Psalm 80

Psalm Reading for December 3, 2023

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm appeals to the Lord for intervention in a time of adversity.  It is described as a Psalm of Lament.  It is difficult to tell from the context alone if the Psalm was written before or after the exile of Israel.  It doesn’t really matter to the reader, because it is clearly a cry for help in any event. One clue, though, might be the mention of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, which would suggest that the Psalm was written before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

The imagery of the Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, and comforting — but then there is the imagery of the Lord sitting enthroned between the cherubim. The cherubim are those terrifying angelic figures who are depicted as the guardians of Eden with a sword of flame, and the close companions of the Lord who bear him up with wings of the wind.  This description of Yahweh is much more intimidating.  There may also be a reference to the winged cherubim made of gold who flank the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies within the temple.

But what does the Psalmist seek? Restoration, revival, salvation.  He cries out for the Lord to awaken, and to make his face shine on them again.  This hearkens back to the Deuteronomic blessing that Aaron was instructed to give as High Priest:

Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Yahweh make his face to shine on you,
and be gracious to you.
Yahweh lift up his face toward you,
and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

There may also be a reference to the glory of God that accompanies his presence — the same glory that made the face of Moses shine after he’d been in the presence of the Lord.

But there’s a catch — God is now angry with Israel.  The result of his anger is the deep grief of Israel and the derision and mockery by their enemies.  Their grief is expressed in a very concrete image — their very food is drenched by tears, and their drinking bowls are full of tears!

We don’t really know the specific cause of this disruption in their relationship with their God, but it could be any one of many of Israel’s historic setbacks.

The refrain recurs as a kind of litany three times:

Revive us, and we will call on your name.
Turn us again, Yahweh God of Armies.
Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

And what is the source of that salvation?  The Christian reader can’t help but read into the Psalm a messianic prophecy:

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

The phrase son of man may have many meanings, but one that is inescapable for the Christian is Messianic.  Jesus uses this phrase repeatedly in the Gospels when referring to himself.

APPLY:  

At some point we all know how it feels to be defeated, demoralized, in despair — as a nation, a family, an individual.  The cry of the Psalmist isn’t far from the experience of any of us.

We have all tasted our own tears of grief or shame; and we probably know what it feels like to be despised by someone because of our mistakes.

What we cry out for, in our nation, our church, our family, our own lives, is revival and restoration.  If once we have experienced the presence of God in our lives — if we have known the shine of his face — and it has faded for us, we earnestly yearn for it again.

We will find our revival and restoration in the life and the light of Christ, who brings not only salvation from our sins but healing to our hearts, and the power to live the holy lives to which he calls us.

RESPOND: 

I find myself from time to time dealing with my own drift away from God.  I have to cry out again for renewal and revival.  As with the Psalmist this happens when I begin to call out God’s name and seek to live according to the claims of his name.

Our Lord, our nation experiences victories, but also sees defeats — the disabled veteran who wonders ‘was it worth it?’ The ambiguity of race relations in a divided country.  And our own personal struggles with grief or depression.  We don’t have the wisdom to provide all the answers.  But you have provided a Person who is wisdom incarnate, and salvation, and new life!  May we find our source of healing and salvation in Christ! Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 80” by Brett Jordan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for December 18, 2022

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm appeals to the Lord for intervention in a time of adversity.  It is described as a Psalm of Lament.  It is difficult to tell from the context alone if the Psalm was written before or after the exile of Israel.  It doesn’t really matter to the reader, because it is clearly a cry for help in any event. One clue, though, might be the mention of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, which would suggest that the Psalm was written before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

The imagery of the Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, and comforting — but then there is the imagery of the Lord sitting enthroned between the cherubim. The cherubim are those terrifying angelic figures who are depicted as the guardians of Eden with a sword of flame, and the close companions of the Lord who bear him up with wings of the wind.  This description of Yahweh is much more intimidating.  There may also be a reference to the winged cherubim made of gold who flank the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies within the temple.

