Psalm 80

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.
3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
4 O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?
5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.
6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
9 Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.
11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.
12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?
13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.
14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;
15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.
16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.
18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
19 Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Key Verse:
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

Key Observation:
A prayer from Israel for the protection of Israel. Verse 3, 7 and 19 are repeated.

Memory Verse:
19 Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Devotion:
This psalm, of Asaph, is prophetically written. Written during David’s reign, it foresees the devastation of Israel. Historically devastation has come to Israel during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, during the Macabbee’s period, and during the yet to come Tribulation Period. I believe there will be many Jews sometime soon who are using this psalm to comfort themselves as they wait upon God to deliver them.

We know that the two prophets and the 144,000 are testimonies of God during these dark seven years. Could it be that these and those they speak to, will be convinced of the coming deliverance of the Lord? I think it quite possible.

Israel is spoken of here as a “vine”. Compare John 15, where Jesus likens himself to a vine. Also compare Romans 11, where Israel and Christians are said to be an olive tree.

At any rate, the application of this psalm is surely that though we are faithless, yet He remains faithful. How great and wondrous are His ways!

1. What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
o Refrain:
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
2. Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
3. What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.