We see from the title that Psalm 80 is another Psalm of
Asaph. It was written for the director
of Music and was apparently sung to a tune that would have been familiar at the
time.
The first two verses are a request to come and save
Israel. Notice how reverently God is
addressed. He is the Shepherd of Israel
who sits enthroned between the cherubim.
Comparing Psalm 99:1 with Revelation 1:17-18, 4:1-8, we see that Jesus
is the one who sits on the throne between the cherubim in Heaven. Micah 5:2-5 (quoted in Matthew 2:5-6 as
referring to Jesus) tells us that Jesus is the Shepherd of Israel. Notice also Matthew 25:32, 26:31 and John
10:11. It is clear from these verses
that this Psalm is prophetic of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is interesting which tribes of Israel are called out here
in these first two verses. We know that
Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) had two wives but he loved Rachel and not Leah. Genesis 29:31-30:24 tells us of their
competition to give sons to Israel. Of
the twelve sons of Israel, only two were born of Rachel: Joseph (Gen 30:22-24)
and Benjamin (Gen 35:16-18). Because
Jacob loved Rachel only, he favored his son Joseph, making his brothers jealous. They sold him as a slave to Egypt and made
his father think he was dead. While in
Egypt, Joseph fathered two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen 41:50-52), whose descendants
became known as half-tribes in Israel, replacing the tribe of Joseph. So, while Joseph himself is mentioned in
verse one, the tribe of Benjamin and the half-tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim
are listed in verse two. Think for a
moment about this. What might be the
significance of specifying only the tribes which descended from Israel’s
favorite wife…the one whom Israel loved?
In verses 2 and 3, an appeal is made to God for
restoration. The nation has fallen due
to God’s wrath and judgment, yet we see in these verses a desire to be right
with God once again. Think about those
times in your life when your close relationship with God has been severed by
sin. Did you have a desire to be restored
to God? The Psalmist here is crying out
for his nation, Israel, to be restored to God.
We should have this same desire for our nation and this should motivate
us to pray on behalf of our country that it might be restored. Pray now for our country to turn back to God.
In verses 4-6, Asaph speaks of God’s discipline against His
people. What complaints does Asaph
list? Have you ever felt like God is
against you? Do you ever attribute those
complaints to discipline that you deserve for your sins or do you blame God? Verses 7 and 19 reflect a desire to be
restored or saved. Before restoration or
salvation can occur in any of our lives, there must be an acknowledgement of
sin and true repentance. Do you think
this repentance is occurring here?
Symbolically, verses 8-11 talk about how God took His people
out of Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land (from the Jordan River to
the Sea). He helped them to drive out
the nations there to claim the land as their own. What do you think is the significance of the
plant representation? Then, in verses
12-16, Asaph laments how God has allowed their enemies to invade the land and
bring God’s people down. Ask God to show
you the gifts in your life that have been spoiled due to your own sins. Commit to God now to repent of these sins.
Who is the ‘man at your right hand’ spoken of in verse 17? Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 10:12? What do you think God is being asked to do in
this verse and in the rhyming thought of the following verse? Write verse 19 in your journal.
Responding to God: In what areas does your life need to be
restored? Ask God for forgiveness and
restoration in these areas and for renewed commitment to putting these sins
behind you. Ask the Holy Spirit to work
in your life and lead you in the direction you should go. Record any commitments you have made to God in
your journal.
Further Research: To learn more about Jacob and his wives,
Rachel and Leah, read Genesis 28-30.
No comments:
Post a Comment