Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3
A Prayer for a Visit from True Shepherd
The psalmist appeals to God, the “Shepherd of Israel,” to save His people. Israel is experiencing God’s anger (discipline), for He has withdrawn His protection. Again Asaph asks God to restore His people that they may be saved. Psalm 80 is marked by two metaphors for Israel in its relation to God: (1) the flock of the Good Shepherd; (2) the vine of the True Vinedresser. Both of these metaphors are used by Jesus of His people in the NT (John 10:15).
As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. John 10:15
80:1, 2 O Shepherd of Israel is reminiscent of the teaching of Ps. 23 and points forward to the teaching of John 10. God’s pattern is to lead His people as a shepherd might lead a flock. between the cherubim: In the Most Holy Place, the ark of the covenant was topped by the mercy seat on which were two cherubim, heavenly symbols of the throne of God (Ex. 25:22). Shine forth: After Moses had been in close proximity to the Lord, his own face was transformed by a resplendent glow (Ex. 34:29-35). Here the appeal means that the Lord should make His presence known in a saving manner. The tribes Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh may be representative of the whole nation. Ephraim was in the north; Benjamin was where Jerusalem was located; Manasseh was partly across the Jordan.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us!
80:4, 5 Since their request for deliverance has seemed to go unanswered, the people ask whether God’s anger is directed even against their prayer. The phrases bread of tears and tears to drink refer to the manna and water that God provided for Israel in the wilderness. The idea is that God had given the people of past generations nourishing food; but the people of this generation have only their tearful despair.
4 O Lord God of hosts, How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure.
80:8-11 God’s bringing the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan is compared to transplanting a vine. The vine grew phenomenally, so that it filled the land and reached to the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River. These expansions of the Lord’s vine occurred during the reigns of David and Solomon.
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. 9 You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs. 11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River.
80:12 But then there came a dramatic change. The Lord broke down her hedges – that is, He removed Israel’s protective walls. Israel became weak, subject to all kinds of assaults.
12 Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
80:14-17 Look down from heaven: The appeal is for the heavenly Vinedresser to observe the sorry state of His vine. The Hebrew word translated visit can describe a gracious visit of the Lord or a visit in judgement. Of course, the prayer offered is for a merciful visit from Israel’s Protector. The appeal is for God to use His right hand (Ex. 15:6) to restore what He had planted. The Hebrew term for vineyard is used only here in the Bible; it literally means “root-stock.” Branch means “son”; it is the same Hebrew word translated son of man in v. 17. The nation of Israel was God’s own son (Ex. 4:22).
14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine 15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
80:18 Revive us is a call for new life from God’s Spirit. We will call upon Your name: In response to God’s work of deliverance, the poet promises renewed praise centered on the name of God.
18 Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
** We look for a shepherd only after experiencing a countless number of false shepherds. “You have fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure.” Psalm 80:5
80 1 To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘The Lilies.’ A Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us! 3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! 4 O Lord God of hosts, How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure. 6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. 9 You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs. 11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River. 12 Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? 13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it. 14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine 15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
