Psalm 80

Psalm 79 is a fifth cycle of discipline psalm; Psalm 80 us a restoration psalm, a national restoration psalm. Therefore what appears to be the superscription is actually the thing that links the two together.

“To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim-Eduth, A Psalm of Asaph.” This is the first half of verse 1 in this Psalm in the Hebrew. This could well be a connecting inscription which occurs in the Word of God between two psalms to link the psalms. The Shoshannim are lilies. Eduth means testimony. So, “To the chief Musician, the testimony of the lilies.” The lily was a common flower in Palestine. So what is this saying? Before we get into the prayer for restoration by people under the fifth cycle of discipline we know the prayer will be answered. How do we know? The testimony of the lilies. It means that we know that God is faithful, that He responds to grace, and the whole 80^th psalm is a grace psalm, it is approaching God on the basis of grace. “Restore us,” not because of who and what we are but because of who and what you are. This comes out three times in three key verses which all say exactly the same thing: verse 3 – “turn us again” is literally restore us; “cause thy face to shine, that we may be delivered.” Then again in verses 7 and 19. This is the basic concept of the psalm. This is a prayer in which the believers who pray it know that it is going to be answered. So this psalm belongs to the generation of people who survived the death march of Psalm 119. The testimony of the lilies is, ‘We will again go to the land of the lilies’—Palestine.

Verse 1 – the Shepherd of Israel is the Lord Jesus Christ. “Give ear” is the hiphil imperative of the verb azan. It means to listen and obey, it does not mean just to listen. This time it is an application of doctrine, it is addressed to the Shepherd of Israel. And so they are saying in their prayer, ‘Listen to us, Lord, and obey.’ That is a strong prayer, and you have to know your ground when you pray such. The writer of this psalm is actually giving God an order. The hiphil stem is causative active voice. The imperative is an order—“Be caused to listen and answer.”

“thou that leadest Joseph like a flock” – this was the basis of Daniel’s prayer as he faced Jerusalem and prayed three times a day. “Thou that leadest Joseph is a very remarkable statement when it is remembered that Joseph no longer existed—not the literal Joseph but the northern kingdom. The northern kingdom was made up in its leadership by the tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim was the son of Joseph, along with Manasseh. The southern kingdom is called Judah because this is the leading tribe. So Ephraim is the same as Joseph, and this refers to the northern kingdom. And this prayer is being prayed when the northern kingdom was wiped out.

Verse 2 – but notice, “Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.” The first tribe mentioned in Ephraim. Ephraim and Joseph are synonymous terms, with this difference. Joseph is always used for the tribe when believers are involved. When something is addressed to the regenerate of the northern kingdom you often have Joseph. When you are talking and warning of the entire northern kingdom then you have Ephraim. These believers continued to exist when the fifth cycle of discipline came to the land. They went to the south, to the place of spiritual blessing, and therefore Joseph refers to the ten tribes of the northern kingdom. Jesus Christ is still Lord to them, and always will be. They are the regenerate remnant and this is a prophetical psalm which anticipates the fifth cycle of discipline for the southern kingdom but historically recognises the existence of the fifth cycle of discipline for the northern kingdom. Joseph is a very important word here and it indicates that God is faithful to believers no matter what disaster overtakes their country.

This prayer had to be offered three times a day. It was offered in 721 BC by those people in the northern kingdom who were taken into captivity by the Assyrians. In 586 BC we have the fall of Jerusalem and again this prayer was offered by people such as Daniel. Finally, again in 70 AD the Jews began to offer this prayer and is still prayed today, but it will be very pertinent and will be prayed in the Tribulation by born-again Jews.

