“A PSALMIST’S PLEA TO GOD TO RESTORE THE NATION” PSALM 80:1-19

The inscription of Psalm 80 reads, “To the Chief Musician upon Shoshannim-Eduth, A Psalm of Asaph.”  The word “Shoshannim-Eduth means “lilies.”  The background for this psalm took place during the time of the captivity of the Northern Tribe of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.  Seeing the Assyrians from the north take the Northern Tribe into captivity caused Judah (the remaining two tribes) to become indeed uneasy.  Against this alarming backdrop, Asaph cries out to his Shepherd (the Lily of the Valley) to rescue the nation.

In verses 1-2, because of the trouble of the tribes, the psalmist entreats the Lord, the Shepherd, to help – “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.  Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.”   The Lord is depicted in an exalted position in the temple, seated above the cherubim; in essence, His presence was in the Holy of Holies.  Joseph and Benjamin were Rachel’s sons, with Ephraim and Manasseh being her two grandsons.  Continuing to ask for God’s help, the psalmist in verse 3 prayed for God’s favor in rescuing the nation.  The psalmist was deeply saddened over God’s wrath extended to the nation.

Using extreme language, he says that God had fed the nation tears – it was a way of expressing that the nation was undergoing extreme pain.  As God punished them, Israel’s enemies were ridiculing them (vv. 4-7).  Verse 5 states, “Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.”  In verses 8-11, the psalmist described Israel as a thriving vine that God brought from Egypt to the Promise Land.  He recalls, “Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars” (vv. 9-10).

Although the nation as a vine was once thriving, the Lord withdrew His protection causing other nations to destroy the nation (vv. 12-13).   He asks, “Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?” (v. 12).   A good example of God’s care of Israel as a vine is seen in Isaiah Chapter 5.  All that Israel failed to fulfill as a nation, Jesus Christ said that He was the True Vine in St. John Chapter 15.

In verses 14-16, the psalmist expresses his remorse over the fact that both the vine and branch had been destroyed.  This wonderful psalm concludes with the psalmist praying for God’s restoration of the nation (vv. 17-19).  His plea is seen in verse 17, “Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.”  In the future, the nation of Israel will be fully restored at the Second Coming of Christ (Rev. 19).

May God Bless!