The fact that the psalmist was away from the temple did not mean that he could not recall what he had seen there and rejoice in what he remembered. In its courts, he had seen the invisible God revealed through the various activities taking place there - his holiness revealed through the necessity of sacrifices, his covenant love revealed in giving special blessings to his chosen people, and his desire to be with them in peace revealed in the fellowship offerings. The temple was a place of refuge, and even the fact that birds such as sparrows and swallows nested there reminded him of the safety of the presence of the sovereign God. He also recalled those who would be on duty in the temple, leading the praise of God (vv. 1-4).

This unknown psalmist also recalled those who would be worshipping there (vv. 5-8). Because the temple had a geographical location, it meant that everyone who worshipped there had to travel there. They were provided with divinely-given strength for the journey. Sometimes, they had to travel through arid valleys (Baca), but even there they were provided with water. Whatever the difficulties on the journey, the God-given strength continued and eventually they reached the temple and joined in with the worship. Therefore the psalmist prayed for his people to know God’s blessing. Their commitment to worship in an earthly sanctuary is a challenge to us regarding how much easier it is for us to be in the presence of God in a communal manner, and do we attend?

In verse 9, the psalmist prays for the king, the one whom God had anointed as their shield. He needed divine wisdom to govern, but here he symbolises the need Israel had for divine protection. The author knew that the king in himself had little power, therefore he prayed for God to ensure that his kingdom would continue. We also should pray for his kingdom to continue, although we know that our King Jesus has all power.

In verse 10, the author recalls those who would be engaged in the activity that he would have done when he was on duty. Sometimes this reference to a doorkeeper is taken to mean a humble activity, but that is to misunderstand the role. When on duty, he would be a guide for those attending the worship activities as well as a protector controlling access to the temple. Such responsibility was much better than living among the wicked.

The psalmist knows that his God is good (v. 11). God is like the sun and warms his heart, giving him light in a world of darkness; the Lord is a shield protecting him from opponents of every kind. God provides favour and honour simultaneously - after all, what greater privilege can be given than to be allowed to worship the exalted Lord! 

As long as the worshipper lives according to God’s instructions, he will received good things from the God of all grace. The believer does not merit them because of his behaviour, but he will not receive them if he becomes careless about his commitment to God.

The psalmist closes with the thought that, although the Lord of hosts is surrounded by worshippers, he is blessed because of the individual relationship he has with his God. The God of the many is also the God who gives great blessings to each of his people in a personal way (v. 12).

Psalm 83 - Prayer for Deliverance

In this psalm, Asaph prays about a possible onslaught on Israel by surrounding nations mentioned in verses 6-8. Those nations had not kept their plans secret. Indeed they rejoiced in the prospect of bringing an end to the existence of Israel.

What arguments does Asaph use in his prayer? First, he mentions that those peoples are the enemies of God, that they hate the Lord, that their combined action is an agreement against him (vv. 1-5). Second, he mentions the relationship that Israel has with the Lord - they are his people, his treasured ones. 

What requests does Asaph make to the Lord? First, he asks God to repeat previous expressions of his defence of his people when he defeated their powerful enemies (vv. 9-12). Second, he asks God to destroy them, and he uses several pictures to explain the intensity of his desire, such as a fire destroying a forest, or a hurricane causing fear and damage.

Why does Asaph pray in this way? His main reason is that he wants the name of God to be glorified even among those enemies. In verse 16, he prays that such adverse circumstances would lead those nations to seek God. In verse 18, he prays that such a divine intervention would lead to those nations discovering that the God of Israel is the exalted Sovereign everywhere.

Asaph reminds us that prayer requests should be based on valid evidence of divine power being exercised - he took his information from God’s previous actions in the past. He shows us too that requests should be heartfelt - his illustrations of what divine action would look like indicate his intensity. His requests further show that he realised that heavenly blessing is more important than earthly success - it would be better for those nations to be crushed if they came to know God as a result. And his requests remind us of the words of Jesus that we should pray for our enemies.

The equivalent of Israel today is the church. It is under attack from secularism in some places and religious and political persecution in other places. Asaph’s prayer instructs us about how we can pray about such situations.

Of course, we should take note of the sense of urgency that the psalmist has in verse 1. His dilemma is that God so far has not intervened and stopped the threatened attack. Why does God seem to be inactive in the face of such threats? Asaph’s dilemma is often our dilemma.

Psalm 82 - What about rulers?