The three tribes mentioned were all located in the same part of the bivouac. There were twelve tribes in Israel and they always bivouacked around the tabernacle. On the western side of the tabernacle facing the holy of holies we have Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. For that reason they are mentioned at this time because they were closest to the point between the cherubs. These three tribes also have a future significance from the time of their bivouac. For example, Ephraim and Manasseh are the double portion of Joseph. Reuben was the eldest son and he inherited three things: the rulership of the family, he operated in the time of a family priesthood so as the eldest son he inherited the priesthood, and thirdly, he would inherit all of the funds and the administration of them, simply called the double portion. Reuben lost all three. He lost the rulership to the tribe of Judah, he lost the priesthood to Levi, and he lost the double portion to Joseph. Joseph’s double portion is made up of Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim and Manasseh are the double portion, the Joseph tribe, and they were always jealous. Ephraim was the most extensive tribe from the population and was located in the northern part of the land. They were a very jealous tribe and were jealous of Judah located in the south. This jealousy led eventually to a split when Solomon’s son failed to measure up and there was a revolt led by Ephraim. That is why Ephraim is often called the northern kingdom. Judah and Benjamin were tribes who lived in the south. Benjamin was the great warrior tribe. In the bivouac the brothers Ephraim and Manasseh were split, and who was better qualified to keep them apart than Benjamin? Benjamin was in the centre. Benjamin also means “son of my right hand,” and it was Benjamin who was actually opposite the cherubs in the tabernacle which speak of propitiation.

Why in a Tribulational prayer, a prayer in the fifth cycle of discipline, would there be a phrase such as we have here? “Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength. . .” The Hebrew verb aur means to get tough, and it is a piel imperative here, an order. The piel is intensive, so it means to really get tough. Why mention only the west side of the bivouac? What is the spiritual significance? All three represent a principle of strength. Ephraim was the most numerous tribe, the largest population. So the emphasis on Ephraim is numbers, the concept of numbers strength. Benjamin represents the military strength, and the importance of military force. Manasseh represents the other great factor in the stability of a nation—for being nothing! Manasseh is famous for its weakness, its helplessness. In other words, Manasseh was no good. This represents the whole principle of grace. Ephraim: the ingredients for a stabilised population which the Jews did not have under the fifth cycle of discipline. So we have economic prosperity in numbers, the idea of increasing the population and thus increasing the free enterprise concept—national vigour. Benjamin—the concept of national defence. Manasseh: the concept that we are weak, helpless, hopeless, and yet God in His grace can take the hopeless individuals, bring them into His plan and through doctrine convert them into the salt of the earth, the thing that preserves a national entity.

We have here a prayer which involves these principles and they are mentioned by way of tribes: stir up the strength of these tribes. This means the whole concept of a vigorous economy, a strong military entity to preserve freedoms, and above all and most important, Bible doctrine in the soul of the believer resulting in that stability that leads to the salt of the earth concept. So this prayer is prayed by Jews in maximum discipline conditions. They pray for three things by mentioning Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. And all of this has to have a starting point: “Stir up thy strength.”

There is one change to this in the Tribulation. This is going to be prayed in the Tribulation, and especially in the last half. In the first half of the Tribulation we have Ephraim. The Jews are going to have in the first half of the Tribulation great prosperity. This will be a preliminary to the end of the 5^th cycle of discipline. Then, in the second half of the Tribulation, the order of the day is going to be Benjamin, the warrior. There will be resistance in Jerusalem—Zecharaiah 12 & 14. Then there will be the second advent of Jesus Christ. When He returns the whole principle of Benjamin will be fulfilled, the military strength of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will destroy them with the Word of His mouth—Revelation 19. Then comes the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ when there will be the Manasseh concept, for the Jews will be back in the land—but only the saved Jews. This will be the termination of the fifth cycle of discipline.

“come” – this is a petition for the return of Christ, the second advent; “save us” – this means ‘deliver us.’ It is a reference to the Jews in Jerusalem, according to Zechariah 14:1-9.

So verse 2 jumps over to the Tribulation. Verse 1 is more general and covers God’s dealing with the regenerate of Israel, as well as any born-again person in any period of history. But the two verses together form the beginning of the prayer for the fifth cycle of discipline.

In a very real way, since this is not the Jewish age, the prayer can be prayed today but the real significance of this prayer comes when the Jewish age resumes. Then Psalm 80 will be prayed by born-again Jews. So we have to notice the actual interpretation. Since Jews in the Church Age are no longer Jews when they believe in Christ, just as Gentiles are no longer Gentiles, it really isn’t a prayer that is prayed today. It is a prayer we can appreciate, it is a prayer which presents principles of application to us, but by its interpretation it belongs to 721 BC and following, 586 BC-516, and it belongs to the Tribulation. So this is the format for a Tribulational prayer even as it has been an historical prayer.