But what does the Psalmist seek? Restoration, revival, salvation.  He cries out for the Lord to awaken, and to make his face shine on them again.  This hearkens back to the Deuteronomic blessing that Aaron was instructed to give as High Priest:

Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Yahweh make his face to shine on you,
and be gracious to you.
Yahweh lift up his face toward you,
and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

There may also be a reference to the glory of God that accompanies his presence — the same glory that made the face of Moses shine after he’d been in the presence of the Lord.

But there’s a catch — God is now angry with Israel.  The result of his anger is the deep grief of Israel and the derision and mockery by their enemies.  Their grief is expressed in a very concrete image — their very food is drenched by tears, and their drinking bowls are full of tears!

We don’t really know the specific cause of this disruption in their relationship with their God, but it could be any one of many of Israel’s historic setbacks.

The refrain recurs as a kind of litany three times:

Revive us, and we will call on your name.
Turn us again, Yahweh God of Armies.
Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

And what is the source of that salvation?  The Christian reader can’t help but read into the Psalm a messianic prophecy:

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

The phrase son of man may have many meanings, but one that is inescapable for the Christian is Messianic.  Jesus uses this phrase repeatedly in the Gospels when referring to himself.

APPLY:  

At some point we all know how it feels to be defeated, demoralized, in despair — as a nation, a family, an individual.  The cry of the Psalmist isn’t far from the experience of any of us.

We have all tasted our own tears of grief or shame; and we probably know what it feels like to be despised by someone because of our mistakes.

What we cry out for, in our nation, our church, our family, our own lives, is revival and restoration.  If once we have experienced the presence of God in our lives — if we have known the shine of his face — and it has faded for us, we earnestly yearn for it again.

We will find our revival and restoration in the life and the light of Christ, who brings not only salvation from our sins but healing to our hearts, and the power to live the holy lives to which he calls us.

RESPOND: 

I find myself from time to time dealing with my own drift away from God.  I have to cry out again for renewal and revival.  As with the Psalmist this happens when I begin to call out God’s name and seek to live according to the claims of his name.

Our Lord, our nation experiences victories, but also sees defeats — the disabled veteran who wonders ‘was it worth it?’ The ambiguity of race relations in a divided country.  And our own personal struggles with grief or depression.  We don’t have the wisdom to provide all the answers.  But you have provided a Person who is wisdom incarnate, and salvation, and new life!  May we find our source of healing and salvation in Christ! Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 80” by Brett Jordan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for August 14, 2022

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm appeals to the Lord for intervention in a time of adversity.  It is difficult to tell from the context alone if the Psalm was written before or after the exile of Israel.  It doesn’t really matter to the reader, because it is clearly a cry for help in any event. One clue, though, might be the mention of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, which would suggest that the Psalm was written before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.

The imagery of the Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, and comforting; but then there is the imagery of the Lord sitting enthroned between the cherubim — those terrifying angelic figures who are depicted as the guardians of Eden with a sword of flame, and the close companions of the Lord who bear him up with wings of the wind.  This is much more intimidating.  There may also be a reference to the winged cherubim made of gold who flank the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem.

Our current lectionary reading jumps from verses 1-2 to verses 8-19.

In verses 8-19, the Psalmist introduces a familiar metaphor — Israel is compared to a vine that the Lord has brought from Egypt.  The Psalmist recounts a part of the salvation history of Israel.  In language reminiscent of Isaiah 5:1-7, he addresses his prayer to the Lord:

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.

[For more information on the vine and the vineyard as a Biblical metaphor, CLICK HERE to read the Old Testament SOAR for August 14, 2022]

In these few verses we see the sweep of Israel’s history — exodus from Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, flourishing in this new land, and the spread of the nation under the leadership of the Davidic kings.  At its height under David and Solomon, Israel’s influence had spread north to Lebanon (the mighty cedars), and from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the Euphrates River.

But now circumstances have changed.  The Psalmist asks God plaintively:  

Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
 The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.

The Psalmist is writing from the perspective of one who sees his nation besieged and harassed, likely by the Assyrians in the late 8th century.  Given the references to Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh the Psalmist particularly has the Northern Kingdom in mind, not Judah.

His appeal is for the God of hosts to protect and care for his vine that has been burned and cut down by the invaders.

And what is the source of that salvation?

But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
the one whom you made strong for yourself.