Jesus mentions this psalm in John 10:34ff. He referred to this psalm when answering those who accused him of blasphemy for calling himself the Son of God. The point of their criticism seems to have been that no-one should be called by that title because it indicates deity. Jesus’ reply was to remind them how little they knew their scriptures because in this psalm human judges are called sons of God.

Asaph describes God as the highest authority to whom all rulers and judges in Israel are accountable. He is aware of their constant acts of injustice and favouritism on behalf of the wicked. Their misrule has been the norm that their subjects have experienced. Those rulers should have been looking after the needy and protecting them from injustice, but they did not (vv. 1-4). 

Why did they govern in this sinful manner? Asaph gives the answer in verse 5. They had no spiritual awareness, which happened because they ignored the Word of God. As rulers in Israel, they should have known what he required from them.

The outcome is inevitable. Although they have been given a high status, their time of authority will come to an end with their deaths. None of them can reign permanently. They should have ruled recognising the authority of God over them, but the reality is that they will all experience the sentence of death imposed on everyone for their sins by God since man rebelled in Eden (vv. 6-7).

Asaph knows that life will not always be like this. He knows that the nations will one day serve God. In order for that to happen, God will have to judge the wicked. After he does so, those he rules over will know and enjoy real justice in action. This looks like a longing for life in the new heavens and new earth.

But before that takes place, his people should imitate Asaph and pray to God for his intervention and judge those who misrule for their own benefit (v. 8). Concern for our fellowmen should cause us to do so because many in the world suffer from injustice and mistreatment.

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Psalm 80 - Praying in a Difficult Time

Asaph wrote this psalm during a period of trouble for Israel. Since the twelve tribes are experiencing the problem, the time of the psalm is probably when the Assyrian empire was threatening the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, with perhaps the northern kingdom having been captured.

Asaph is aware that God is the royal shepherd of Israel reigning over his people from his throne on the ark of the covenant. Such a description usually points to the Lord as merciful since the throne was the mercy seat. The tribes Asaph mentions are those descended from Rachel, perhaps referring to them because the births of Joseph (the father of Ephraim and Manasseh) and Benjamin were the outcome of much prayer, but also a reminder that the divided tribes were really one people. The prayer that Asaph offers is for the Lord to respond according to the Aaronic blessings in Numbers 6:25 (vv. 1-3).

Their prayers for restoration had been made for a while. Yet instead of answering them, the Lord had allowed their troubles to increase. The divine response revealed that he was angry with his people, and his anger was shown in difficult providences that caused great internal distress for his people and disdain from their enemies, which was the case when Assyria attacked the northern kingdom and later the southern kingdom. Still, Asaph knew that the Lord could yet come in blessing (vv. 4-7).

Asaph knew the appropriate arguments to make in prayer. He reminded the Lord of his actions in the past in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt and giving to them the promised land. Because of God’s power, they had been able to conquer the land and extend its territory to the Euphrates. But circumstances were now very different for them. God’s power on their behalf had been withdrawn and they were now defenceless against anyone who attacked them (vv. 8-13), even the powerful boar from Assyria.

So Asaph asked the Lord to observe what the enemies have done with his vine. Their actions deserved a powerful divine rebuke that would reduce their power to zero. His desire was that the Lord would bring about different circumstances, but this would only occur if the Lord lifted his hand of blessing on them again (vv. 14-19) 

There is disagreement as to what Asaph meant by ‘son of man’. Some argue it refers to the king of Judah, others refer it to the nation as a whole, and others say it is a prediction of Jesus. The description ‘son of man’ points to great dignity, and the nation was regarded as God’s son (v. 15). So in the immediate context, it looks as if Asaph is praying for the restoration of the kingdom from its current state of weakness and imminent decline. Should that happen, they would be restored and once again depend on the Lord and worship him.

If the background situation is the attack by the Assyrian empire, then we can see that Asaph’s prayer was partially answered in that while the Lord allowed the northern kingdom to be captured he preserved the southern kingdom for another century. Partial answers to earnest prayer are often the experience of God’s people.

This does not mean that Asaph was wrong in his requests. He prayed according to his circumstances and what he knew of the Lord’s revealed will. But prayer must always be qualified by the recognition that the Lord may say no or that he may not respond in the exact way that we requested.

  

   

           

Psalm 79 - Living by Faith

Asaph laments the invasion of the promised land by the Babylonians, an invasion that resulted in destruction of Jerusalem and the disappearance of the temple. Those who served God were slain and their bodies left for beasts and birds to devour. The surrounding nations scoffed at the Jews for their faith in God because they imagined he was powerless (vv. 1-4).