Verse 3 is the first refrain. This is the chorus. “Turn us again” – the hiphil imperative of the verb shub. To turn isn’t the general sage of shub. It means to restore. It means to restore under two conditions: a) personal; b) national. It is used as a rebound word. It isn’t the mechanics to confess but it has the concept. This is a prayer for restoration based upon the individual’s use of rebound. In other words, a person who has rebounded can pray. “Cause to restore” is the literal translation here. Basically, this is a prayer for the Second Advent.

“cause they face to shine” – this is an idiom. It refers to economic prosperity in a national entity. This is a prayer which will also be involved in the restoration. Between 516 and 323 BC the Jews had great prosperity. There can never be economic prosperity in Israel without spiritual prosperity preceding it. All the principles of economic prosperity are bound up in Bible doctrine.

“and” is literally that; “we might receive deliverance” – physical deliverance, the deliverance which comes with the termination of the 5^th cycle of discipline. This is a niphal [passive voice] imperfect. This means they cannot earn it or deserve it, or doing anything about it, and it refers again to the Second Advent. The Jews will receive deliverance.

1 Kings 8:33, 34—“When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy.” Here is the 5^th cycle of discipline from a little different viewpoint. We know from Hosea 4:1-6 that a nation is smitten down because of rejection of Bible doctrine, and specifically this happened to Israel. “ … and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name [rebound, confess to the name of the Lord], and pray [the ability to pray follows rebound], and make supplication [specific prayers for specific needs]unto thee in this house [the house of God]: then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.” Here is the principle of being out under the 5^th cycle of discipline, offering prayer toward the house of God which no longer exists.

Verses 35, 36—“ When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place [the temple, where the Word is supposed to be constructed, even if it is destroyed.], and confess thy name [rebound], and turn from their sin [ignorance of doctrine and idolatry], when thou afflictest them: Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them [they have to know it before they can do it] the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land [economic prosperity as a result of doctrine], which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.”

Verse 46-49 – “If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy [5^th cycle of discipline], so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; but return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause.”

This is the very principle by which Daniel had to pray at noon every day. He knelt down facing Jerusalem and prayed three times every day for as long as seventy years, obeying the commands of 1 Kings 8. Daniel offered the national rebound prayer, as well as a personal rebound prayer. This has to do with the Jewish failure, with the reason why the Jews went into captivity—rejection of Bible doctrine. Therefore the salt lost its savour, and when it did the enemy came in and took the Jews captive into other lands.

Psalm 55:17—“ Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” This is the verse that Daniel used every day of his life in the Chaldean captivity. Three times a day he had a specific rebound prayer.

Daniel 6:10—“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” He fulfilled exactly the principle of Psalm 55:17, he fulfilled the doctrine and the concept given in 1 Kings 8, and the actual content of his prayer is recorded in Psalm 80. This is the prayer that put him in the lion’s den. The reason that he was thrown into the lion’s den is because he was faithful to the Word. He had to make a choice, and he chose faithfulness to the Word of God and was delivered from the lion’s den. Psalm 80 records in more detail the content of Daniel’s prayer. This is not to say that Daniel wrote Psalm 80, this is simply to say that the actual details of the prayer and the principles behind it are recorded in more detail in Psalm 80.

Psalm 80:4 – this is actually a principle here and not the actual prayer content. (In verses 5-8 we have the reason for this restoration prayer.) God is angry. This is an anthropopathism expressing an attitude, God’s attitude toward His people for their ignorance and rejection of Bible doctrine which led to the 5^th cycle of discipline.

“O Lord God of hosts” is addressed to God the Father; “how long wilt thou be angry” – a reference to the discipline of the 5^th cycle; “against the prayer of thy people” – in other words, they were to pray this prayer knowing that there would be a break-through, but knowing that they were praying it in the midst of divine anger.

Why pray in the face of the anger of God? A believer oriented to the grace of God, a believer who understands the principle of propitiation, will never fail to orient to this concept. Daniel would get down on his knees three times a day and face an angry God. Why? Because he knew doctrine. This means to us that if we are going to be effective in prayer we must know what we are doing. We must be oriented to the grace of God and to the plan of God. Three times a day Daniel had a meeting with the wrath of God, but coming through that wrath was propitiation. Not only Daniel but the remnant understood God’s grace.