Is the Psalmist speaking of a king? If so, is he speaking of a king from the Davidic dynasty that rules in Judah following the separation of the Northern from the Southern Kingdoms?  Or is this, as the Christian reader might interpret, a messianic prophecy that will be fulfilled by Jesus, the Son of David?

In any event, the Psalmist vows that when deliverance comes:

Then we will never turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call on your name.

Finally, the Psalmist closes with a litany that appears three times in this Psalm:

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.

This hearkens back to the priestly blessing that Aaron was instructed to give as High Priest:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
 the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

There may also be a reference intended to the shekinah, the glory of God that accompanies his presence, and that made the face of Moses to shine after he’d been in the presence of the Lord.

APPLY:  

At some point we all know how it feels to be defeated, demoralized, in despair — as a nation, a family, an individual.  The cry of the Psalmist isn’t far from the experience of any of us.

When we have experienced the grace of God, we know how it is to feel that we are like a vine that has been planted and watered by God, and flourished under his care.  And when life gets hard, when the “vine” in our lives is uprooted by circumstances beyond our control, we cry out just as the Psalmist does.

What we cry out for, in our nation, our church, our family, our own lives — is revival, restoration.  If we have experienced the presence of God in our lives, if we have known the “shine” of his face, and it has faded for us, we earnestly yearn for it again.

We will find it, if the Scriptures are true, in the life and the light of Christ, who brings not only salvation from our sins, but healing to our hearts, and the power to live the holy lives to which he calls us.

RESPOND: 

I find myself from time to time dealing with my own drift away from God. I have to cry out again for renewal and revival. As with the Psalmist this happens when I begin to call out his name and seek to live according to the claims of that name.

Our Lord, our nation experiences victories, but also sees defeats — the disabled veteran who wonders ‘was it worth it?’ The ambiguity of race relations in our nation today. The specter of terrorism. And our own personal struggles with grief or depression. We don’t have the wisdom to provide all the answers. But you have provided a Person who is wisdom incarnate, and salvation, and new life! May we find our source of healing and salvation in Christ! Amen.

PHOTO:
Psalm 80_14” by Baptist Union of Great Britain is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for November 29, 2020

15206794737_2ec06ab7ff_zSTART WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm appeals to the Lord for intervention in a time of adversity.  It is described as a Psalm of Lament.  It is difficult to tell from the context alone if the Psalm was written before or after the exile of Israel.  It doesn’t really matter to the reader, because it is clearly a cry for help in any event. One clue, though, might be the mention of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, which would suggest that the Psalm was written before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

The imagery of the Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, and comforting — but then there is the imagery of the Lord sitting enthroned between the cherubim. The cherubim are those terrifying angelic figures who are depicted as the guardians of Eden with a sword of flame, and the close companions of the Lord who bear him up with wings of the wind.  This description of Yahweh is much more intimidating.  There may also be a reference to the winged cherubim made of gold who flank the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies within the temple.

But what does the Psalmist seek? Restoration, revival, salvation.  He cries out for the Lord to awaken, and to make his face shine on them again.  This hearkens back to the Deuteronomic blessing that Aaron was instructed to give as High Priest:

Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Yahweh make his face to shine on you,
and be gracious to you.
Yahweh lift up his face toward you,
and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

There may also be a reference to the glory of God that accompanies his presence — the same glory that made the face of Moses shine after he’d been in the presence of the Lord.

But there’s a catch — God is now angry with Israel.  The result of his anger is the deep grief of Israel and the derision and mockery by their enemies.  Their grief is expressed in a very concrete image — their very food is drenched by tears, and their drinking bowls are full of tears!

We don’t really know the specific cause of this disruption in their relationship with their God, but it could be any one of many of Israel’s historic setbacks.

The refrain recurs as a kind of litany three times:

Revive us, and we will call on your name.
Turn us again, Yahweh God of Armies.
Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

And what is the source of that salvation?  The Christian reader can’t help but read into the Psalm a messianic prophecy:

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

The phrase  son of man  may have many meanings, but one that is inescapable for the Christian is Messianic.  Jesus uses this phrase repeatedly in the Gospels when referring to himself.

