We
believe Psalm 85 was written by one of the sons of Korah after the captivity of
Israel in Babylon. It should have been no surprise to the people of Judah that
the Babylonians would invade their land, destroy their city and temple, and
take them captive. After all, they knew the terms of the covenant that you find
very clearly spelled out in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28-30. It was a “conditional”
covenant that started with an “if”.
“'If
you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will
give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of
the field shall yield their fruit.” (Leviticus 26:3-4).
First
God promised in this covenant to bless them if they obey. But He also warned
them if they disobeyed, He would punish them. “But if you do not obey Me,
and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or
if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My
commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even
appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes
and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your
enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated
by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee
when no one pursues you. 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I
will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your
power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze” (Leviticus
26:14-19).
I
feel like this is exactly what the Lord is doing to America today! Terror and
disease were the first two indications of God’s chastening hand against a
nation! Time after time, the Lord had sent His prophets to warn them, but they
would not listen (2 Chron. 36:15-21). Jeremiah had told the people that their
captivity would last seventy years and then the Lord would restore a remnant to
the land (Jer. 29). God protected the people as they made the long journey
home. He forgave their sins and gave them a new beginning, and for this they
thanked the Lord (Isa. 40:1-2). When we turn back to God, repent, and confess
our sins, He turns back to us and restores us. And we should be thankful!
Then
in verses 4-7, the psalmist asks the Lord for renewed Life. It is one thing for
the nation collectively to have a new birth of freedom, but there must also be changes
in individuals. The praise that began in verses 1-3, possibly by a choir, now
becomes a prayer from the hearts of the people. Notice that the word “us”
is used six times in this passage, for it is the people who are praying, not
the choir or worship leader. "Turn (restore) us" is the burden of
their prayer. It has well been said that a change in geography will never
overcome a flaw in character. The return of the people to the land was no
guarantee that all of them had returned to the Lord.
Not
only were they concerned that God's chastening would end in their own lives,
but they did not want it to be passed on to their children and grandchildren.
The word "revive" simply means "to live again, to be renewed in
life." Establishing the nation, rebuilding the temple, and restoring the
liturgy would not guarantee God's blessing on His people. They desperately
needed His life at work within them. While in Babylon, maybe they had heard or
read Ezekiel's message about the dry bones (Ezek. 37), and now they longed for
the wind of the Spirit to blow upon their own lives and homes. New life is not
something that we manufacture ourselves; new life can come only from the Holy
Spirit of God. God gave a special message about this to Haggai (Hag. 2:1-9),
and also to Zechariah (Zech. 4:6).
Today,
this is a prayer we should be praying for ourselves and for our nation! We
should be both thankful and prayerful!
God
bless!
