Psalm 80: The Restoration Plan

Clearly, David never experienced the extreme threats and devastationdescribed in Book 3 of the Psalms. Foreign enemies seem to beattacking Israel with relentless force throughout these psalms. AsAsaph describes in poetic form the dangers Israel faced, he draws ourattention to seven psalms in particular, Psalms 77-83. We might callthese psalms Asaph’s pyramid, because they can be constructed in theshape of a triangle, with Psalm 80 at the pinnacle.

In Psalm 79, Asaph reviews the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in586 BC. Today’s passage, Psalm 80, describes the Assyrian invasion ofSamaria in 722 BC. As the Jews pondered the threats to the land andtheir existence, Asaph’s readers would need to review the promisemade to Abram, an irrevocable promise, as described in Genesis 15.There is a lesson for us to be applied here. It is this: when we lackexplanations from God, we continue to trust in the promises made byGod. As 2 Corinthians 1:20 reminds us, For all the promises of God findtheir Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen toGod for his glory.

When Seeking God’s Intervention In Threatening Times, Note…
– The Guidance That God Has Provided. (1-3)
– The Question That God Has Prompted. (4-7)
– The Preparations That God Has Made. (8-11)
– The Urgency That God Has Observed. (12-15)
– The Deliverance That God Has Promised. (16-19)