APPLY:  

At some point we all know how it feels to be defeated, demoralized, in despair — as a nation, a family, an individual.  The cry of the Psalmist isn’t far from the experience of any of us.

We have all tasted our own tears of grief or shame; and we probably know what it feels like to be despised by someone because of our mistakes.

What we cry out for, in our nation, our church, our family, our own lives, is revival and restoration.  If once we have experienced the presence of God in our lives — if we have known the  shine  of his face — and it has faded for us, we earnestly yearn for it again.

We will find our revival and restoration in the life and the light of Christ, who brings not only salvation from our sins but healing to our hearts, and the power to live the holy lives to which he calls us.

RESPOND: 

I find myself from time to time dealing with my own drift away from God.  I have to cry out again for renewal and revival.  As with the Psalmist this happens when I begin to call out God’s name and seek to live according to the claims of his name.

Our Lord, our nation experiences victories, but also sees defeats — the disabled veteran who wonders ‘was it worth it?’ The ambiguity of race relations in a divided country.  And our own personal struggles with grief or depression.  We don’t have the wisdom to provide all the answers.  But you have provided a Person who is wisdom incarnate, and salvation, and new life!  May we find our source of healing and salvation in Christ! Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 80-7” by tea4judy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for December 22, 2019

15206794737_2ec06ab7ff_zSTART WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm appeals to the Lord for intervention in a time of adversity.  It is described as a Psalm of Lament.  It is difficult to tell from the context alone if the Psalm was written before or after the exile of Israel.  It doesn’t really matter to the reader, because it is clearly a cry for help in any event. One clue, though, might be the mention of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, which would suggest that the Psalm was written before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

The imagery of the Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, and comforting — but then there is the imagery of the Lord sitting enthroned between the cherubim. The cherubim are those terrifying angelic figures who are depicted as the guardians of Eden with a sword of flame, and the close companions of the Lord who bear him up with wings of the wind.  This description of Yahweh is much more intimidating.  There may also be a reference to the winged cherubim made of gold who flank the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies within the temple.

But what does the Psalmist seek? Restoration, revival, salvation.  He cries out for the Lord to awaken, and to make his face shine on them again.  This hearkens back to the Deuteronomic blessing that Aaron was instructed to give as High Priest:

Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Yahweh make his face to shine on you,
and be gracious to you.
Yahweh lift up his face toward you,
and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

There may also be a reference to the glory of God that accompanies his presence — the same glory that made the face of Moses shine after he’d been in the presence of the Lord.

But there’s a catch — God is now angry with Israel.  The result of his anger is the deep grief of Israel and the derision and mockery by their enemies.  Their grief is expressed in a very concrete image — their very food is drenched by tears, and their drinking bowls are full of tears!

We don’t really know the specific cause of this disruption in their relationship with their God, but it could be any one of many of Israel’s historic setbacks.

The refrain recurs as a kind of litany three times:

Revive us, and we will call on your name.
Turn us again, Yahweh God of Armies.
Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

And what is the source of that salvation?  The Christian reader can’t help but read into the Psalm a messianic prophecy:

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

The phrase  son of man  may have many meanings, but one that is inescapable for the Christian is Messianic.  Jesus uses this phrase repeatedly in the Gospels when referring to himself.

APPLY:  

At some point we all know how it feels to be defeated, demoralized, in despair — as a nation, a family, an individual.  The cry of the Psalmist isn’t far from the experience of any of us.

We have all tasted our own tears of grief or shame; and we probably know what it feels like to be despised by someone because of our mistakes.

What we cry out for, in our nation, our church, our family, our own lives, is revival and restoration.  If once we have experienced the presence of God in our lives — if we have known the  shine  of his face — and it has faded for us, we earnestly yearn for it again.

We will find our revival and restoration in the life and the light of Christ, who brings not only salvation from our sins  but healing to our hearts, and the power to live the holy lives to which he calls us.

RESPOND: 

I find myself from time to time dealing with my own drift away from God.  I have to cry out again for renewal and revival.  As with the Psalmist this happens when I begin to call out God’s name and seek to live according to the claims of his name.

