Psalm 80:1-19 Restore Us
Asaph is lamenting the state of Israel and Judah. He is crying out to God to restore them as a nation, as a people of His planting. “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!” (verse 19a).
This is another psalm that may be prophetic. Most of Asaph’s psalms sound as if he is living in the time of the exile but records date him to David and Solomon’s time. LONG before the people are carried away because of their disobedience. Yet Asaph clearly brings us there today. Is it possible that there was a second Asaph that wrote these songs in the time of the exile? It sounds plausible to me.
I hear pain in Asaph’s voice as he calls out to God for the people. Asaph knows that no one can do anything to relieve their pain but God. The nation is about as broken as it can get. And he rightly assumes that God had a hand in it. “Why have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?” (verse 12). But he doesn’t acknowledge that it was the people’s sins that put them in God’s crosshairs. He does, however, give God credit for establishing them as a nation in the first place.
God hears these kinds of prayers! He is not deaf to Israel or Judah’s distress but neither is He going to end the lesson until it is time. And most times it includes us recognizing our role in how we got here in the first place. He wants to restore us but He won’t do it at the expense of our future growth.
Something that caught my eye while reading this a couple of times through. Asaph is only singing on behalf of the descendants of Rachel. Joseph and Benjamin were her only children. Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph’s sons. Why isn’t he calling out on behalf of Judah and Benjamin? Those were the two tribes that made up the kingdom of Judah. This puzzles me. Were Rachel’s children still a little ‘separate’ from the rest of the tribes? They held prominence in Jacob/Israel’s heart. Is this an important point or am I making ‘much ado about noting’? Something to ponder at least.
What am I desperately asking for God’s help with but not acknowledging how I got here in the first place? Or pushing back on the answer He is giving? That was another of Israel/Judah’s issues. I’m afraid to say what it is with me but I bet that anyone who has been with me for very long can guess the issue. Maybe my prayer should first be, “Help me examine myself and take ownership of the things I find there. THEN heal my hurts. And MAKE me listen and obey Your voice when You speak.” I wonder if Israel or Judah ever prayed that prayer. Asaph again promises to be faithful to God if/when He restores them. Is that a ‘pie crust promise’ (easily made, easily broken) or an ‘iron clad promise’?
Father God, I’m tired of making ‘pie crust promises’. So tired in fact that I’m afraid of making any promises. The ONLY promise I can make that is ‘iron clad’ is to love You NO MATTER WHAT. I want with all my heart to please You with my life. I don’t want to let my issues control me or divert my attention from what is important. I KNOW that You use things in my life to teach me lessons about trusting You. Pry my fingers open if necessary to get at the work that needs done! Help me stop eating when I’m not hungry. Help me make good food choices. Help me be motivated in the appropriate amounts to exercise. And take this obsession from my heart!!! I want to be free Father. Free to simply be who You made me without fear or reservation, whatever that looks like.
