Advent Series: Awaiting a Savior (Psalm 80)
“Let Your Face Shine, that We May Be Saved!”
Not the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
It’s dangerous to celebrate Advent. We have said over the past couple of weeks that Advent means anticipation. We look forward to Christmas and so much more – a new year; and, perhaps, Jesus coming back before then. But we are an unmerciful people if we do not acknowledge that not everyone looks forward to Christmas. And we are a hypocritical people if we know this and close our eyes to those who are hurting. For many, Christmas means colder weather, exposing a lack of money to pay utilities or provide nourishing food. For others, Christmas means remembering the loss of loved ones and good times shared,now gone. For many, Christmas means extra pressure to get the house decorated, to get the shopping done, to plan special events, or just to get to all the events.Still others fear Christmas. It meansfamily reunions too close to relatives with whom there is tension or terrible memories. Christmas is not, as the song says, “the most wonderful time of the year” for everyone. And Christians should be careful not to confuse the true hope of Christmas with sentimental feelings (which we can get from a holiday movie or a scene on a card). Advent celebrates that our God is great enough to step into our horrific sin and bring the most satisfying comfort. He did that at Christ’s first coming. He does that now through the power of the gospel. And he will do it again when Christ returns to establish fully his reign of peace across the whole earth.
Our holidays will be more meaningful when we focus on God’s bigger story instead of trying to write our own fairy tales. Whether we love Christmas time or wish it would hurry up and be over, we cannot ignore the reality that this world is not the way it’s supposed to be. This is a fallen world. It has been invaded by a virus that creeps everywhere and corrupts everything. The Bible calls this virus sin. God sends his Son to us, not to help us forget that the world is corrupt but to redeem the world from corruption. “He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found,” we sing in “Joy to the World.” We who love and believe the gospel can tell how Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, has caused many of his blessings to flow into and through our lives. But we do not think for a moment that the curse has disappeared. Life remains difficult. We continue to battle sin within and around us. If you do not know Christ, there is no real hope promising to overcome the curse.
Most have come to worship today because we know that there is hope. We want to strengthen our hope. We want you to share our hope if you do not know Christ. One of the ways we do this is to turn to God’s word.He has spoken, and his word gives hope. So,go to the Bible with me. Turn to Psalm 80. It’s on page 490 of the Bible translation you have there in the pew. As I read this psalm out loud, listen for the poet’s ultimate hope as present circumstances drive himto despair.
Psalm 80: title–19 To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Testimony. Of Asaph, a Psalm. 1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. 2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save us! 3Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved! 4O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? 5You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure. 6You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved! 8You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. 10The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. 11It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River. 12Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? 13The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it. 14Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, 15the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself. 16They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face! 17But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself! 18Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name! 19Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Psalm 80 is a Worship Song
If we had heard this psalm when it was first written almost three thousand years ago, we would have likely heard it as a worship song. It is a song longing for change. It is a song born out of tears. It is a song that is also a prayer: a prayer for spiritual restoration and revival. It is a song longing for God to come and save fromsin and moral degradation. The longing arises out of the darkness of disobedience. Several clues lead us to conclude that this psalm is a song. First, the title says that thepoem is submitted to the choirmaster [ignore rest of line]. Either the choir was to singit, or the choirmaster was to prepare it for a congregation to sing. Another clue is in the phrase “according to Lilies.” Commentators believe that “Lilies” is a tune that fits these lyrics so that they could be sung in public worship. A third clue is that the author is Asaph. We’ll look at him in greater detail in a few moments, but we notenow that he was a prominent singer and worship leader in Israel. A fourth clue is that the psalm has a repeated chorus (vv. 3, 7, and again in 19. “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!” “Restore us” means, “turn us again.” “We are headed in the wrong direction and we can’t get ourselves turned around. God, you will have to do it.”
This song is organized in three stanzas.Stanza 1 (vv. 1-2); stanza 2 (vv. 4-6); and stanza 3 (vv. 14-18). The chorus runs after each stanza (vv. 3, 7, 19). And there is a bridge between stanzas 2 and 3comparing God’s people to a grapevine (vv. 8-13). The sense of longing in this song points to a future not yet realized. But there is hope in that future. And because this song comes to us through the Holy Spirit as the word of God, the future in view is further out and more glorious than the songwriter may have known. Let explore that by asking and answering four questions, first:
Who Wrote this Song?
