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Psalm 85

This psalm celebrates a wondrous event - the Babylonian Captivity is over!  God's people have returned to their own land!  The sound of children playing and of men and women working has returned to what had been silent and desolate cities and countryside!  So it's a time of celebration and thanksgiving, it's a time for saying to God, "You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.  You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have taken away all Your wrath.  You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger!"  The psalmist begins by celebrating – as well he should!

But then, suddenly, the he seems to be taking a very different tack.  In verses 4-7 he seems to be praying for the very things the Lord has already done.  He says, "Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease."  Why would he pray for that which God has already done?

I think we can understand best if we see these words as a sort of memorializing of the prayer the people had been praying while they were still in Babylon, the prayer that resulted in the wonderful release from captivity celebrated in verses 1-3.  So the psalm celebrates the mercy and salvation of the Lord, the mercy and salvation that were a direct answer to their petition.

He sums it all up by saying, "I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints."  The wrath is over, and for that reason the psalmist wants to hear God's merciful words of peace and consolation.  He wants to hear God saying that, "Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.  Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven." God's chastisement has been more than sufficient for Israel's sin, and now He has returned in mercy, and there is peace.  The result is that "truth shall spring out of the earth" - His people promise not to repeat the sins that brought on the chastisement but promise  practice righteousness.  And God has been entirely righteous in His judgment, but now He will be entirely merciful to give them peace.

These were wonderful things to hear for a nation that had returned from Babylon.  But they're good for us to hear as well. The reason is that we need very much to see that it was our Saviour's awful Cross alone that could bring relief from the wrath of God upon all of us.  I believe that it was the coming Cross that was in view here.  It must be so, because Only the Cross could be sufficient to bring peace to Israel and eternal peace to us.  It's only because of it that we can truly say with the psalmist, "You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob." Paul in fact repeats the same sentiment when he says, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins . . . at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ!"

It is in view of what Christ our Savior has done that we can truly say, "Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed!"  God's justice for our rebellion was fully exacted - but upon His Son, and God's mercy has fully come upon His people – through His Son.  For Israel while in captivity it must have seemed hopeless at times.  But dear ones, it was no less hopeless for us!  Surely we should celebrate as the psalmist did here!

the he takes a very different tack.

Is this a typo?  or is it the way you wanted?

It was intended.  Is it understndable?  I could say, "then he takes a different direction . . ."

Quote from: Al Moak on October 29, 2008, 07:28:56 PM
It was intended.  Is it understndable?  I could say, "then he takes a different direction . . ."

OK  Maybe you meant "THEN" in my example?  You only have "THE"

Just take away the extra "the."  I've fixed it in here.

But then, suddenly, the he takes a very different tack.  In verses 4-7 he seems to be praying for the very things the Lord has already done.  He says, "Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease."  Why would he pray for that which God has already done?

   "The he" sounds peculiar to me.  I'm just not understanding.

I'm not the greatest "editor"! 

See what you think now.

Looks good!