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Psalm 80-85
We are in the Wisdom Stream reading from the New King James Version this week.
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Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis
Thank you God for your great faithfulness. You truly are our heavenly Father. Your desire is for us to walk with you and for you to hear our grateful response to your love. You are the God we Love. Amen
80 – This Psalms comes on the heels of a great disaster that was spelled out painfully in Psalm 79. It seems to give comment to a time when Israel as a nation (before being a kingdom divided) is attempting to recover. The mood has a concession tone similar to, “God, you’re right, we were wrong, we got punished, we deserved it, we are down, you’ve been angry with us, we are now wondering how long you are going to be ‘cross’ with us. We wish to be restored, please. The shame of seeing your land and your people smashed is horrible to us too. Revive us again so that we may call upon your Name. We wish to worship in your presence and be saved.
81 – God has been so true and supportive of His people. His sustenance and protection have been unfailing, He made the rules clear as the noonday sun – no idols and no foreign gods… and yet they wouldn’t listen. They could have blessed God with their obedience and He would have satisfied them with the richest. But their hands were placed over their ears instead of raised in surrender to God who loved them.
82 – is another Psalm about Israel’s wayward nature. The focus here is pointed to unjust judges who are derelict in their duty. The show partiality and favor the wicked for pay offs no doubt. They neglect the needy and oppressed. Injustice seems to be upsetting the foundations of everything. The writer; Asaph, who was David’s worship director, is calling on God to come and judge the earth since the people are failing at it so badly.
83 – Asaph is calling out again and rousing God to action. The enemies at the border [in all directions] are conspiring to remove Israel from the earth, off the map and out of memory. They are calling on God to act fast and decisively. Even Assyria has joined in the march to assist the perverted people of the earth to band together and destroy Israel. The litany of Asaph saying, “God you did it before, do to these people like you did to all the others that you knocked flat. Asaph wants to see them get what we might call a good old medieval country whooping … and make it apocalyptic in nature while you’re at it God!
84 – the prior Psalm ends with a pressing urge to know God And it morphs beautifully into 84 one of the warmest devotional stretches of Scripture there is. The craving is to be with God in His House. All the punishment of the prior Psalms, the running from enemies, and battles. Holy Moly, can we just get some blessed peace and come into the sanctuary and spend time reveling in the joy of God? This Psalm reads like a passionate love note of two who cannot wait to be together again. It’s really all God wants from us… a heart longing to be with Him.
85 – This is a prayer that favor be restored to Israel, the children of Jacob who were brought back from captivity. They are thankful, a trifle bewildered, in need of sustaining mercy, and surprisingly they are aware of their need for mercy. This Psalm rings of faith, new resolve and willingness to listen and follow God’s prompting. They really want to hear Him now. They believe good days are coming.