The title identifies the songwriter asAsaph. One dictionary summarizes the biblical data on him this way: “[Asaph was a priest and] musician that [King] David appointed to serve in the tabernacle …. Asaph was the father of the clan of temple musicians who served through the history of the temple. Part of [Asaph’s] musical responsibility included sounding the cymbal [when David brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem]. David established the tradition of delivering psalms to Asaph for the temple singers to sing. Asaph and the singers ministered daily. [And] their musical service could be called “prophesying”. Descendants of Asaph delivered prophetic messages under God’s Spirit .... Psalms 50 and 73–83 are titled ‘Psalms of Asaph’ or similar titles. This may refer to authorship [or to] the singers who used the Psalms in worship….” (Holman Ill. Bible Dictionary). Psalm 80 was likely written by one of his physical descendants or one of the singers who continued in his tradition.Keep in mind that the line of Asaph was always associated with David and the southern kingdom which remained loyal to David’s descendants after Israel’s civil war.
Asaph was a member of the priestly tribe, the Levites. He was given the minor task of playing a cymbal in theworship parade. He did that faithfully. Later King David appointed him as chief musician for the nation. The Lord continued Asaph’s legacy in worship music for centuries.I note this because, with the coming of Christ and his fulfilling Old Testament signs, all believers now are priests. Peter says that all Christians are a part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9-10). The Holy Spirit gives gifts and assignments to individual Christians to accomplish the mission of the church. Your gifts may not be spectacular. Your assignment may not be significant. But the King will reward faithfulness in the right way at the right time. At the second coming of Christ he will reward his people for service that they have done in his name. We heard this theme from the Lord’s own mouth from Luke 12 earlier.
Luke 12:43–44 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing [being faithful and wise] when he comes. 44Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
In that day, no faithfulness will be insignificant. But even before he returns, Jesus givesmore responsibility to those who are faithful in small things. He accomplishes great things through what seems like insignificant service. I think about that whenever I read Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, which I did again as part of Joe’s internship. Bunyan was a poor man who lived in 17th century rural England. The Lord brought him to faith and appointed him as pastor for a congregation of Baptists in Bedford which never grew beyond thirty people. Bunyan spent twelve years in prison for refusing to get a license from the state to preach. While in prison, he wrote Pilgrim’s Progress.It is today the second most published work in the world behind only the Bible. Bunyan could not have imagined what God would do through him even after his death. He simply served faithfully. He did not seek fame or demand popularity. He executed his ministry. God extended his legacy. Where is God calling you to be faithful? Does it seem too insignificant? Does it look too difficult. Trust God. Be faithful. He will strengthen you now and reward appropriately. Consider a second question.
For Whom Was this Song Written?
We learn the answer in vv. 1-2. It is written for the northern kingdom, called Israel (v. 1). This can be confusing, but after David’s son Solomon died, Israel as a nation experienced civil war. Ten of the twelve tribes split off and formed a new kingdom. They took the name Israel. The remaining two tribes in the south remained loyal to the Davidic King and took the name Judah. In this song, the northern kingdom is referred to by several of its individual tribes or families – Joseph (v. 1), Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh (v. 2). This song laments sin and longs for spiritual revival in the rebellious northern kingdom. It written by a songwriter from the southern kingdom. Instead of looking down on the rebels, he identifies with their sin committed against God. V. 3 asks God to save “us” not “them.” Listen at v. 6:
Psalm 80:6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.
Beginning in v. 8 he reviews the nation’s common history before civil war, back to the days of Moses. They were one vine, brought out of Egypt and blessed by God. The songwriter longs for a reunited nation obedient to God. His pleading intensifies in v. 18:
Psalm 80:18 Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!
