Psa 80:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | While the remnant – and expressly including the ten tribes – waits for deliverance from the LORD, they persevere in prayer. Three times we find the prayer “restore us and cause Your face to shine [upon us], and we will be saved” ( ). This prayer is addressed in to “God”, in to the “God [of] hosts” and in to the “LORD God of hosts”. The naming of God indicates increase in the revelation of His power. This has to do with the increase in intensity of the prayer of the remnant. The prayer of the remnant can be summed up with the words “cause Your face to shine” ( ). The answer to this prayer is found in Psalm 81. We can divide the psalm as follows: 1. In their prayer, the remnant compares themselves to powerless sheep who need to be delivered by the shepherd ( ). 2. They see themselves as a people whose prayer does not come to God because of His anger ( ). 3. They also see themselves as a vineyard trampled by a boar (the king of the North) from the forest and which is burned by fire ( ). 4. Therefore, their only hope is in the Man of God’s right hand, which speaks of His power ( ). He, Who said “all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” ( ), alone is able to deliver (cf. ). For “for the choir director” ( ) see at Psalm 4:1. For “[set to] El Shoshannim“ see at Psalm 45:1 and Psalm 60:1. In Psalm 60 “Shushan”, “lily”, is in the singular ( ). “Eduth” means “a testimony” in the sense of a revelation that someone gives or what someone passes on about what he has experienced. It is a different word than the word “Eduth”, “testimony”, found in the heading of Psalm 60. For “a Psalm of Asaph” see at Psalm 50:1. In Asaph, the faithful remnant addresses the “Shepherd of Israel” ( ). In the past, the LORD as Shepherd led His people out of Egypt through Moses and Aaron ( ). Israel is the flock that has been pastured by God Himself ( ). Prophetically this will be fulfilled when the LORD Himself will be Shepherd over Israel to pasture them ( ). Israel here stands for both the two tribes realm and the ten tribes realm ( ). The name “Shepherd” as a name of God first appears in Jacob’s blessing of Joseph ( ). Joseph, representing the ten tribes realm, is strongly emphasized. The two tribes realm and the ten tribes realm are now united (cf. ; ). The remnant comes from the two tribes and from the ten tribes. This one remnant in the end time is all Israel that is saved ( ). They ask God to “give ear” to their distress, for they have the impression that He has turned His ear away from them. They say to Him in the second line of that He “leads Joseph like a flock”. Joseph, the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, here represents the whole people. This is evident from the parallel with the first line of where it speaks of Israel. The remnant from both the two and the ten tribes realm see themselves as sheep who were led by Him out of Egypt at that time. But they are in need and lack the protection of the Shepherd. An appeal to God as Shepherd can only be made by a sheep of His flock. He is “enthroned [above, or between] the cherubim”. In the past, the meeting place with God was between the two cherubim on the mercy seat ( ). He had to leave that place because of the unfaithfulness of His people ( ). The remnant understands this. The LORD, however, is still enthroned on the cherubim in heaven . The remnant, through the psalmist, now asks the LORD to return to the earth (cf. ). His appearance means at the same time the redemption for His people ( ). The remnant asks Him to “shine forth”, that is, to appear openly as Ruler in the now reigning darkness. His appearance dispels the darkness. The cry “shine forth!” concerns the appearance of the LORD on earth to judge and redeem (cf. ). He Who rules the world dwells in the midst of His people between the cherubim on the ark ( ; ; ), which in is called “Your power”. The remnant calls upon God to stir up His power (cf. ; ), that is, to rise up and act against the enemies to deliver them from their grasp. Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh are in the camp in the wilderness under the same standard, the standard of Ephraim, on the west side of the tabernacle ( ). They are the tribes that set out during the journey through the wilderness and set up their camp immediately after the setting out and setting up of the ark ( ). They, along with the Kohathites, live with the ark, or God’s power, directly before their eyes. In them we also see the whole people represented: Ephraim represents the northern kingdom, Benjamin the southern kingdom. Part of Manasseh lives at the other side of the Jordan. He represents the two and a half tribes. The three names are the names of Rachel’s descendants who are restored to the land (cf. ). Their request, that is from the ten tribes, to God is to restore them by bringing them back to their land ( ). They are now outside the land as a result of their unfaithfulness. With their question they acknowledge that there is no right and no power in them to return to the land with its blessings. At the same time their question implies that God in His grace can do it and also has the power to do it. It expresses confidence in the grace and power of God. With the question “cause Your face to shine” they ask if God wants to be present in their midst again. If He is with them, then they “will be saved”. They connect in faith His presence in their midst with the deliverance of their enemies. If He is present, the enemies will flee or be defeated. The Hebrew expression “cause Your face to shine” means that the kind, gracious face smiles, in contrast to the face that is dark, gloomy, or angry. No doubt the psalmist was thinking of the priestly blessing from Numbers 6 ( ; cf. ). We know from John 1 that God can only give His grace because grace and truth have been realized through Jesus Christ. Out of His fullness we, both Christians and the remnant of Israel in the future, receive grace upon grace ( ).

‏ Psalms 80:1-2

Introduction

While the remnant – and expressly including the ten tribes – waits for deliverance from the LORD, they persevere in prayer. Three times we find the prayer “restore us and cause Your face to shine [upon us], and we will be saved” (Psa 80:3 ; 7 ; 19). This prayer is addressed

in Psa 80:3 to “God”,

in Psa 80:7 to the “God [of] hosts” and

in Psa 80:19 to the “LORD God of hosts”.