Daniel prayed this prayer every day but there was no answer to it, for the prayer was to restore the people to the land. He knew that they were being fed with the bread of tears but that behind the wrath of God was the love of God. When wrath and love get together the answer is grace, and what was happening to the captives was “all things working together for good.” Daniel kept on praying that prayer because he was commanded to do so, and not only that, he understood what he was doing. He was devoting a portion of his life each day to the faith-rest concept. He knew doctrine.

Verse 5 – notice the word feed and the word drink. The “bread of tears” was sorrow, suffering, pressure, disaster. The feeding of this suffering was daily.

“and givest them tears to drink in great measure” – it hurt so badly they wept day in and day out.

Verse 6 – this is what happens under the 5^th cycle of discipline. “ …a strife unto our neighbours” simply means the people are all against them. Neighbours are people with whom you have contact. “… enemies laugh among themselves” – many times Daniel was laughed at. The devil uses laughter sometimes in the same we he uses the bread of tears. Sometimes we stand up against the bread of tears but when we are laughed at it influences us. People who are fortified with the Word and can resist the tremendous pressures of the bread of tears fall down flat when someone laughs at them. But the ability to be able to work through the laughter and the pressure belongs to a man like Daniel; it belongs to a grace believer, and it should belong to you. Some people can never pass the laughter test, they can’t stand ridicule.

Verse 7 – “Turn us again” means restore us again, the hiphil imperative of the verb shub. This is prayer with confidence. When you find a prayer in the imperative mood it means the person knows what he is doing—knowing Bible doctrine. The hiphil stem is causative active voice: God must cause it; it must come from Him. There is the orientation to grace; “cause thy face to shine” – an idiom for blessing, “that we may be delivered.” The face shining means light coming from God. It means it has to be the work of God. Verse 7 is the second chorus.

Verse 8 – “Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt.” This is an expression of the faithfulness of God. The vine refers to the children of Israel, and this vine is first expressed in Isaiah 5:1-7. Israel is also called a vine in Hosea 10:1, and we have a repetition of the concept in Matthew 21:33. The vine is a picture of Israel in the sense of its responsibility in Old Testament times. When God called out the nation Israel He did so because He had now destroyed the first “united nations” building, the tower of Babylon, and with this God instituted divine institution #4 in order to be sure that never again would one person or one government control the entire world, and therefore protected every generation of the human race. If internationalism were allowed to reach its logical conclusion, world dictatorship, then the freedoms that we enjoy would be removed from us with the result that eventually the human race would destroy itself. But as an extension of the angelic conflict and as a result of that and allowing each generation to be evangelised we have the world divided into national entities, with Israel responsible for reaching the nations of the world. Israel was made custodians of the Word of God and they were responsible for missionary activity and the dissemination of the Word throughout the world wherever positive volition existed. In this Israel failed. But Israel is called a vine in this connection because the vine produces the grape and the grape produces the wine, and the whole concept of the production of divine good is brought out through the vine. So the vine, then, becomes a picture of Israel, emphasising their responsibility—the responsibility in which they failed and eventually went out under the 5^th cycle of discipline.

God was faithful to the Jews even though they failed Him. In the generation of the Exodus the Jews had everything going for them. They had a miraculous deliverance from bondage in Egypt. They had the ten great plagues which demonstrated the faithfulness of God, and how He would care for them in the days to come. They immediately had a test at the Red Sea which they miserably failed. Then they went out to a place where there was no water, Meribah, and again they failed. Then they came to the place where there was the wrong kind of water, and again they failed. God is faithful and regardless of how we fail Him He is always faithful to us.

Verse 9 – “Thou preparest room before it.” Room has to do with the land; it has to do with the vine which has been brought out of Egypt.

“and didst cause it to take deep roots, and it filled the land.” Planting the vine in the land, driving out the Canaanites, and establishing them. Not only did He establish them in the land but at the same time He gave them prosperity.

Verse 10 – the hills covered with the shadow is simply an idiom which means prosperity. Shadow or shade is always used for prosperity, as in Psalm One. The tree that grew by the rivers would cast shade.

