Psalm 80
A Plea for Restoration
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Intro
Psalm 80, a communal lament, expresses a heartfelt plea for God to restore His people. Amidst their anguish and desperation, the Israelites call upon God's mercy and intervention. The Psalm's poignant call for restoration and salvation anticipates the fulfillment of these yearnings in the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ.
Section 1: Plea for God's Intervention (vs. 1-3)
"Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!"
Harmony
The plea for God's salvation and the metaphor of God as the Shepherd of Israel harmonize with Jesus' self-identification as the Good Shepherd in John 10:11. The request for God's face to shine upon His people anticipates the Incarnation of Christ in John 1:14, as God's presence is intimately experienced through Jesus.
Talking Points
The desperate plea for God's salvation in the Psalm, finding ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.
The reference to God as the Shepherd of Israel in the Old Testament and its significance in understanding Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
The Psalmist's yearning for God's presence and how this longing is met in the person of Jesus Christ.
Questions
How does the Psalmist's plea for God's intervention resonate with our cries for God's help in our own life situations?
What does Jesus as the Good Shepherd tell us about God's care for His people?
In what ways is the Psalmist's longing for God's presence fulfilled in the Incarnation of Christ?
Section 2: Recollection of God's Past Favor (vs. 8-11)
"You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River."
Harmony
The metaphor of the vine finds its fullest expression in the New Testament when Jesus identifies Himself as the True Vine in John 15:1-5. Jesus, as the True Vine, invites His followers into a life-giving relationship, where they can experience spiritual growth and fruitfulness.
Talking Points
The power of reminiscing God's past favor as a source of hope and faith in challenging times.
The rich metaphor of the vine in Scripture, reaching its pinnacle in Jesus' teaching about the True Vine.
The significance of staying connected to Jesus, the True Vine, for our spiritual nourishment and vitality.
Questions
How can recalling God's past actions instill faith and hope during difficult times?
What new insights do we gain when we contemplate Jesus as the True Vine?
How can we maintain and deepen our connection to Jesus, the True Vine?
Section 3: Repeated Plea for Restoration (vs. 14-19)
Return, O God of Hosts, we pray! Look down from heaven and see! Attend to this vine— the root Your right hand has planted, the son You have raised up for Yourself. Your vine has been cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. Let Your hand be upon the man at Your right hand, on the son of man You have raised up for Yourself. Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your name. Restore us, O LORD God of Hosts; cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Harmony
The repeated plea for restoration echoes the message of ultimate restoration and reconciliation in Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. Furthermore, the plea for God's face to shine, indicating salvation, aligns with the proclamation of Jesus as the Light of the World in John 8:12.
Talking Points
The persistence in prayer for restoration and its ultimate answer in the reconciliation achieved by Jesus Christ.
The significance of the theme of God's shining face in relation to Jesus being the Light of the World.
The assurance of salvation and grace that is available to all through Jesus Christ.
Questions
How can we learn from the Psalmist's persistent prayer during our own times of trouble?
How does Jesus, as the Light of the World, fulfill the psalmist's plea for God's face to shine on them?
How does the promise of ultimate restoration in Christ bring hope to our present circumstances?
Summary
Psalm 80, a poignant expression of communal sorrow and desire for divine intervention, manifests a deep yearning for restoration and salvation. Throughout the psalm, the cries for God's attention, deliverance, and restoration resonate deeply with the New Testament themes of salvation and reconciliation in Jesus Christ.
The reference to God as the Shepherd of Israel finds its consummation in the person of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who cares for His flock and lays down His life for their salvation. The plea for God's face to shine upon His people anticipates the Incarnation where God, in the person of Jesus, dwells among His people, manifesting His glory.
Furthermore, the metaphor of the vine brought out of Egypt and cared for by God aligns with Jesus' teaching about Himself as the True Vine. This metaphor extends our understanding of God's nurturing relationship with His people and the nourishment and spiritual fruitfulness offered through abiding in Jesus.
The psalm's recurring plea for restoration is a foreshadowing of the New Covenant in Christ, where through His sacrificial death and resurrection, He reconciles the world to God. This ultimate act of restoration provides comfort, hope, and assurance of salvation.
Thus, Psalm 80, through its lament and pleas, anticipates the New Covenant reality in Jesus. It propels us to seek God's intervention, remember His past favors, persist in our prayers for restoration, and find ultimate fulfillment of these yearnings in Jesus Christ - the Good Shepherd, the True Vine, the Light of the World, our Savior.