Psalm 80 is a prayer for reconciliation between family members torn by sin and hatred. When you pray for revival and reconciliation in the church, do you pray about the sins of others or do you own the sin of God’s people for yourself. When I pray “God, restore,” I pray first for God to restore me, “Lord, turn me.” Thesongwriter sets a godly example for us. The holidays and the closing of another year give us a perfect opportunity to reconcile with those whom we have been estranged. The Christmas angels sang “peace among those with whom God is pleased.” (Luke 2:14).May God be pleased to turn us back to himself and back to those with whom we have conflict. Pray that God would use you as a peacemaker. A third question:
To Whom Was this Song Written?
I ask this to draw attention to the fact that the song is directed to God. He is addressed throughout. The songwriter recognizes that if the people are to experience restoration with God and one another, God must act. God’s holy hatred for sin runs as a theme throughout the song. His face is turned away from his people in judgment,sothe songwriter prays that God will cause his face to shine on them (vv. 3, 7, 19). His shining face will be their salvation. At the time, he is angry with their prayers (v. 4). He has given them tears to eat and drink (v. 5). God has made them a target of their enemies’ attacks (v. 6). It is God who tears down the walls protecting his people (v. 12). God has done these things. He is a jealous God. He will go to great lengths to bring us to cry, “Lord, turn us back to yourself. Let your face shine that we may be saved.” At Christmas, and throughout the year, we are easily consumed with shiny things – cars, computers, clothes, all kinds of trophies and toys. Beware, God is very willing to take away our shiny things so that we cry for him to shine on us. Don’t fight him. He knows what makes for your greatest joy. One ministry’s tagline says it so well, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” Before we leave this psalm, consider one more question.
About Whom Was this Song Written?
It is a song is about God. It is a song about Israel. But the third stanza introduces a character that becomes the hero of the song. That hero is the son mentioned first in v. 15. He is closely associated with the vine, Israel, that the Lord God has planted with his right hand. God has made this son strong for himself (v. 15). We hear this again in v. 17: “the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!” This son is the man of God’s right hand (also, v. 17). In the Bible, the one at the right hand is someone whom you trust and want to bless. The right-hand position belongs to one of great strength and authority. The songwriter is confident that when God puts his hand on this right-hand son, the son will bring the salvation longed for in this song. This son answers the prayer for spiritual restoration. Note v. 18. When this son acts, God’s people will then be faithful. They will not turn back in disobedience. When this son gives life, the people will call on the Lord’s name.
The ancient songwriter of Psalm 80 no doubt hoped that God would raise up a king to be this “son.” He hoped for a godly king over the northern tribes who would lead the people back to God and reunite the nation. He longed for a true shepherd (v. 1). He longed for a king who would be part of the vine but as a fresh stock would revive the whole plant (vv. 14-16). History records that no such king ever ruled the northern kingdom. Her kings led her away from the LORD. Revival never came. In the southern kingdom, there were seasons of revival, but they did not last. The south also came under God’s judgment. The Babylonian empire carried off most of her population into exile in 586 BC. Seventy years later, when they returned, they never reinstated a king. The song’s longing went unfulfilled.Hundreds of years passed.
And then Jesus Christ arrived. He came from the Father’s right hand. He is the one the Father delights to bless. The Father trusts him completely. He acts with the Father’s strength and authority. The Father has made the Son strong for himself. God’s right-hand power flows through Jesus Christ. But he comes as the “son of man.” He is one of us. He is born out of the vine of Israel. But he gives life and revives the whole plant. Jesus is perfect Israel, the only Israelite who keeps all the conditions of the covenant. He alone has a right to all the blessings God promised. Yet, as this song celebrates, this Son will share these blessings with his people.
But,to accomplish this salvation, this Son must suffer. God’s hand would rest upon him just as v. 17 prophesies. To an Israelite, laying a hand on someone means either blessing or curse. A father places his hand on his son to bless his son. But a judge places his hand on one marked for execution. Worshipers lay a hand on a sacrifice before slaughter to acknowledge that they deserve the death about to come upon this animal. The Father placed his own Son under the curse that we as sinners deserve. God made Jesus the Son strong for himself to bear his wrath so that divine justice and holiness might be satisfied on the cross. In the words of Psalm 80:16, the stock had to be cut down and burned and then rise again. As a result, Christ offers forgiveness and new life to anyone who by faith will place a hand on him as the only sacrifice for sin pleasingto the Father.