Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
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But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Psalm 80:1 -7; 17 - 19 (NRSVA)
This morning’s text is a prayer of desperation! It is the prayer of people who were once used to having God’s presence and God’s power – that power being long absent and sorely missed. It is the prayer of one out of touch with God.
A tourist came too close to the edge of the Grand Canyon, lost his footing and plunged over the side, clawing and scratching to save himself. After he went out of sight and just before he fell into space, he encountered a scrubby bush which he desperately grabbed with both hands. Filled with terror, he called out toward heaven, "Is there anyone up there?" A calm, powerful voice came out of the sky, "Yes, there is." The tourist pleaded, "Can you help me? Can you help me?" The calm voice replied, "Yes, I probably can. What is your problem?" "I fell over the cliff and am dangling in space holding to a bush that is about to let go. Please help me." "The voice from above said, "I’ll try. Do you believe?" "Yes, yes, I believe."’ "Do you have faith?" "Yes, yes. I have strong faith."
The calm voice said, "Well, in that case, simply let loose of the bush and everything will turn out fine." There was a tense pause, then the tourist yelled, "Is there anyone else up there?" (1)
In World War II they called it a “foxhole prayer” – the kind which is prayed by someone who is afraid, uncertain and not on the best of terms with God. “Oh, Lord, help me; get me out of this fix alive and I’ll be good. I’ll go to church, I’ll serve on the Trustees, I’ll tithe…man, I’ll be a missionary if that’s what it takes. God help me!”
Now, I’m not against praying in a crisis; my first participation in public prayer was when I was six and in crisis. I was misbehaving, making a lot of noise in church, so my father hoisted me over his shoulder to take me out for a woodshed experience; I addressed the congregation as I disappeared through the sanctuary doors, “Y’all pray for me now.”
Anyone who has ever prayed like that knows that the desire to be relieved of the pain is what that kind of prayer is all about – not genuine repentance or restoring the relationship and service of one who has sinned.
God’s people prayed like that. There were promises made to be broken and forgotten all throughout the history of Israel. Now those promises broken and forgotten are nothing quite as sinister as a definitive choice to be evil or fight against God’s kingdom. More they are what happens to the foxhole prayer – it just kind of dries-up on the vine; it is forgotten when the dust settles down and we can get back to enjoying life and ignoring God.
’Twas the beginning of Advent and all through the Church
Our hope was all dying-- we’d given up on the search.
It wasn’t so much that Christ wasn’t invited,
But after 2,000 plus years we were no longer excited. (2)
Advent is (or should be) a time of spiritual renewal and revival. I am convinced of this for two reasons:
• God gave us this time to remember Christ’s first coming and anticipate His second coming. And…
• God’s enemy, Satan, has blinded worldly eyes to the first meaning, and deceived believers into thinking activity and gifts are what really matters. Well, Hallmark be praised!
I want to give you two quotes from less-than-expected sources concerning our need in this country, this church, and my heart for revival:
• The first quote is from N. Lee Cooper, president-elect of the American Bar Association: "The only effective response to our nation’s crime problem is spiritual revival." (3)
• The second quote is from TV producer Norman Lear, who gave us Edith and Archie Bunker: "We’re in need of a spiritual revival." (4)
Now, to be honest with you I am not ready to allow the American Bar Association or a “TV sitcom-ist” lead me in prayer for revival. However, the fact that even these secularists understand the gravity of our position in front of God’s throne…how shallow our commitment is…how frail our spiritual life is – we, as the people of God, are bound to sit up and take note of the truth that we are not as prepared for the coming of Christ as we ought to be. Jesus’ next advent requires…
A READY HEART BECAUSE HE IS COMING AGINA
10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. 11Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 2 Peter 3:10-12 (NRSV)
What sort of persons ought we to be, indeed?
We Ought to be People PRAYING FOR REVIVAL
Psalm 80:1-3
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved. (NRSV)
The Psalmist is praying to God, and he mentions Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. According to the description of the tribes wandering in the desert after being led out of Egypt’s captivity, these were the first three tribes following behind the Ark of the Covenant, which was the symbol of God’s presence with His people.
