Psa 80:8-16 | KingComments | STEP | Asaph reminds God of His gracious action in delivering His people from Egypt. God has removes Israel from Egypt like “a vine” ( ; cf. ; ). The fruit of a vine, wine, represents joy. In Egypt, the people could not be a joy to Him. That they could only be in the land that He chose as His own. Therefore He “drove out the nations and planted it” (cf. ; ). Isaiah, singing a song about God’s people as a vineyard, puts it this way: He “removed its stones” ( ). We find here, summarized in a few verses, the long history of Israel presented in a parable. In it it is emphasized that Israel’s history is due to the actions of the LORD. He has removed. We find that in the book of Exodus. He drove out the nations. We find that in the book of Joshua. God did not plant the vine, His people, just anywhere, but on ground “cleared before it” ( ; ). He prepared a place for it. God always does that. Before He placed man in paradise, He prepared that place for him ( ). He prepared everything well. Because the Lord Jesus wants to bring us to the Father’s house, He went first to prepare a place for us there ( ). God made every effort to plant the vine so that it would bear rich fruit (cf. ). The vine “took deep root”. As a result, it “filled the land”. Everything speaks of His care for His vine, so that He might have the full enjoyment of it. He planted Israel in a place that He prepared. He blessed Israel, causing the people to take root and fill the land. He extended its branches. This brings us to the period of the governments of David and Solomon. The growth of the vine has been His work. That growth, that is the growth of population, has been abundant. “The mountains” in the south “were covered with its shadow” ( ). That indicates a numerous population. It has also become a mighty people, like “the cedars of God with its boughs” of the Lebanon in the north (cf. ; ). The growth is also visible from west to east. “It was sending out its branches to the sea” ( ), that is the Mediterranean Sea in the west and the Red Sea in the east. The same is true of “its shoots to the River”, by which is meant the Euphrates. These are the boundaries of the territory Israel will possess in the realm of peace, according to the promise God made to the fathers ( ; ). This population growth and territory expansion were present for a short time in the days of Solomon ( ). After God has done all this for His people, the question arises among the remnant as to why He has broken down its hedges, why He has broken down the wall He has built around His vineyard ( ; cf. ). We find the reason in the previous psalm ( ; cf. ). A hedge, a wall serves to protect. God breaks down that protection. He does so by means of the Babylonians who destroy Jerusalem. The city lies broken up. “All who pass [that] way” can plunder as much as they want. “A boar” is an unclean animal ( ) and represents the nations ( ). The nations have come “from the forest”, which is their own habitation, to tear Jerusalem loose from its foundation. The wild nations have come to take possession of anything they deem of any value. Thus Jerusalem has been “eaten” and there is nothing edible, nothing of value left. Many nations have trampled on Jerusalem. Assyria is the foreshadowing of what will happen in the future. From Nebuchadnezzar on, we find in the times of the Gentiles ( ) that many nations have ruled over Jerusalem and trampled on the city. Prophetically in the future, the prophetic Assyrian, the king of the North, will do this.

‏ Psalms 80:8-16

The Vine of Israel

Asaph reminds God of His gracious action in delivering His people from Egypt. God has removes Israel from Egypt like “a vine” (Psa 80:8; cf. Hos 10:1a; Eze 19:10). The fruit of a vine, wine, represents joy. In Egypt, the people could not be a joy to Him. That they could only be in the land that He chose as His own. Therefore He “drove out the nations and planted it” (cf. Deu 7:1; Exo 23:28). Isaiah, singing a song about God’s people as a vineyard, puts it this way: He “removed its stones” (Isa 5:1-2).

We find here, summarized in a few verses, the long history of Israel presented in a parable. In it it is emphasized that Israel’s history is due to the actions of the LORD. He has removed. We find that in the book of Exodus. He drove out the nations. We find that in the book of Joshua.

God did not plant the vine, His people, just anywhere, but on ground “cleared before it” (Psa 80:9; Jer 2:21). He prepared a place for it. God always does that. Before He placed man in paradise, He prepared that place for him (Gen 2:8). He prepared everything well. Because the Lord Jesus wants to bring us to the Father’s house, He went first to prepare a place for us there (Jn 14:2-3).

God made every effort to plant the vine so that it would bear rich fruit (cf. Isa 5:2a ; Isa 57:14). The vine “took deep root”. As a result, it “filled the land”. Everything speaks of His care for His vine, so that He might have the full enjoyment of it. He planted Israel in a place that He prepared. He blessed Israel, causing the people to take root and fill the land. He extended its branches. This brings us to the period of the governments of David and Solomon.

