Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.
I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
This psalm, attributed to the Sons of Korah, is a heartfelt plea for God's continued favor and restoration upon Israel. While not explicitly tied to a specific historical event, it resonates deeply with the themes of forgiveness, revival, and the anticipation of God's ultimate reign of peace and righteousness. The Sons of Korah, a group influential in temple worship during the time of David and Solomon, may have been descendants of a family punished during the Exodus (Numbers 26:9-11), making their role as worship leaders a powerful testament to God's grace and redemption. This adds another layer of meaning to their psalms, including Psalms 42, 44-49, 84, and 87-88.
Remembering God's Past Favor (Psalms 85:1-3)
The psalm opens with a grateful acknowledgment of God's past blessings. The psalmist remembers how God had shown love and favor to His people by restoring them to their homeland, likely referring to the return from Babylonian captivity (Psalms 85:1). This restoration was made possible because God had forgiven their sin and turned away His anger in response to their repentance (Psalms 85:2-3). The psalmist reflects on a time when God "was favorable to your land" (Psalms 85:1), "forgave the iniquity of your people" (Psalms 85:2), and "withdrew all your wrath" (Psalms 85:3). In times of suffering, psalms often lament God's continued wrath (Psalms 79:5; 80:4), but here, the recovery from misfortune is directly linked to God's compassion. This sets the stage for the current plea.
A Prayer for Present Revival (Psalms 85:4-7)
Recognizing the cyclical nature of Israel's history – faith, rebellion, suffering, and restoration (Judges 2:16-19) – the psalmist urgently petitions God to repeat His previous blessings. He cries out, "Restore us again, O God of our salvation" (Psalms 85:4). The prayer emphasizes a desire for renewed fellowship with God. The psalmist begs that God might revive them so that they could give Him glory and rejoice in Him (Psalms 85:6). This plea is not just for a return to prosperity, but for a spiritual awakening. Our prayers should similarly be God-centered, asking for God’s intervention so that we might give Him public praise. The steadfastness of His love allows for the continuous flow of His grace and mercy. The psalmist asks God to show His covenant people His faithful love and salvation once again for their present circumstances (Psalms 85:7).
Anticipating God's Future Blessings (Psalms 85:8-13)
The psalm concludes with a confident expectation of God's blessing and a glimpse into the future. The psalmist declares, "Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly" (Psalms 85:8). This speaks of a promise to hear God's word, coupled with the expectation of the Lord's blessing. Deliverance is available to those who take God seriously.
The passage depicts the beautiful intersection of God's attributes: "Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other" (Psalms 85:10). This is more than just poetic imagery; it speaks of the perfect harmony of God's character. Righteousness and peace "kissing" each other foreshadows Christ's eventual work as the perfect sacrifice. In response to sin, God's perfect justice and His perfect love intersect at the cross where Jesus paid for humanity's sins (Romans 5:8; Hebrews 10:12-14).
The psalmist envisions a future where "faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky" (Psalms 85:11). Earth and heaven will be united when Jesus Christ comes to reign as King. God's salvation is very near those who fear Him (Psalms 85:9). Such faithful ones (Psalms 85:8) will experience the fullness of God as He brings faithful love and truth together and causes righteousness and peace to combine in their lives (Psalms 85:10). The coupling of these blessings will ultimately be established by the Messiah in His earthly kingdom rule. The psalm anticipates a time of abundance and blessing: "The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase" (Psalms 85:12). Ultimately, "Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way" (Psalms 85:13), paving the path for God's reign of peace and justice.
Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.
I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
This psalm, attributed to the Sons of Korah, is a heartfelt plea for God's continued favor and restoration upon Israel. While not explicitly tied to a specific historical event, it resonates deeply with the themes of forgiveness, revival, and the anticipation of God's ultimate reign of peace and righteousness. The Sons of Korah, a group influential in temple worship during the time of David and Solomon, may have been descendants of a family punished during the Exodus (Numbers 26:9-11), making their role as worship leaders a powerful testament to God's grace and redemption. This adds another layer of meaning to their psalms, including Psalms 42, 44-49, 84, and 87-88.
Remembering God's Past Favor (Psalms 85:1-3)
The psalm opens with a grateful acknowledgment of God's past blessings. The psalmist remembers how God had shown love and favor to His people by restoring them to their homeland, likely referring to the return from Babylonian captivity (Psalms 85:1). This restoration was made possible because God had forgiven their sin and turned away His anger in response to their repentance (Psalms 85:2-3). The psalmist reflects on a time when God "was favorable to your land" (Psalms 85:1), "forgave the iniquity of your people" (Psalms 85:2), and "withdrew all your wrath" (Psalms 85:3). In times of suffering, psalms often lament God's continued wrath (Psalms 79:5; 80:4), but here, the recovery from misfortune is directly linked to God's compassion. This sets the stage for the current plea.
A Prayer for Present Revival (Psalms 85:4-7)
Recognizing the cyclical nature of Israel's history – faith, rebellion, suffering, and restoration (Judges 2:16-19) – the psalmist urgently petitions God to repeat His previous blessings. He cries out, "Restore us again, O God of our salvation" (Psalms 85:4). The prayer emphasizes a desire for renewed fellowship with God. The psalmist begs that God might revive them so that they could give Him glory and rejoice in Him (Psalms 85:6). This plea is not just for a return to prosperity, but for a spiritual awakening. Our prayers should similarly be God-centered, asking for God’s intervention so that we might give Him public praise. The steadfastness of His love allows for the continuous flow of His grace and mercy. The psalmist asks God to show His covenant people His faithful love and salvation once again for their present circumstances (Psalms 85:7).
Anticipating God's Future Blessings (Psalms 85:8-13)
The psalm concludes with a confident expectation of God's blessing and a glimpse into the future. The psalmist declares, "Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly" (Psalms 85:8). This speaks of a promise to hear God's word, coupled with the expectation of the Lord's blessing. Deliverance is available to those who take God seriously.
The passage depicts the beautiful intersection of God's attributes: "Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other" (Psalms 85:10). This is more than just poetic imagery; it speaks of the perfect harmony of God's character. Righteousness and peace "kissing" each other foreshadows Christ's eventual work as the perfect sacrifice. In response to sin, God's perfect justice and His perfect love intersect at the cross where Jesus paid for humanity's sins (Romans 5:8; Hebrews 10:12-14).
The psalmist envisions a future where "faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky" (Psalms 85:11). Earth and heaven will be united when Jesus Christ comes to reign as King. God's salvation is very near those who fear Him (Psalms 85:9). Such faithful ones (Psalms 85:8) will experience the fullness of God as He brings faithful love and truth together and causes righteousness and peace to combine in their lives (Psalms 85:10). The coupling of these blessings will ultimately be established by the Messiah in His earthly kingdom rule. The psalm anticipates a time of abundance and blessing: "The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase" (Psalms 85:12). Ultimately, "Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way" (Psalms 85:13), paving the path for God's reign of peace and justice.