Our Lord, our nation experiences victories, but also sees defeats — the disabled veteran who wonders ‘was it worth it?’ The ambiguity of race relations in a divided country.  And our own personal struggles with grief or depression.  We don’t have the wisdom to provide all the answers.  But you have provided a Person who is wisdom incarnate, and salvation, and new life!  May we find our source of healing and salvation in Christ! Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 80-7” by tea4judy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for August 18, 2019

15206794737_2ec06ab7ff_zSTART WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm appeals to the Lord for intervention in a time of adversity.  It is difficult to tell from the context alone if the Psalm was written before or after the exile of Israel.  It doesn’t really matter to the reader, because it is clearly a cry for help in any event. One clue, though, might be the mention of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, which would suggest that the Psalm was written before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.

The imagery of the Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, and comforting; but then there is the imagery of the Lord sitting enthroned between the cherubim — those terrifying angelic figures who are depicted as the guardians of Eden with a sword of flame, and the close companions of the Lord who bear him up with wings of the wind.  This is much more intimidating.  There may also be a reference to the winged cherubim made of gold who flank the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem.

Our current lectionary reading jumps from verses 1-2 to verses 8-19.

In verses 8-19, the Psalmist introduces a familiar metaphor — Israel is compared to a vine that the Lord has brought from Egypt.  The Psalmist recounts a part of the salvation history of Israel.  In language reminiscent of Isaiah 5:1-7 , he addresses his prayer to the Lord:

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.

[For more information on the vine and the vineyard as a Biblical metaphor, CLICK HERE to read the Old Testament SOAR for August 18, 2019]

In these few verses we see the sweep of Israel’s history — exodus from Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, flourishing in this new land, and the spread of the nation under the leadership of the Davidic kings.  At its height under David and Solomon, Israel’s influence had spread north to Lebanon (the mighty cedars), and from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the Euphrates River.

But now circumstances have changed.  The Psalmist asks God plaintively:  

Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
 The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.

The Psalmist is writing from the perspective of one who sees his nation besieged and harassed, likely by the Assyrians in the late 8th century.  Given the references to Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh the Psalmist particularly has the Northern Kingdom in mind, not Judah.

His appeal is for the God of hosts to protect and care for his vine that has been burned and cut down by the invaders.

And what is the source of that salvation?

But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
the one whom you made strong for yourself.

Is the Psalmist speaking of a king? If so, is he speaking of a king from the Davidic dynasty that rules in Judah following the separation of  the Northern from the Southern Kingdoms?  Or is this, as the Christian reader might interpret, a messianic prophecy that will be fulfilled by Jesus, the Son of David?

In any event, the Psalmist vows that when deliverance comes:

Then we will never turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call on your name.

Finally, the Psalmist closes with a litany that appears three times in this Psalm:

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.

This hearkens back to the priestly blessing that Aaron was instructed to give as High Priest:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
 the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

There may also be a reference intended to the shekinah, the glory of God that accompanies his presence, and that made the face of Moses to shine after he’d been in the presence of the Lord.

APPLY:  

At some point we all know how it feels to be defeated, demoralized, in despair – as a nation, a family, an individual.  The cry of the Psalmist isn’t far from the experience of any of us.

When we have experienced the grace of God, we know how it is to feel that we are like a vine that has been planted and watered by God, and flourished under his care.  And when life gets hard, when the “vine” in our lives is uprooted by circumstances beyond our control, we cry out just as the Psalmist does.

What we cry out for, in our nation, our church, our family, our own lives — is revival, restoration.  If we have experienced the presence of God in our lives, if we have known the “shine” of his face, and it has faded for us, we earnestly yearn for it again.

We will find it, if the Scriptures are true, in the life and the light of Christ, who brings not only salvation from our sins, but healing to our hearts, and the power to live the holy lives to which he calls us.

RESPOND: 

I find myself from time to time dealing with my own drift away from God. I have to cry out again for renewal and revival. As with the Psalmist this happens when I begin to call out his name and seek to live according to the claims of that name.