Asaph knew that was not true. Moreover he knew that it was God’s power, expressed in his anger, that had brought about the situation. He had punished his people for their sins of idolatry, which had enflamed the Lord’s jealousy for his name. It was not the case that Asaph thought that the Lord should not punish sin. But he wanted the anger expressed against Israel to cease and for the nations to be punished for their cruelty. He wanted mercy for Israel and justice for their oppressors (vv. 5-7).

Therefore he prays for spiritual recovery for Israel. He asked the Lord to show mercy, to bring about restoration quickly. Despite the absence of the demolished temple and its rituals, he knew that God could provide a way of atonement, which suggests that he already regarded the rituals as symbolic of a greater sacrifice. His argument for divine help was the fame of God’s name, his glory, which would be enhanced in the estimation of others when they saw him punish his enemies (vv. 8-10).

Although the state of the people of God was very low, like being in captivity and facing death, Asaph was confident that God would yet recover his cause. Eventually God would come in blessing on his people and in judgement on those who opposed him. This future recovery would not be like previous ones because it would keep on going from generation to generation, even for ever. The place where such thanksgiving occurs is in the next world, the new heavens and new earth, so even in the dark days of the exile Asaph’s faith enabled him to see the eternal blessedness of God’s people (vv. 11-12).

What about us? While our circumstances are not as low as those in the time of Asaph, the question that comes to us is whether our hearts are pained by the decline in God’s cause. Earnest prayer comes from those who feel the distress and who bring their concerns to God in a passionate manner.

Whatever Asaph grasped about the atonement, we know what it is and how it was made when Jesus suffered on the cross. Unlike what happened with the temple in Jerusalem when the rituals disappeared, we know that nothing in life can touch or make void the atonement that the Saviour made. Even in the worst of times, we know that the atonement has been made.

Like Asaph, we can see by faith beyond the current world with its many issues to the future world where believers will be shepherded by Jesus into the provisions found beside the fountains of living water, God himself.

Psalm 78 - Value of History

Asaph is reflecting on the importance of the current generation of believers informing their children about the history of God’s kingdom. The previous generation had informed the next of the great things the Lord had done for them. God had commanded his people to engage in this activity so that future generations would hope in him and be encouraged to obey his commandments (vv. 1-7). In this way, they would be kept from becoming a generation marked by stubbornness and rebellion, like a generation of Ephraimites who had refused to engage in defending the Lord’s cause despite being armed for the fight (vv. 8-9).

An obvious divine activity to think about was the Exodus. God had done great things when he delivered his people from Egypt: there were the wonders connected to the plagues, there was the dividing of the Red Sea, there was the guidance given by the pillar of cloud and by the pillar of light, and there was the provision of water. Nevertheless, they rebelled against him by demanding particular food, an attitude that angered the Lord. Yet God continued to meet their needs through the manna and quail. Although some were judged by him for their rebellion, the others still did not trust in him (vv. 10-32).

The history of Israel became a cycle of divine chastisement followed by shallow repentance. They were not sincere in their commitment. Nevertheless, the Lord showed them compassion and did not abandon them. He recognised the fragility and instability of those he had rescued, their inclination to forget what he had done for them at the Exodus, and he determined to take them to his land. In his providence, he enabled them to defeat the tribes living in Canaan (vv. 33-55).

Yet after receiving the land as their inheritance, they repeated the sins of their ancestors and engaged in idolatry at high places, for which they were punished by the Lord and rejected by him. He showed his displeasure by forsaking Shiloh (when the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant), the location where each of the tribes had received their allotted inheritance (Josh. 18:19), and he allowed the symbol of his presence to be taken away. Israel then suffered badly from their foes (vv. 56-64).

This state of affairs lasted until the time came for the Lord to deal with the enemies of Israel. They were defeated, and the Lord established his kingdom. But he did not give the kingship to the most powerful tribe Ephraim, perhaps because of their previous failures. Instead, he chose Judah as the royal tribe and placed his sanctuary there. This process of restoration did not occur under Saul, the first king of Israel, but through David whom God took from shepherding sheep and enabled him to be the wise and righteous shepherd king of his people (vv. 65-72).

From one point of view, Asaph has provided an outline for other Israelites to use as they instruct the next generation about what the Lord did for them in the past, from the Exodus to the enthronement of David. Of course, other notable actions were done by the Lord after David had passed away.

The application for us is obvious, which is that we should know something of the history of the church because it reminds us of great actions of God, times of judgement from God, and periods of restoration by God. When we are in dark spiritual times, we can mention his previous actions on behalf of his people, and ask him to provide such recoveries again so that his name would be praised.