Psalm 80- A Corporate Lament - Turn Us
*This blog is part of our weekly, virtual Bible Study through the book of Psalms. For information on how to participate, please visit this page.
By Pastor Matt Sweeney
In Psalm 80, we can see the psalmist (Asaph) speaking on behalf of a community (the people of Israel) and asking God to intervene and save them/rescue them from their troubles. I think we could accurately call this a “corporate lament”.
Verse 1 here begins with referring to Father God as “The Shepherd of Israel” – what a great picture! That God is the Shepherd of His flock. We know that a shepherd both guides and protects his sheep. And we see that this is what the psalmist is asking God to do right now: to intervene in the midst of their distress. He’s asking God to “shine forth” in all His glory, in the midst of their trying times.
In verse 3, we can see a phrase that will be repeated three times in this particular Psalm (verses 3, 7, and 19): “Make your face shine upon us.” We can see clearly that the psalmist is calling on God to restore His relationship with His people. I like what Charles Spurgeon says of this particular verse:
“It is not so much said, ‘turn our captivity’ but turn ‘us.’ All will come right if we are right. The best turn is not that of circumstances, but of character. When the Lord turns his people, he will soon turn their condition.”
Spurgeon is hitting on two of the basic requirements/factors for revival: first, there is the restoration (or turning) of a people back to God – a turning away from their wickedness, their evil ways, their old habits and sinful patterns, etc. Secondly, there is the radiant face of God – shining in all the goodness of His presence. This is the natural response of God towards a people whose heart is turned towards Him. With those two factors in place, only then true revival/awakening can begin to happen. Just think about the many great moves of God that we have seen throughout history – what was the one common factor that precipitated each of these moves? A people that first got on their knees in repentance, and then turned their faces to Him.
Verses 8 through 11 here talk about a “transplanted vine”. The psalmist writes that this vine was “transplanted from Egypt” – an obvious reference to the great exodus. And we know that Israel eventually came to control the whole of the Promised Land, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River. One thing that I find interesting here is that vines are not at all known for being able to provide shade – yet, here we see that this particular vine is able to provide shade for the mountains and for the mighty cedar trees. Again, what a great picture that highlights how God blesses His people – those who remain faithful to Him!
We can also see here in verses 12 through 15 that Israel is in pretty bad shape. The picture given here is that of a ravaged vineyard: one that “all who pass by pick its grapes” (verse 12). And the psalmist is calling (or rather, invoking) God here to action using a battle name: “God Almighty”.
As the verses go on, we can see that the psalmist clearly knows why they are in the situation they are in – and also, the One who can save them: God. He is both the One who has meted out punishment on them, and the One who can restore them to their previous state of goodwill and the enjoyment of relationship with Him, if He so chooses to do so. Just like the old saying goes: “There’s no education to be had in the second kick of a mule”, so the psalmist here is clearly saying, “If you will restore us, Lord, we won’t make the same mistake twice!”
In summary here, if we look at Psalm 80 from a New Testament perspective, it brings our attention to something really important. In John chapter 15, we see Jesus portraying Himself as the “true vine”, and His followers (that’s you and I) as the “branches”. And in many New Testament passages, we see the Kingdom described as a “vineyard”.
There’s a beautiful, practical truth here for us today: what God once said about Israel (His “chosen people”), He now says about you and me! We are His chosen people. Every single one of us, whether man, woman, or child.
We can clearly see that Jesus is saying that participation in the Kingdom ultimately depends on His followers being united with Him. That we demonstrate faithfulness to Him. That we keep our faces turned towards Him, and Him alone! That the development of godly character in our lives is first and foremost. That we be pure, righteous, holy, and blameless before Him. And that we should always be seeking His Kingdom first, in everything that we do.
When we live in this manner, I believe we will cause “His face to shine upon us” – just like this Psalm is asking God to do.
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