Our Lord, our nation experiences victories, but also sees defeats — the disabled veteran who wonders ‘was it worth it?’ The ambiguity of race relations in our nation today. The specter of terrorism. And our own personal struggles with grief or depression. We don’t have the wisdom to provide all the answers. But you have provided a Person who is wisdom incarnate, and salvation, and new life! May we find our source of healing and salvation in Christ! Amen.

PHOTO:
Psalm 80-7” by tea4judy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for December 23, 2018

Author’s Note:  I encourage all of my readers to prepare for the Christmas season with the Choose This Day Family Bible Study for the Advent season.  It’s a fun, short (10-15 minutes) Bible study that the whole family can enjoy daily from December 1 to 25.  You can visit that website  by clicking this link.

And now, back to today’s lectionary reading:

15206794737_2ec06ab7ff_zSTART WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

NOTE FROM CELESTE LETCHWORTH:
As most of you know, Tom went to be with the Lord 6 months ago.
Since the lectionary cycles every 3 years, I am able to copy Tom’s SOAR studies from the archives and post them each week with our current year’s dates.

However — the United Methodist lectionary Psalm reading for December 23, 2018 does not include verses 17-19.

Tom wrote the following SOAR study based on the Advent season Psalm reading for December 3, 2017, which included verses 17-19.

OBSERVE:

This Psalm appeals to the Lord for intervention in a time of adversity.  It is described as a Psalm of Lament.  It is difficult to tell from the context alone if the Psalm was written before or after the exile of Israel.  It doesn’t really matter to the reader, because it is clearly a cry for help in any event. One clue, though, might be the mention of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, which would suggest that the Psalm was written before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

The imagery of the Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, and comforting — but then there is the imagery of the Lord sitting enthroned between the cherubim. The cherubim are those terrifying angelic figures who are depicted as the guardians of Eden with a sword of flame, and the close companions of the Lord who bear him up with wings of the wind.  This description of Yahweh is much more intimidating.  There may also be a reference to the winged cherubim made of gold who flank the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies within the temple.

But what does the Psalmist seek? Restoration, revival, salvation.  He cries out for the Lord to awaken, and to make his face shine on them again.  This hearkens back to the Deuteronomic blessing that Aaron was instructed to give as High Priest:

Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Yahweh make his face to shine on you,
and be gracious to you.
Yahweh lift up his face toward you,
and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

There may also be a reference to the glory of God that accompanies his presence — the same glory that made the face of Moses shine after he’d been in the presence of the Lord.

But there’s a catch — God is now angry with Israel.  The result of his anger is the deep grief of Israel and the derision and mockery by their enemies.  Their grief is expressed in a very concrete image — their very food is drenched by tears, and their drinking bowls are full of tears!

We don’t really know the specific cause of this disruption in their relationship with their God, but it could be any one of many of Israel’s historic setbacks.

The refrain recurs as a kind of litany three times:

Revive us, and we will call on your name.
Turn us again, Yahweh God of Armies.
Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

And what is the source of that salvation?  The Christian reader can’t help but read into the Psalm a messianic prophecy:

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

The phrase  son of man  may have many meanings, but one that is inescapable for the Christian is Messianic.  Jesus uses this phrase repeatedly in the Gospels when referring to himself.

APPLY:  

At some point we all know how it feels to be defeated, demoralized, in despair — as a nation, a family, an individual.  The cry of the Psalmist isn’t far from the experience of any of us.

We have all tasted our own tears of grief or shame; and we probably know what it feels like to be despised by someone because of our mistakes.

What we cry out for, in our nation, our church, our family, our own lives, is revival and restoration.  If once we have experienced the presence of God in our lives — if we have known the  shine  of his face — and it has faded for us, we earnestly yearn for it again.

We will find our revival and restoration in the life and the light of Christ, who brings not only salvation from our sins  but healing to our hearts, and the power to live the holy lives to which he calls us.

RESPOND: 

I find myself from time to time dealing with my own drift away from God.  I have to cry out again for renewal and revival.  As with the Psalmist this happens when I begin to call out God’s name and seek to live according to the claims of his name.

