And Make Your Face Shine Upon Us

How often have you heard this quoted as a benediction? I attended a church once where the Pastor closed every Sunday service with these words: May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you." They were comforting words. Here in Psalm 80 we read these words - only they were like a prayer or petition from the Hebrew people for God's sustaining protection in a time of war and turbulence.

Psalms 80 and 81 are also a sort of "history" lesson for us. It takes us back on our journey with the children of Israel as they were brought out of the wilderness and into the land flowing with milk and honey. But they strayed from God, worshiped other idols, and God was angry with them. He allowed them to be taken captive by Babylon and Assyria. A few of the people cried out to God, repented and pleaded with God for mercy. And eventually they were allowed back into their homeland. Three times the phrase is used in this psalm - restore us O God; make your face shine upon us that we may be saved. How often have we strayed from God with unbelief, doubt, fears or sin and uttered this same cry? And yet, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. What a merciful God. He is always there, listening for our cry for Him to come and restore us and save us.

Psalm 82 This psalm is called an "Oracle" psalm where a decree of God is presented. These are often divine judgements and the psalm concludes with a prayer for God to carry out His decree, (quoted from the Holman Bible Dictionary), i.e., Arise, O God, judge the earth; for to thee belong all the nations! It's hard for me to let go and be quiet and let God be the judge when I want to cry out against something that has happened in my life that I think is unfair or someone that I think that needs to be corrected. What about you?

Psalm 83 This psalm is to me like a cry for help. Again, Israel is attacked by foreign countries and nearby neighbors. This psalm remembers the victories of Gideon, Deborah and Barak in Judges that we've studied. Should we not also remember the "victories" that God has given us? Victories over strongholds in our own everyday lives (anger, jealousy, food, worry, bad habits - to name a few)? Always remember what God has brought you through. The sense of present afflictions should not do away with the remembrance of former mercies - Matthew Henry

Psalm 84 (We have another beautiful song here, Jaybrena - an old one at that and kinda "high class" but still beautiful.) How lovely is thy dwelling place O Lord of hosts! Another song of Zion (do I have them all?) It seems like this psalm almost expresses envy for the birds and servants who live in the temple. A day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I love that phrase. It makes me think of Oak Hill church. I love Oak Hill. What a blessed day when we joined this congregation. And I love doing this blog with you dear ladies. I realize, of course, this has a broader and grander meaning, but it is nice to "break it down" to everyday size. My readings said that this psalm was also probably used as a processional hymn for the singers as they walked along the path to the temple. I like processionals. I like to picture that.

Psalm 85 Evidently the people faced some problem, (though it looks as if they had already been brought back from captivity). Maybe it was a poor crop, a drought, or some spreading illness among the people. Whatever it was, they were aware that God had helped them in the past and were asking for His favor and blessings again. This psalm is an optimistic prayer - they are sure of God's help again and of his unfailing love. Do we remember that as well?

And here's the best verse to me - verse 6: Will you not revive us again so Your people can rejoice in You? (OK, you knew I'd hang on to this one!) What a beautiful word "revive." Just picture it - in fact, I dare say that Oak Hill is experiencing this now. A revival, a new beginning, a fresh start, a new vision, an excitement for the Lord, a new Pastor, new programs and classes, new people. How refreshing and exciting. That's what we need to do - rejoice in Him, who loves us with an everlasting love, has forgiven all our sins, and as far as the east is from the west, has removed them from us. Praise our loving Father! As the song says,

Revive us again; fill each heart with Thy love,

May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Hallelujah! Amen,

Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Revive us again.