Psalm 85
It is hard to imagine that this beautiful psalm could generate controversy, but leave it to Bible scholars to do just that. As it turns out, there are two ways to view Psalm 85.
First, the “traditional” view teaches that this psalm was penned some time after the return of the exiles from Babylon. Scholars point to similarities with the circumstances described in Nehemiah 1:3 and Haggai 1:6—11; 2:15—19. Both of these books discuss what the Jewish exiles did upon returning to the ruins of Jerusalem.
The second view sees this psalm as prophetic in nature. Proponents of this view teach that this psalm looks to the future kingdom age when God gathers His people from the four corners of the earth back to Jerusalem, restoring the city of God and the temple.
My own view is that Psalm 85 looks to the past, considers the present, and prays for the future. So both views are correct, as far as they go.
In terms of genre, Psalm 85 may be considered a “national lament,” as the people recall pray for restoration, recall God’s past acts, and anticipate God’s salvation.
1. Praise, verses 1—3
You showed favor to your land, O LORD;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins.
SelahYou set aside all your wrath
and turned from your fierce anger
If we first consider the “traditional” view, then this section pictures the return of the exiles from their captivity in Babylon to Jerusalem. The “favor” spoken of was allowing the Jews to return home. However, as is pointed out by those who believe this psalm prophetic, only a small percentage of Jews actually chose to return home. It is estimated that only 60,000 exiles left the comforts of Babylon to return to the wreckage and ruin that Jerusalem had become. The “fortunes of Jacob” could hardly be said to have been restored at that time. Therefore, they say, this psalm is looking forward in time to when Christ returns to rule and reign from Jerusalem and Israel is restored to the glory God had promised.
As I indicated, I think both views are correct. Even though a small group of Jews had enough faith to trust their God and return home where they belonged, God did, in part, restore Jacob’s fortunes. God had forgiven the sins of His people that caused their exile in the first place, and subsequently He removed His wrath and anger in allowing them to go home and rebuild. The Hebrew word translated “iniquity” is awon and suggests two things: the forgiveness of sins and the removal of their consequences.
Here is a marvelous real-life illustration of how forgiveness works. God graciously and mercifully forgives the sins of repentant sinners and He takes away the guilt of those sins and removes the consequences of those sins. No longer does a pardoned sinner ever have to worry about being punished for his past transgressions.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)
However, with forgiveness comes responsibility. Just as the exiles who chose to return home had to get up and leave the homes and businesses they had built for themselves in Babylon and risk their very lives in the journey back and in the process of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, so the repentant sinner has to turn away from that which he has been forgiven and press on, not looking back at his old life, and live a life of obedience, constantly walking in forgiveness.
Looking back, how can any Christian not give praise, as the psalmist did, for their own deliverance? Since coming to Christ, is your life not better in every way? Some Christians don’t see that, and that leads me to wonder if they really left their old ways behind or not?
2. Prayer, verses 4—7
Restore us again, O God our Savior,
and put away your displeasure toward us.Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger through all generations?Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?Show us your unfailing love, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation.
From three verses of prayer, we now read four verses of prayer. Very often prayer follows praise because very often when we praise God we become so humbled we are compelled to pray.
When the psalmist thinks about the greatness of God, he is confronted with the state of the people and the problems that robbed them of enjoying God’s favor. Life has a way of doing that to believers. God blesses us, but at the same time we are subject to the ups and downs of life and that can cause us not to enjoy those blessings.
Those who view this psalm as a prophecy see this prayer as a longing to be restored as a nation, which will occur during the Millennium. Those who see it as purely historic in nature see the natural longing redeemed people have for more of the goodness of God. Both senses are at work here. Facing the rubble that once was the glorious city of God, Jerusalem, the Jews, though thankful for the opportunity to return home, long for their homes to be restored and for their faith to be restored; in a greater sense, Jews of all ages long for the Messiah to come to restore the national glory of Israel.
As Christians, we long to be with God and to experience the culmination of our salvation—
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. (2 Corinthians 5:1—3)
Verse 6, Will you not revive us again, is an adequate translation, but the emphatic pronoun, “you” makes the verse read like this:
Is it not you who can revive us again? (VanGemeren)
The psalmist is acknowledging the people’s utter dependence on God for their future, and it God alone who can change their grief to joy. Of course, it would have been nice to return home and find it sparkling and new, but true joy comes from the God, not one’s surroundings. For the believer, wouldn’t it nice if the balls always broke your way? How wonderful, we think, if life was easy. But, circumstances are what they are, and circumstances should never dictate how we feel or the level of our faith. We trust in God, not life. And only God can revive tired, worn out spirits.
3. Prospect, verses 8—13
I will listen to what God the LORD will say;
he promises peace to his people, his saints—
but let them not return to folly.Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.The LORD will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.
Verse 8 is packed with meaning. When we pray, we should wait, in submission to the Lord, for His response. Does God always respond to our prayers? Not always in the way we think. For this psalmist, he received assurance that God would speak. While God may not “speak” verbally to us, He always responds to our prayers. He gives us peace, for example. It always pays to remain quiet in God’s presence after we have spoken to Him. The prophet Habakkuk did just that in his watchtower—
I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint. (Habakkuk 2:1)
That should be our attitude. But notice to whom the Lord speaks:
I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. (verse 8, KJV)
Moffatt translates “saints” as “devout men.” The sense is clear: God will speak to those who are both devoted to Him and devoted to avoiding “folly.” “Folly,” here as elsewhere in the Old Testament, means more than just foolishness, but outright evil. Very often it refers to idolatry, which would have been stern reminder to those returning home after the exile. The exile, remember, was largely caused by Israel’s continued idolatry.
This is a lesson to Christians, who, while not known for worshiping statues or totem poles, are known for putting many other things ahead of God, which is a subtle form of idolatry.
Verses 10 and 11 portray the restoration of God’s people as being in God’s hands. This is obvious to the psalmist, as it should be obvious to us. Only God can provide the “love,” faithfulness,” “righteousness,” and “peace” necessary to accomplish His purposes. These four attributes are part of who God is. The words “love” and “faithfulness” are often used in tandem to describe God’s loyalty. As God builds His people and establishes His kingdom, His “righteousness” is manifested in and over His people. God’s abiding presence among His people guarantees “peace.”
These verses are reminiscent of the prophet Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 45:8—
You heavens above, rain down righteousness;
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation spring up,
let righteousness grow with it;
I, the LORD, have created it.
God’s kingdom will be both in heaven and on earth!
The final two verses of this psalm give the reader assurance. God restored the exiles to their land, verse 1, and in verse 11 God promises these exiles that He will provide what is good and the land (their land then and in the future) will provide what is needed for the people to prosper.
What a marvelous promise for all of God’s people. Given the state of the world today, this verse in particular is yet unfulfilled in a national sense. The Jews are not prospering and the earth is not in a utopian state. Here is something all God’s people may look forward too with eager anticipation. But may we seek a present-day application of this tremendous promise? Absolutely we may! If there is one thing this psalm teaches us it is this: Those who trust in God, who are devoted to Him, can enjoy the some of the benefits of the future kingdom of God now. We can enjoy forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, joy, God’s abiding presence and an assurance of future blessings.
As those ancient Hebrews waited patiently for their God, they experienced the firstfruits of the coming age. Sadly, continued sin got in the way. For believers, we are able, through the work of Christ on the Cross and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, to experience some of those same blessings of the kingdom to come today!
