(1) Overview
(BKC) In his prayer that the Lord would restore and save Israel, the psalmist lamented the awful calamity brought on them by their enemies. He described the blessing and cursing of the nation as a vine that flourished and was then destroyed. He repeated the refrain (vv. 3, 7, 19) that God should turn and save them.
(2) Repeated verses
A. 80:3 O God, restore us!
and its shoots the Euphrates River.
to the one whom you raised up for yourself!
Smile on us! Then we will be delivered!
80:7 O God, invincible warrior, restore us!
Smile on us! Then we will be delivered!
80:19 O LORD God, invincible warrior, restore us!
Smile on us! Then we will be delivered!
(NET) The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing
80:7 O God, invincible warrior, restore us!
Smile on us! Then we will be delivered!
80:19 O LORD God, invincible warrior, restore us!
Smile on us! Then we will be delivered!
(NET) The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing
B. From v.8-13, the author mentioned a vine which is a metaphor of Israel
80:8 You uprooted a vine from Egypt;
you drove out nations and transplanted it.
80:9 You cleared the ground for it;
it took root,
and filled the land.
80:10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the highest cedars by its branches.
80:11 Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea, you drove out nations and transplanted it.
80:9 You cleared the ground for it;
it took root,
and filled the land.
80:10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the highest cedars by its branches.
and its shoots the Euphrates River.
(NET) Israel expanded both to the west and to the east.
The boundary of Israel reached this far during the Solomon era.
80:16 It is burned and cut down.
They die because you are displeased with them.
80:17 May you give support to the one you have chosen, They die because you are displeased with them.
to the one whom you raised up for yourself!
80:18 Then we will not turn away from you.
Revive us and we will pray to you!
(Kel Ps) God’s strong hand should deliver them and they will serve him faithfully (17–18).
(3) Reflection: The author did not just ask God to deliver them from the present trouble, but he asked God to restore them to the previous blessing. He knew that it was not a request beyond the power of God because He is the One who sits enthroned above the winged angels (v.1). He did that previously during the Solomon era. Are you long for the time when God blessed you in the past?
Revive us and we will pray to you!
(Kel Ps) God’s strong hand should deliver them and they will serve him faithfully (17–18).
When God delivered them then they would turn back to God and pray to God. As we have seen in Psalm 79, believers owe God our lives. When God delivers us we should live for Him.
Has God delivered you in the past? Whom do you live for today?
Audrey
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