“and the boughs thereof are like goodly cedars” – the establishing of a tree is used to indicate the stability and the prosperity of the nation. The nation had prosperity many times during its 400 years before the first administration of the 5^th cycle of discipline. This prosperity was based upon orientation to the plan of God, orientation to the grace of God based on knowledge of doctrine.

Verse 11 – “She sent out her boughs” is the tree or the vine; “unto the sea” – the Mediterranean; “and her branches to the river” – the Jews occupied everything from the Jordan river and the Mediterranean sea.

Verse 12 – the administration of the 5^th cycle of discipline as it finally came to them. “Why hast thou broken down her hedge” – the hedge broken refers to the 5^th cycle of discipline. It was broken several times in history as will be mentioned in the next verse. The reason is given in Hosea 4:1-6—lack of doctrine. Failure to learn Bible doctrine was the reason why her hedge was broken down.

“so that all they who pass by do pluck at her?” In other words, all of those armies of the past who went through and destroyed her: Assyria, Chaldea and Rome.

Verse 13 – a description. The boar represents Assyria who administrered the 5^th cycle to the northern kingdom; “doth waste it” – reference to the 5^th cycle.

“the wild beats of the field doeth devour it” – refers first of all to Chaldea, and secondly to Rome. Daniel recognises historically the two administrations of the 5^th cycle of discipline in his day. As far as Daniel is concerned, from 721 BC to the Second Advent is the 5^th cycle for the northern kingdom, and the boar is used to describe Assyria who administered it. Then in 586-516 BC the wild beast is Chaldea who brought the Jews of the southern kingdom under the 5^th cycle of discipline, and Daniel is offering his prayer in that bracket.

Verse 14 -- there is also a future aspect. Daniel not only prays for the end of the 5^th cycle of discipline within his century but he also prays for the future. The 5^th cycle of discipline will be terminated at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

“Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts” – the word to return here is a prayer for the Second Advent of Christ which actually terminates two administrations of the 5^th cycle of discipline. In 721 BC the northern kingdom went out under the 5^th cycle. It will be terminated at the Second Advent. In 70 AD for the last time the southern kingdom went out and its discipline, too, will be terminated at the Second Advent. At the Second Advent there will be the regathering of Israel and the termination of the 5^th cycle of discipline. Only believers are involved. “Return” is in the qal imperative.

“and visit this vine” – the vine is Israel now under the 5^th cycle.

Verse 15 – a petition for the restoration of Israel which accompanies this. “And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted” – the right hand is the Lord Jesus Christ.

“and the branch” – refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a title for Christ at the Second Advent, it is s title for Christ in the restoration of Israel. Jesus Christ is both the founder of Israel (the root) and He is also the branch. At the present time Israel is regarded as a stump under the 5^th cycle, but all of this will be terminated at the 2^nd Advent and the Branch, Jesus Christ, will return.

Verse 16 – Israel under the 5^th cycle. This is a picture of the Jews suffering under the 5^th cycle. Burning with fire has to do with the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the temple.

“they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance” – once of the most awful sieges recorded in history was the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. This gives a good idea of what it is to be cut down.

Verse 17 – the desire of the Tribulational believers expressed; “the man of thy right hand” is Jesus Christ. At this moment He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and this is simply a reference to bringing into operation the conclusion of the 5^th cycle.

“upon the son of man that thou madest strong for thyself” – to make strong here means to glorify. The whole objective of the plan of the Father is not only to save mankind but to glorify Jesus Christ as the unique person of the universe, as the God-Man. Jesus Christ is glorified by the thinking of the Father, by the plan of the Father, operation grace.

Verse 18 – a response. “So will not we go back from thee.” The regenerate Jews of the Tribulation will not draw back from Christ at His return, they will gladly gather around Him as He restores Israel.

“quicken us” – the word quicken us is incorrectly translated in the KJV. This actually means, “Thou wilt cause us to survive.” These are the Tribulational believers. These Jews are physically delivered at the Second Advent.

Verse 19 – “Turn us again” is restore us again. Daniel has been looking at this prophetically and now he comes back to his own day. He is waiting on the Lord because he knows this can only be accomplished by the Lord.

“cause thy face to shine” – how can this occur? By those who are the remnant within a land turning to Bible doctrine and using it.

“that we shall be delivered.”