FRAMEWORKS:
Psa 80: Another Plea for God to come & save
For
the director of music. To the tune of The Lilies of the Covenant.
Of Asaph. A psalm.
[Preliminary
Comments: There is something of a mystery in this psalm
for the psalmist does not tell us specifically what calamity has
struck them to create in him this call of anguish. Clearly things
have gone wrong [v.4,5] so their neighbours mock them [v.6]. He
uses the analogy of Israel being a vine [v.8,14-16] brought from
Egypt by God and established in this land [v.8,9] where they spread
throughout Canaan [v.10,11] but now their protection seems to
have been removed [v.12] so their neighbours ravage them [v.13].
In the remaining verses he pleads for God to come. Three times
in the psalm [v.3,7,19] we find the same refrain Restore
us, O God; make your face shine on us, implying,
restore us in your favour. This is reinforced by other pleas:
hear us [v.1], awaken your might, come & save us [v.2], return
to us, watch over us [v.14], let your hand rest on us [v.17],
and revive us [v.18]. He also poses two questions: how long will
you do this [v.4] and why have you done this [v.12]. Similarly
to some others of this sort of psalm, there is no mention of the
sin of Israel that caused this situation.]
v.1
A cry to the Lord, their Shepherd who rules over them
v.1
Hear
us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth
v.2
As you rule in the centre of Israel, come and save us
v.2
before
Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.
v.3
Let your glory return to us and restore us
v.3
Restore us, O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
v.4
How long will you wait and ignore the prayers of your people
v.4
How long, Lord
God
Almighty,
will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?
v.5
For you have allowed them a time of great anguish
v.5
You
have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the
bowlful.
v.6
You have made an object of mockery by those around us
v.6
You
have made us an object of derision to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
v.7
Again the same call, let your glory shine and save us
v.7
Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
v.8
You established us here, taking us out of Egypt
v.8
You
transplanted a vine from Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted
it.
v.9
Your cleared out the pagan occupants before us
v.9
You
cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
v.10,11
You allowed us to spread across the breadth of Canaan
v.10
The
mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
v.11
Its
branches reached as far as the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
v.12
So why have you removed our protection to other plunder us?
v.12
Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
v.13
Wild beasts our neighbours rave us
v.13
Boars
from the forest ravage it,
and insects from the fields feed on it.
v.14
Lord, please turn and see out plight
v.14
Return to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!
v.14b.15
You planted us, please watch over us
Watch
over this
vine,
v.15
the
root your right hand has planted,
the son you have raised up for yourself.
v.16
We been cut down and burned following your rebuke
v.16
Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;
at your rebuke your people perish.
v.17
May your saviour come to our aid
v.17
Let your hand rest on the man at your right
hand,
the son of man you have raised up for
yourself.
v.18
Restore us so we can praise you again
v.18
Then
we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will
call on your name.
v.19
A third time, let your glory shine and save us
v.19
Restore us, Lord
God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
[Additional
Comments: Scripture shows us that when God's judgment
came, it always came with a same cause the failure of Israel
to keep the covenant. Again and again in scripture we see that
God waits for the repentance of His people. If it is not forthcoming,
discipline follows, which seems to be what is likely to have happened
here.]
Continue
to Psa 81