The naming of God indicates increase in the revelation of His power. This has to do with the increase in intensity of the prayer of the remnant. The prayer of the remnant can be summed up with the words “cause Your face to shine” (Psa 80:3). The answer to this prayer is found in Psalm 81.

We can divide the psalm as follows:

1. In their prayer, the remnant compares themselves to powerless sheep who need to be delivered by the shepherd (Psa 80:1b-2).

2. They see themselves as a people whose prayer does not come to God because of His anger (Psa 80:4-6).

3. They also see themselves as a vineyard trampled by a boar (the king of the North) from the forest and which is burned by fire (Psa 80:8-16).

4. Therefore, their only hope is in the Man of God’s right hand, which speaks of His power (Psa 80:17-18). He, Who said “all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18), alone is able to deliver (cf. Rev 5:1-10).

Prayer for Salvation

For “for the choir director” (Psa 80:1a) see at Psalm 4:1.

For “[set to] El Shoshannim“ see at Psalm 45:1 and Psalm 60:1. In Psalm 60 “Shushan”, “lily”, is in the singular (Psa 60:1).

“Eduth” means “a testimony” in the sense of a revelation that someone gives or what someone passes on about what he has experienced. It is a different word than the word “Eduth”, “testimony”, found in the heading of Psalm 60.

For “a Psalm of Asaph” see at Psalm 50:1.

In Asaph, the faithful remnant addresses the “Shepherd of Israel” (Psa 80:1b). In the past, the LORD as Shepherd led His people out of Egypt through Moses and Aaron (Psa 77:20). Israel is the flock that has been pastured by God Himself (Psa 79:13). Prophetically this will be fulfilled when the LORD Himself will be Shepherd over Israel to pasture them (Eze 34:23). Israel here stands for both the two tribes realm and the ten tribes realm (Eze 37:15-28).

The name “Shepherd” as a name of God first appears in Jacob’s blessing of Joseph (Gen 49:24). Joseph, representing the ten tribes realm, is strongly emphasized. The two tribes realm and the ten tribes realm are now united (cf. Eze 37:15-16; Rev 7:4-8). The remnant comes from the two tribes and from the ten tribes. This one remnant in the end time is all Israel that is saved (Rom 11:26).

They ask God to “give ear” to their distress, for they have the impression that He has turned His ear away from them. They say to Him in the second line of Psa 80:1b that He “leads Joseph like a flock”. Joseph, the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, here represents the whole people. This is evident from the parallel with the first line of Psa 80:1b where it speaks of Israel. The remnant from both the two and the ten tribes realm see themselves as sheep who were led by Him out of Egypt at that time. But they are in need and lack the protection of the Shepherd. An appeal to God as Shepherd can only be made by a sheep of His flock.

He is “enthroned [above, or between] the cherubim”. In the past, the meeting place with God was between the two cherubim on the mercy seat (Exo 25:22). He had to leave that place because of the unfaithfulness of His people (Eze 9:3 ; Eze 10:4 ; 18 ; 19 ; Eze 11:23). The remnant understands this. The LORD, however, is still enthroned on the cherubim in heaven.

The remnant, through the psalmist, now asks the LORD to return to the earth (cf. Eze 43:1-5). His appearance means at the same time the redemption for His people (Psa 80:2-3).

The remnant asks Him to “shine forth”, that is, to appear openly as Ruler in the now reigning darkness. His appearance dispels the darkness. The cry “shine forth!” concerns the appearance of the LORD on earth to judge and redeem (cf. Psa 50:2 ; Psa 94:1).

He Who rules the world dwells in the midst of His people between the cherubim on the ark (Exo 25:22; 1Chr 28:18; Eze 10:1), which in Psa 80:2 is called “Your power”. The remnant calls upon God to stir up His power (cf. Num 10:35-36; Psa 35:23), that is, to rise up and act against the enemies to deliver them from their grasp.

Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh are in the camp in the wilderness under the same standard, the standard of Ephraim, on the west side of the tabernacle (Num 2:17-24). They are the tribes that set out during the journey through the wilderness and set up their camp immediately after the setting out and setting up of the ark (Num 10:21-24). They, along with the Kohathites, live with the ark, or God’s power, directly before their eyes.

In them we also see the whole people represented: Ephraim represents the northern kingdom, Benjamin the southern kingdom. Part of Manasseh lives at the other side of the Jordan. He represents the two and a half tribes. The three names are the names of Rachel’s descendants who are restored to the land (cf. Jer 31:15).

Their request, that is from the ten tribes, to God is to restore them by bringing them back to their land (Psa 80:3). They are now outside the land as a result of their unfaithfulness. With their question they acknowledge that there is no right and no power in them to return to the land with its blessings. At the same time their question implies that God in His grace can do it and also has the power to do it. It expresses confidence in the grace and power of God.

With the question “cause Your face to shine” they ask if God wants to be present in their midst again. If He is with them, then they “will be saved”. They connect in faith His presence in their midst with the deliverance of their enemies. If He is present, the enemies will flee or be defeated.

The Hebrew expression “cause Your face to shine” means that the kind, gracious face smiles, in contrast to the face that is dark, gloomy, or angry. No doubt the psalmist was thinking of the priestly blessing from Numbers 6 (Num 6:24-26; cf. Psa 31:16 ; Psa 67:1b).

We know from John 1 that God can only give His grace because grace and truth have been realized through Jesus Christ. Out of His fullness we, both Christians and the remnant of Israel in the future, receive grace upon grace (Jn 1:16-17).