Asaph, the writer of this psalm, seemed to believe that the Lord God of hosts was angry with Israel and had abandoned them, just as they had abandoned Him. His appeal to the Lord three times was, “Turn us again, O God, and cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.” Those words are almost like a chorus to a hymn or a repeated refrain, giving importance to the words sung or said.
“Turn us…” indicates our need for divine intervention in our lives. There is a natural tendency to continue on our own course. We find it challenging to have the courage to stop and turn around ourselves because we have become used to a particular lifestyle, and others around us would be affected if we made drastic changes. Avoiding embarrassment and shame is impossible if we have been going the wrong way, particularly if we know it is wrong. “Cause Thy face to shine…” is a request to the Lord to look upon us with grace and restore the peace we have lost due to our foolish ways. God’s grace in saving us is not an excuse for ignoring His word and counsel, which guide us in living for Him.
“The Shepherd of Israel” (only used here in Scripture) is a term used by the psalmist to confess the helplessness of the Lord’s people in facing up to and doing something about their departure from God. The appeal to the Shepherd and the plight of the sheep indicate the writer knew no one else could help them. He was praying that the Lord would take action on behalf of His people and deliver them quickly. “How long…” gave a sense of urgency to the request. Essentially, he was saying, “How long will you hold back from helping us?” Departure from God on the part of any of us has consequences that can’t be ignored. Troubles are a part of life, but when we bring them on ourselves, we invite chastisement because we are loved, and our behavior needs correction.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Shepherd of Israel. He led them out of Egypt through the wilderness. He is the Captain of the host of the Lord who spoke to Joshua before Israel took the city of Jericho. He gave His disciples seven different titles of Himself in the Gospel of John. He is the Father of Eternity and the Lamb of God. He is the Perfect Servant of Jehovah and King of kings. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the “Fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Asaph understood that he was dealing with the universe's Sovereign when he wrote this psalm. We should never forget that the One we call Lord and Savior is the One who has “all power in heaven and on earth.”
In the circumstances in which Israel was found when Asaph wrote Psalm 80, as far as he was concerned, all they had to eat was tears for bread, and all they had to drink was their tears. Their troubles were as much a part of their life as food and drink. Their tears of suffering were all they could think about. No wonder the Lord Jesus wept for the city of Jerusalem when he looked ahead into the future of His chosen people. They had brought their suffering on themselves. They didn’t appreciate the time of their visitation. They had rejected the “Shepherd of Israel” when He came unto His own, and they would not receive Him despite all the evidence they had seen when our Lord was here.
It is the height of foolishness for us to think we can get along without God. “In Him, we live and move and have our being.” Every breath we draw, every morsel of food we eat, and every step we take would be impossible if it were not for divine activity ongoing on our behalf. Our lives and our times are in His hands. Israel wanted the Lord’s face to shine on them, and it will again when they see Him in His glory. How wonderful it is when we experience His face shining on us with His needed grace every day, showered on us, and have peace amidst the turmoil that we can enjoy as those who know and love our blessed Lord Jesus.
Israel was brought out of slavery in Egypt like a vine to be planted in a good place. The relationship between Israel and the Lord God was like that of a vine and its vinedresser. The intention was to bring fruitfulness and blessing to others as well as to themselves. The nation was planted in the land God promised. For six hundred years, they lived there, and God did not allow them to be destroyed by their enemies, even when they turned away from Him. Time after time, He allowed events to unfold that brought them, to a measure, back to Him. But, again and again, they deliberately turned to idolatry and wickedness. So, then the hedge about them was removed, and the vine was ruined by all those who passed by, and will be until the One at God’s right hand arises and sits on David’s throne.
The appeal to the Vinedresser was to “Return; we beseech Thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine…” The prayer for revival and restoration was genuine when Asaph wrote this; it remains the prayer of Israel. Israel is still a fruitless vine, but their relationship to the Vinedresser remains, and someday, He will respond to the appeal to “Come and bless us.” A vow of commitment entails loyalty to the Lord and a commitment to trust Him alone. It is never to be taken lightly.
The prayers in the Psalms are expressions of praise to God and expressions of thanksgiving by individuals or groups of people. The requests and sorrows expressed are also by groups and individuals. Sometimes, these expressions are a reflection of anger, joy, faith, or testimony. It seems that these are included in the book of Psalms to meet the needs of God’s people throughout the generations of believers, until they are brought right to us as individuals or groups, and are so suitable to us that we can only praise God for making them available.