Psalms 80

Psalms 80THEME: Prayer to the Shepherd of IsraelIn this series of psalms there is a continuation of thought, a prophetic development. The Septuagint version has the inscription: “the Assyrian,” which has led some expositors to place this psalm in a later time. However, because it is definitely a psalm of Asaph, a contemporary of David, we know it was written during the time of the Davidic kingdom. The inscription is “To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim-Eduth,” which means “lilies.” We have seen before that a beautiful lilies’ psalm mentions the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a plea to the Shepherd of Israel to lead them again.

Psalms 80:1

The “Shepherd of Israel” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. We have had a simile of the sheep and the Shepherd before. “Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock” refers to the wilderness journey of the tribes of Israel when they advanced toward the Promised Land to take possession of it. Jehovah, the Shepherd of Israel, was their leader. Joshua was their human leader, but he acted under the Captain of the Host of the Lord. The psalmist appeals to God who had met with these people in the Holy of Holies.

Psalms 80:2

Why would Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh be mentioned? I think the answer can be found in Num_2:17-24. If you read this portion of Scripture, you will find that in placing the tribes around the tabernacle, these three tribes were immediately behind the ark in the order of the march. It was the ark that led the children of Israel through the wilderness. Just as God had led them once before, the cry comes to lead them again.

Psalms 80:3

This same refrain is repeated three times in this psalm (vv. Psa_80:3, Psa_80:7, Psa_80:19). It is sort of a chorus.

Psalms 80:4

This is a brief elergy here. It is a lament, a sad part of the psalm, and includes verses Psa_80:4-6. The psalmist feels God is angry because He does not answer the prayer of His people.

Psalms 80:5

This is one of the most remarkable verses in the Word of God. God has given His people “tears to drink” and tears for their breadall they had to eat was tears. These are the tears of suffering. No nation has suffered as the children of Israel have sufferedand survived. Most other nations, had they been treated like the Jews, would have been exterminated and would have disappeared from the face of the earth. Israel has been drinking tears down through the centuries.

Why? Israel has rejected the Shepherd. When the Lord was here, He beheld the city of Jerusalem and wept over it. Luk_19:41-44 tells us what He said as He wept, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” This is a tremendous passage of Scripture and gives the reason the Jews have had tears to drink. On His way to the cross Jesus turned to some of the women in the crowd who were weeping and said, “…Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children” (Luk_23:28).

Psalms 80:7

That “face to shine” is none other than the face of Israel’s Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now here is another remarkable verse:

Psalms 80:8

God brought the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. God cast the heathen nations out of the land of Palestine and planted Israel, His vine, there. Israel built a temple in which to worship God. Then they were told that their temple would be destroyed and they would be put out of the land. Why? For the same reason that God put the heathen nations out of the landthey turned their backs upon God. The responsibility of Israel was greater than that of the heathen nations, because God had granted to them a privilege that no other nation had, which was the visible presence of God.

Psalms 80:9

This verse is speaking about Israel, the vine that God brought forth out of Egypt and planted in the Promised Land.

Psalms 80:10

The question arises:

Psalms 80:12

For years after God planted His vine He put a hedge about the land. The people lived in the land for a good six hundred years. God did not permit any of the great nations of that day to destroy them. Egypt came against Israel and had victories but did not destroy them. The same was true of Syria and the Hittite nation. But the day came when God removed the hedge and let the enemies of Israel come in. Why? Because Israel had rejected the Shepherd of Israel.

Psalms 80:17

At God’s right hand is the place of power. Who is at “God’s right hand? It is Israel’s Messiah. David wrote, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psa_110:1). The Lord Jesus applied this to Himself when His enemies challenged His messianic claim (Mat_22:44). Back in Genesis 35 is the account of Rachel when she gave birth to her second son along the roadside that leads into Bethlehem. Benjamin was the baby, but she didn’t call him that. When she looked upon that little fellow to whom she had given birth, she called him Ben-oni, which means “son of my suffering.” But when Jacob looked upon himI think the baby had eyes like his lovely Rachelhe said, “No, we won’t call him Ben-oni, we’ll call him Benjamin, because he is the son of my right hand.” Benjamin is a picture, a type of our Lord Jesus who came to earth the first time as the Son of suffering. But today He is at God’s right hand. Of Him the Father said, “Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” And someday He will be returning from that position to this earth.

Psalms 80:18

A better translation would be: “So will not we go back from Thee, revive us, and we will call upon Thy name.” Now here is the chorus for the third time:

Psalms 80:19

In other words, “Restore us, O LORD God of hosts, cause Thy face to shine upon us.” This is a wonderful, wonderful psalm!