Like Vines

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by elizabethaudet

by elizabethaudet

Psalm 80:1-19

Welcome to Psalm 80, which is another Communal LAMENT! Again, we meet Asaph presenting what is called a "testimony of Asaph" set to the tune of "The Lilies". Here we find two relationships to Jesus used in metaphors. The first is the "Good Shepherd" and the second is the "True Vine". These same themes never ended with the Old Testament but continued into the New Testament. They are still in effect today for the born-again believer because Christ died for our sins and transformed us to His Sheep and His Vines. (John 10:15-16; Psalm 73:25-26, 28; remember 74:12; 78:35; note 78:70-72 David went from shepherding a flock of sheep to the shepherd of God's sheepfold!)

This information is all necessary for us to understand Psalm 80:1-3-(TLB)-"O SHEPHERD OF ISRAEL WHO LEADS ISRAEL LIKE A FLOCK; O GOD ENTHRONED ABOVE THE GUARDIAN ANGELS, Bend down Your ear and listen as I plead. Display Your Power and Radiant Glory." (The word Shepherd brings us back to Psalm 23; John 10:1-29); His enthronement takes us to Exodus 25:22 where God speaks from above the mercy seat. The Cherubim symbolize the Throne of God. For the God who is "Power and Glory" read Deuteronomy 31:30-32:1-4 and see how it affected Moses. The Radiance was so great we read in Exodus 34:29-35 that Moses used a veil to cover his face because it was blinding the Israelites.)

Asaph continued with, "Let Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh see You rouse Yourself and use Your Mighty Power to rescue us." (Psalm 78:9-11). Ephraim was North, Benjamin was where Jerusalem was located, and Manasseh was partly across both sides of Jordan. Probably this was meant to include all the tribes as it covered north, east, south and west. At home in Ephraim, near the temple at Jerusalem, and over Jordan both ways rescue them all by Your mighty power..

"Turn us again to Yourself, O God. Look down on us in Joy and Love (cause Your face to shine upon us-literally) "Only then shall we be saved." (Numbers 6:25-26-"The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.")

Asaph went on with his LAMENT in Psalm 80:4-7-(CEB)-"Lord God of heavenly forces, how long will You fume against Your people's prayer?" Asaph was not only telling God the situation, but was putting in a quick reminder when he said, "Your People". He is laying the responsibility at God's doorstep! (Psalms 79:5; 74:1, 9-10 Remember it is God's Name that was blasphemed; Psalms 85:5; 89:46) So he reminds GOD, "You've fed them bread made of tears; (manna in the wilderness?); "You've given the tears to drink three times over!" (Had he forgotten the water from the rock in the wilderness when the people cried out with thirst? No, he remembered. Isaiah 30:20).

"You've put us to odds with our neighbors; our enemies make fun of us. Restore us, God of heavenly forces! Make Your face shine so that we can be saved." He had

just repeated verse 3 a second time! Do the same for us again! He knew God could do it but he was anxiously awaiting its occurrence. He was living on memories which with God is Important. Memories of God's power in action should never be forgotten!

In Psalm 80:8-13 he reminded God of the care He gave Israel as a Vine when He brought them out of Egypt; How He, as the Root, protected His Vine. In TEV we read:

1. "You brought a grapevine out of Egypt;" (Moses was the leader then-Isaiah 5:1, 7)

2. "You drove out the nations and planted it in their land." (Psalm 44:2; Exodus 15:17)

3. "You cleared a place for it to grow." (Psalm 78:55)

4. "Its roots went deep, and it spread out over the whole land," (Joshua 13:1-6)

5. "It covered the hills with its shade," (Exodus 19:6, 11, 18)

6. "The great cedars with its branches." (Leviticus 23:40)

The results of all this was:

1. "It extended its branches to the Mediterranean Sea;" (1 Kings 5:8-9)

2. "And as far as the Euphrates River." (Deuteronomy 1:7)

But there was a dramatic change in the land, so Asaph asked the questions:

1. "Why did You break down the fence around it?" (Isaiah 5:5)

2. "Now anyone passing by can steal its grapes;"

3. "Wild pigs trample it down,"

4. "And all wild animals eat it." (JUSTICE is his cry)

Why, Lord, are You allowing this destruction? Asaph combined his LAMENT with his trust in God's heavenly powers when he continued in the next verses.

Psalm 80:14-16-(NKJV)-"Return, we beseech You, O God of Hosts; Look down from heaven and see and visit this Vine." (Isaiah 63:15; Psalm 65:9; he calls for a merciful visit from Israel's Protector.)

" And the vineyard which Your Right Hand has planted and the branches that You made strong for Yourself." (In Hebrew, Vineyard is Rootstock! So Asaph wants God to care about the Vine branches that He had caused to grow where He had planted them; Branch in Hebrew means Sons, God's sons- Exodus 4:22; The Right Hand of God-Isaiah 49:3-5; Exodus 15:6)

"It is burned with fire, and it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance." (Psalm 39:11)

At last, Asaph draws the conclusion to his LAMENT. Psalm 80:17-19-(CEB)-"Let Your Hand be with the one on Your Right Side -with the one whom You secured as Your Own-then we will not turn away from You!"

You see, we must realize God is not completely destroying them but using a purging, pruning process! Though the Vine is cut down, burned with fire, trampled on, or the fruit picked from it, the ROOT protects the plant from destruction. Burning only covers the surface as does the cutting of the Vine, but the ROOTS are still in the ground to revive it as a new plant. No matter what happens externally, the ROOT is internal and is not affected nor destroyed. In Puerto Rico they burn whole mountain areas to allow for new growth and it returns from the roots lush and green again.

So Asaph said, "REVIVE US SO THAT WE CAN CALL ON YOUR NAME. RESTORE US, LORD GOD OF HEAVENLY FORCES!" And "MAKE YOUR FACE SHINE SO THAT WE CAN BE SAVED." There is the SHINING FACE for the third time in this chapter.

REVIVE US AGAIN, LORD AS YOUR PEOPLE! LET US BE YOUR PEOPLE AND THE BRANCHES OF YOUR VINEYARD AGAIN!!!

Next time...