Commentary - Psalm 80:1-3

Bird's-eye view

This psalm is a corporate lament, a cry from the heart of God's people when they find themselves under His chastening hand. Asaph, the psalmist, is not writing about a random downturn in national fortunes; he is addressing a calamity that has its roots in God's own displeasure. The psalm is structured around a threefold refrain, a desperate plea for restoration that grows in intensity with each repetition: "Restore us, O God" (v. 3), "Restore us, O God of hosts" (v. 7), and finally, "Restore us, O LORD God of hosts" (v. 19). This is the prayer of a people who know they are in trouble, know who is behind the trouble, and know who alone can deliver them from it.

The first section, our text for today, is the initial invocation (vv. 1-3). It establishes the relationship between God and His people, calling upon Him by titles that recall His covenant faithfulness. He is the Shepherd, the Guide, the Enthroned King. The people are in distress, and so they call upon God to act according to His character. They are His flock, His people, and they need His salvation. The section concludes with the first instance of that great refrain, which is the central burden of the entire psalm: turn us, let Your face shine on us, and we will be saved. This is not a prayer for a change in circumstance only, but for a change in us.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 80 is one of the psalms of Asaph, and it fits squarely within the category of a community lament. The historical setting is likely a time of national distress for the northern kingdom of Israel, as indicated by the mention of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, the tribes descended from Rachel. This is a people who have known God's favor, who were planted by His own hand like a choice vine (v. 8), but are now experiencing the heat of His anger. They have been made a byword to their neighbors, and their enemies mock them (v. 6). The psalm is a model for God's people in any age when they find themselves under divine discipline. It teaches us how to pray when we are the problem.

Key Issues

Commentary

Psalm 80:1

O Shepherd of Israel, give ear, You who guide Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!

The prayer begins with a direct address to God, using titles that are rich with covenant history. He is the "Shepherd of Israel." This is not a generic title for a deity; it is a personal and relational one. It immediately calls to mind Jacob's blessing on Joseph, where he speaks of God as the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel (Gen. 49:24). God is the one who has faithfully guided His people, specifically "Joseph," which stands here for the northern tribes. He has led them "like a flock," which implies tender care, provision, and protection. The psalmist is grounding his appeal in God's past faithfulness. He is saying, "You have been our Shepherd. Be our Shepherd now."

The second title is "You who are enthroned above the cherubim." This shifts the imagery from the pastoral to the majestic. The Shepherd is also the King. This refers to the Ark of the Covenant, where the glorious presence of God was understood to dwell between the golden cherubim on the mercy seat (Ex. 25:22). This is the throne of the universe. So, the one who leads the sheep with a gentle hand is also the one who rules the cosmos with absolute sovereignty. The prayer is therefore an appeal to both God's compassion and His power. Because He is enthroned, He has the power to save. Because He is a Shepherd, He has the heart to save. The plea is for Him to "shine forth." This is a cry for a theophany, for a manifestation of His glorious presence. When God's face shines, His favor returns, darkness flees, and His people are saved.

Psalm 80:2

Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your might And come to save us!

Having addressed God by His covenant names, the psalmist now specifies for whom he is interceding. "Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh" were the three tribes that camped directly behind the Ark of the Covenant as Israel journeyed through the wilderness (Num. 2:18-24). They were the sons of Rachel, and they represent here the northern kingdom of Israel, which was in deep trouble. The prayer is that God would once again lead His people as He did during the Exodus. "Stir up Your might" is a call for God to rouse Himself from His apparent inactivity. From the people's perspective, it seems as though God is asleep or indifferent to their plight. Of course, God never slumbers or sleeps, but this is the language of desperate faith, pleading with God to intervene in a powerful and undeniable way.

The cry is simple and direct: "And come to save us!" There is no ambiguity here. The people know they cannot save themselves. Their politicians cannot save them, their military cannot save them, and their own efforts at reform cannot save them. They are in a hole so deep that only a divine rescue will suffice. This is the beginning of all true revival. It is the recognition that our salvation, whether from national judgment or personal sin, must come from outside of ourselves. It is a work of God from start to finish.

Psalm 80:3

O God, restore us And cause Your face to shine upon us, that we would be saved.

Here we have the first statement of the psalm's great refrain. This is the heart of the matter. The word for "restore" can also be translated as "turn us back." This is crucial. The prayer is not, "Lord, turn back from Your anger so that we can go on as we were." No, the prayer is, "Lord, turn us back." It is a prayer for repentance, a prayer for regeneration. The people recognize that the fundamental problem is not their external circumstances, but their internal condition. They have wandered from God, and they do not have the power in themselves to return. Only God can turn a sinner's heart. As Jeremiah would later pray, "Turn us back to You, O LORD, and we will be restored" (Lam. 5:21).

And what is the result of this divine turning? It is that God causes His face to shine upon them. This is the language of the Aaronic blessing (Num. 6:25). The shining face of God is the manifestation of His favor, His grace, His good pleasure. When God's face is turned toward His people, they live in the light of His countenance. When He turns His face away, they are left in darkness and trouble. The consequence of God restoring His people and shining His face upon them is salvation. "...that we would be saved." Salvation here is comprehensive. It is deliverance from their enemies, yes, but it is more. It is deliverance from their sin. It is the restoration of a right relationship with the living God. This is the gospel in the Old Testament. We are saved not by turning ourselves to God, but by God turning us to Himself, and then lavishing upon us the grace that shines from His glorious face.

Application

When a nation that has known the blessings of God finds itself in a world of hurt, the first order of business is not political analysis, but corporate repentance. This psalm teaches us how to pray in such a time. We must begin by appealing to God on the basis of His covenant character. He is our Shepherd and our King. He has not forgotten His promises, even when we have.

We must also be honest about our need. We need God to "stir up" His might. We are helpless without His direct intervention. Our clever strategies and five-year plans are nothing but dust and ashes. We need God to come and save us.

And most fundamentally, our prayer must be, "Restore us." We must ask God to do the work in us that we cannot do for ourselves. Repentance is a gift. He must turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. And when He does, we can be confident that His face will once again shine upon us. The favor of God is not something we earn by fixing ourselves. It is the result of Him fixing us. Our salvation, from beginning to end, is found in looking to Him, the one whose face shines with grace and glory, and crying out for Him to turn us, that we might be saved.