The growth of the vine has been His work. That growth, that is the growth of population, has been abundant. “The mountains” in the south “were covered with its shadow” (Psa 80:10). That indicates a numerous population. It has also become a mighty people, like “the cedars of God with its boughs” of the Lebanon in the north (cf. Num 24:6; Psa 104:16).

The growth is also visible from west to east. “It was sending out its branches to the sea” (Psa 80:11), that is the Mediterranean Sea in the west and the Red Sea in the east. The same is true of “its shoots to the River”, by which is meant the Euphrates. These are the boundaries of the territory Israel will possess in the realm of peace, according to the promise God made to the fathers (Gen 15:18; Deu 1:7-8 ; Deu 11:24). This population growth and territory expansion were present for a short time in the days of Solomon (1Kgs 4:20 ; 24).

After God has done all this for His people, the question arises among the remnant as to why He has broken down its hedges, why He has broken down the wall He has built around His vineyard (Psa 80:12; cf. Isa 5:5). We find the reason in the previous psalm (Psa 79:8; cf. Isa 5:1-7). A hedge, a wall serves to protect. God breaks down that protection. He does so by means of the Babylonians who destroy Jerusalem. The city lies broken up. “All who pass [that] way” can plunder as much as they want.

“A boar” is an unclean animal (Lev 11:3-4 ; 7) and represents the nations (Psa 80:13). The nations have come “from the forest”, which is their own habitation, to tear Jerusalem loose from its foundation. The wild nations have come to take possession of anything they deem of any value. Thus Jerusalem has been “eaten” and there is nothing edible, nothing of value left.

Many nations have trampled on Jerusalem. Assyria is the foreshadowing of what will happen in the future. From Nebuchadnezzar on, we find in the times of the Gentiles (Lk 21:24) that many nations have ruled over Jerusalem and trampled on the city. Prophetically in the future, the prophetic Assyrian, the king of the North, will do this.

Look Down and See This Vine

The remnant now pleads with God as the “God [of] hosts” to turn again to His land (Psa 80:14). To turn again – literally “repent” in Hebrew – means that the LORD is going to restore the covenant (Jer 31:31-33). We know from the New Testament that this is going to happen on the basis of the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross (Heb 8:1-13). And by grace the people will also return to the LORD (Psa 80:18; Hos 3:5).

They cry out to God as the “God [of] hosts” because heathen hosts have destroyed Jerusalem. God is above all the hosts, not only those of Israel, but also those of the nations, as well as above all the good and bad heavenly hosts.

The remnant asks God to look down “from heaven”, where He lives, and see what is happening on earth. Let Him look down on “this vine”, that is, look with compassion on His people. For it is “the shoot which Your right hand has planted” (Psa 80:15; Exo 15:6 ; 17). It is a reminder of His original dealings with His people. In planting it He used His right hand, the hand of strength. Surely that hand is still just as strong?

“The son whom You have strengthened for Yourself” is Israel. Israel is called “son” several times (Exo 4:22; Hos 11:1). This reflects the deeper relationship of God with His people. Israel as a vine is meant to be a joy to God. He desires to find that joy in the people as His son. He wants the people to be a ‘son of His well-pleasure’.

God made Israel strong. Made strong means ‘brought up’. The psalmist appeals to God on the basis of what God has done in the past. After all, He has planted Israel as a vine; He is the owner of Israel. After all, He brought up Israel as a son. He is the Father of Israel. Is that not a reason to restore the covenant? Let Him then look down from heaven and look at Israel, His vine and His son.

This son, however, caused no joy to God. Therefore, in addition to being burned (cf. Eze 15:1-5; Jn 15:6), the vine was cut down (Psa 80:16). The remnant realizes that this situation has come about “at the rebuke of Your countenance”. God had to chastise them because of their turning back from Him and their rebellion. His presence among them required this action, for He cannot go along with their sins. This is true both of the sins of the people here and of the sins of the people’s enemy (Psa 75:8).

Israel failed as a son. The Lord Jesus has taken Israel’s place as Son (cf. Hos 11:1; Mt 2:11). He is also the true vine (Jn 15:1), that is, instead of the vine Israel, and gives the Father the joy which He sought in vain from Israel. When the relationship between the Lord Jesus and Israel is restored through the conversion of the people, God will find His joy in that people.