Our Lord, our nation experiences victories, but also sees defeats — the disabled veteran who wonders ‘was it worth it?’ The ambiguity of race relations in a divided country.  And our own personal struggles with grief or depression.  We don’t have the wisdom to provide all the answers.  But you have provided a Person who is wisdom incarnate, and salvation, and new life!  May we find our source of healing and salvation in Christ! Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 80-7” by tea4judy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for December 3, 2017

15206794737_2ec06ab7ff_zSTART WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm appeals to the Lord for intervention in a time of adversity.  It is described as a Psalm of Lament.  It is difficult to tell from the context alone if the Psalm was written before or after the exile of Israel.  It doesn’t really matter to the reader, because it is clearly a cry for help in any event. One clue, though, might be the mention of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, which would suggest that the Psalm was written before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

The imagery of the Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, and comforting — but then there is the imagery of the Lord sitting enthroned between the cherubim. The cherubim are those terrifying angelic figures who are depicted as the guardians of Eden with a sword of flame, and the close companions of the Lord who bear him up with wings of the wind.  This description of Yahweh is much more intimidating.  There may also be a reference to the winged cherubim made of gold who flank the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies within the temple.

But what does the Psalmist seek? Restoration, revival, salvation.  He cries out for the Lord to awaken, and to make his face shine on them again.  This hearkens back to the Deuteronomic blessing that Aaron was instructed to give as High Priest:

Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Yahweh make his face to shine on you,
and be gracious to you.
Yahweh lift up his face toward you,
and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

There may also be a reference to the glory of God that accompanies his presence — the same glory that made the face of Moses shine after he’d been in the presence of the Lord.

But there’s a catch — God is now angry with Israel.  The result of his anger is the deep grief of Israel and the derision and mockery by their enemies.  Their grief is expressed in a very concrete image — their very food is drenched by tears, and their drinking bowls are full of tears!

We don’t really know the specific cause of this disruption in their relationship with their God, but it could be any one of many of Israel’s historic setbacks.

The refrain recurs as a kind of litany three times:

Revive us, and we will call on your name.
Turn us again, Yahweh God of Armies.
Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

And what is the source of that salvation?  The Christian reader can’t help but read into the Psalm a messianic prophecy:

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

The phrase  son of man  may have many meanings, but one that is inescapable for the Christian is Messianic.  Jesus uses this phrase repeatedly in the Gospels when referring to himself.

APPLY:  

At some point we all know how it feels to be defeated, demoralized, in despair — as a nation, a family, an individual.  The cry of the Psalmist isn’t far from the experience of any of us.

We have all tasted our own tears of grief or shame; and we probably know what it feels like to be despised by someone because of our mistakes.

What we cry out for, in our nation, our church, our family, our own lives, is revival and restoration.  If once we have experienced the presence of God in our lives, if we have known the  shine  of his face, and it has faded for us, we earnestly yearn for it again.

We will find our revival and restoration in the life and the light of Christ, who brings not only salvation from our sins  but healing to our hearts, and the power to live the holy lives to which he calls us.

RESPOND: 

I find myself from time to time dealing with my own drift away from God.  I have to cry out again for renewal and revival.  As with the Psalmist this happens when I begin to call out God’s name and seek to live according to the claims of his name.

Our Lord, our nation experiences victories, but also sees defeats — the disabled veteran who wonders ‘was it worth it?’ The ambiguity of race relations in a divided country.  And our own personal struggles with grief or depression.  We don’t have the wisdom to provide all the answers.  But you have provided a Person who is wisdom incarnate, and salvation, and new life!  May we find our source of healing and salvation in Christ! Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 80-7” by tea4judy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for December 18, 2016

15206794737_2ec06ab7ff_zSTART WITH SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm appeals to the Lord for intervention in a time of adversity.  It is described as a Psalm of Lament.  It is difficult to tell from the context alone if the Psalm was written before or after the exile of Israel.  It doesn’t really matter to the reader, because it is clearly a cry for help in any event. One clue, though, might be the mention of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, which would suggest that the Psalm was written before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

The imagery of the Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, and comforting; but then there is the imagery of the Lord sitting enthroned between the cherubim — those terrifying angelic figures who are depicted as the guardians of Eden with a sword of flame, and the close companions of the Lord who bear him up with wings of the wind.  This is much more intimidating.  There may also be a reference to the winged cherubim made of gold who flank the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem.