Asking God to “let your face shine” points to that Ark as well, as it was the mercy seat, God’s seat, the place where God’s glory rested. “Come to save us” is a cry for redemption – a cry for the gift of life.
The church today must be praying for that kind of revival. “Viable” means “able to live”. We need that touch from God if we are to once-again live as His people, and not some obscene caricature of divine glory, corrupted.
Do you pray for revival? Will you?
We Ought to be People PRAYING WITH REPENTANCE
Psalm 80:4-7
O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. (NRSV)
“Restore us” is repeated, but it is taken further. The Psalmist had said, Restore us, O God (v.3); he now adds God of hosts. The God of hosts is more identifiable as God who is above all.
What does it mean to “restore”? Is the Psalmist longing, nostalgia in full gear, for God to “make things like they used to be?” I think not! Let me tell you why. I have served more than a half-dozen churches as pastor, preached in dozens more and known many folks who are good, God-fearing people. There is an epidemic among people above a certain age that makes us look back with that wistful eye, longing for “the days when”….
Now, any sensible person will tell you that you cannot rewind the clock. It is impossible, inadvisable and therefore inappropriate to wish-for! Just because you “want it like it used to be” doesn’t mean God would bless if we tried to do it that way!
The Psalmist isn’t nostalgic…he is saying, “Lord, YOU turn us away from what we would do…YOU restore us to what YOU want us to be. Did you ever consider that in the story of the Prodigal son, that the Father didn’t go after the son down in pigpen land? He waited, and when the son finally “came to himself” and made his way home to the Father, it was then that the celebration began!
Restoring has to do with repenting, turning from what we are doing which saddens the Father’s heart, and turning to doing the Father’s will. That’s when His face shines on us, when we turn to Him!
In a church it might look like turning away from our likes, our wishes and beginning to pray with repentance towards God’s will in spreading the word of His cross, His redemption. Churches that are constantly in turmoil about who is in control, or whether we should have this committee do that project or this group lead that program have no repentance or humility about them – and they certainly aren’t ready for Advent…to face God! They’re only ready for the woodshed.
Ahh, but when we wake up to the barrenness of our far country experience and make our way home…that’s when the Father’s face shines…and he brings out the royal robe, wraps us up, places sandals upon our feet, a ring on our finger and then starts the party!
We Ought to be People PRAYING WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS
Psalm 80:17-19
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. (NRSV)
Who is this “one” at the right hand of God? Scholars differ, but I side with those who see Jesus at the right hand of the Father.(5)
To “pray with righteousness” is a tall order…but it literally means we must be covered with being in a right standing with God. If you are up on your theology, you know that is impossible without Jesus.
And it is not our righteousness which is in play here; it is the righteousness of Christ which He gives to us when we accept Him as Savior. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. (6)
Praying with righteousness is praying in the name of Jesus, praying the same way Jesus would pray, resolving against sin, never to go back away from the Father.
The Psalmist said, “Lord, turn us away from sin and we’ll never go back to it…not like every other time before…we will worship you and you only!” Can we be honest here? You know, and I do, that is not possible. We are sinners, and sinners sin! Even if we could put sin aside for a few moments, it wouldn’t be long, and we’d be back in it again. Our righteousness fades…that’s why praying in righteousness is a matter of trusting completely in what He has done for us on the cross.
Look once again at verse 18 – give us life and we will call on your name. That’s what Jesus does…he gives life. He helps us turn in repentance and ask for true revival. And when we turn from our wicked ways…ADVENT…Jesus comes, the Father smiles, and His face shines on us! That’s what He desires…He said so:
22The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 23Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,
24 The LORD bless you and keep you; 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. So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. Numbers 6:22-27 (NRSVA)
He puts His name on us…blesses us.
Is His name on you?
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ENDNOTES
(1) James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), 480.
(2) Rev. Richard J. Fairchild, "When The Lord Comes" Psalm 80:1-7,17-19, from SermonCentral.com
(3) Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 4.
(4) Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 4.
(5) Romans 8:34
(6) Isaiah 64:6