But what does the Psalmist seek? Restoration, revival, salvation.  He cries out for the Lord to awaken, and to make his face shine on them again.  This hearkens back to the Deuteronomic blessing that Aaron was instructed to give as High Priest:

Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Yahweh make his face to shine on you,
and be gracious to you.
Yahweh lift up his face toward you,
and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

There may also be a reference to the shekinah — the glory of God that accompanies his presence — that made the face of Moses shine after he’d been in the presence of the Lord.

But there’s a catch — God is now angry with Israel.  The result of his anger is the deep grief of Israel and the derision and mockery by their enemies.  Their grief is expressed in a very concrete image — their very food is drenched by tears, and their drinking bowls are full of tears!

We don’t really know the specific cause of this disruption in their relationship with their God, but it could be any one of many of Israel’s historic setbacks.

The refrain recurs as a kind of litany three times:

Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.

And what is the source of that salvation?  The Christian reader can’t help but read into the Psalm a messianic prophecy:

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

The phrase  son of man  may have many meanings, but one that is inescapable for the Christian is the Christ.  Jesus uses this phrase repeatedly in the Gospels when referring to himself.

APPLY:  

At some point we all know how it feels to be defeated, demoralized, in despair — as a nation, a family, an individual.  The cry of the Psalmist isn’t far from the experience of any of us.

We have all tasted our own tears of grief or shame; and we probably know what it feels like to be despised by someone because of our mistakes.

What we cry out for, in our nation, our church, our family, our own lives, is revival and restoration.  If once we have experienced the presence of God in our lives, if we have known the  shine  of his face, and it has faded for us, we earnestly yearn for it again.

We will find our revival and restoration in the life and the light of Christ, who brings not only salvation from our sins  but healing to our hearts, and the power to live the holy lives to which he calls us.

RESPOND: 

I find myself from time to time dealing with my own drift away from God.  I have to cry out again for renewal and revival.  As with the Psalmist this happens when I begin to call out his name and seek to live according to the claims of that name.

Our Lord, our nation experiences victories, but also sees defeats — the disabled veteran who wonders ‘was it worth it?’ The ambiguity of race relations in a divided country.  And our own personal struggles with grief or depression.  We don’t have the wisdom to provide all the answers.  But you have provided a Person who is wisdom incarnate, and salvation, and new life!  May we find our source of healing and salvation in Christ! Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 80-7” by tea4judy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for August 21, 2016

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God! [photo by Holly Hayes]

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God! [photo by Holly Hayes]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 71:1-6 

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The Psalmist is lifting up a prayer of supplication, asking God for deliverance and protection.  He bases his present hopes on the deliverance he has experienced in the past.

It is the righteousness of the Lord that provides the source of deliverance and rescue. This is in contrast to the shame that the Psalmist fears.

The Psalmist uses a common Biblical metaphor of the Lord as a

rock of refuge,
a strong fortress.

If the Lord is his refuge and fortress, God provides a place of rescue from the wicked, unjust and cruel.  They are his besiegers, but God is his strong wall.

More proactively, the Psalmist affirms that the Lord has been with him from the very beginning of his life:

For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.

The Psalmist’s present faith in God’s protection is grounded in God’s past faithfulness.

APPLY:  

This Psalm illustrates the vital need to teach our children about the faithfulness of God.

A child first learns about the reality and the faithfulness of God by the example of parents, then by the reinforcement of precept and experience.  And this comes from a strong, caring, nurturing community of faith.

RESPOND: 

Martin Luther, the great German reformer, penned one of the great hymns of the faith that is reminiscent of this Psalm:

A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing . . .

There is another quote that has been attributed to Martin Luther that seems appropriate to this Psalm:

The church is always just one generation away from extinction.

Every generation of Christian parents is responsible for teaching and modeling the Christian faith to their children.

Lord, I thank you that you have been with me since the very beginning of my life. Because you have always been my rock and my fortress, I don’t fear the future.  Amen.   

PHOTO:

a mighty fortress is our god” by Holly Hayes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.