493_Oh, restore us again!

Psalm 60 O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
you have been angry; oh, restore us.
2 You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;
repair its breaches, for it totters.
3 You have made your people see hard things;
you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.

4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah
5 That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer us!

6 God has spoken in his holiness:
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
8 Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
11 Oh, grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
12 With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.

In 1981, the nation of Israel launched one of the most daring rescue operations in history—Operation Entebbe. A group of Israeli hostages had been hijacked and taken to Uganda. The terrorists demanded ransom, threatening to kill the hostages otherwise. The situation looked hopeless. Yet, despite the odds, the Israeli Defense Forces planned a nighttime raid, rescuing and flying out 102 hostages in under 90 minutes.

What stood out about this mission wasn’t just the tactical precision, but the confidence the Israeli soldiers had in their identity, their mission, and their leadership. They knew whom they were fighting for, and why. If, instead, they had been confused, uncertain, divided, or estranged from their commanding officer, the outcome would have been an unthinkable tragedy.

Sometimes we are ambushed by unexpected attacks on our faith, on the sovereignty and goodness of God, on seeming setbacks to our spiritual goals. We begin to question our strength, our strategy, and even God’s presence. But sometimes the problem isn’t the enemy, or our tactics. It’s the fact that somewhere along the way, we’ve lost our connection with the Lord of heaven’s armies.

That’s where David found himself when he penned Psalm 60. Its title marks it as recording David’s victories over the nations surrounding Israel – Philistia, Moab, and Syria, as we read in 2 Samuel 8 and 10. Yet its opening words speak of bitter defeat rather than celebrating triumph. His opening lament is: “O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us.” Something had gone terribly wrong.

Instead of blaming his military leaders or the strength of the Edomite army, David looks upwards and inwards. This is a moment of clarity. David clearly sees, once again, how solid is the foundation of those who trust in God – and how fragile is their confidence unless they rest in his presence and favor. Israel’s strength and success did not rest in military strategy or seasoned warriors. When God withdraws, defenses crumble, and even the most disciplined opposing forces put up a futile resistance.

David doesn’t sugarcoat the experience. He says in verse 3, “You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.” Defeat brought disorientation and confusion. Without God’s favor, the people had lost their bearings. Life didn’t make sense.

This wasn’t the first time Israel had faced such a scenario. In Joshua 7, after their shocking defeat at Ai, Joshua fell on his face before God. But God told him bluntly: “Israel has sinned…they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied.” And because of that, God said, “I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.”

Therefore, David knew that Israel’s defeat was not a fluke but a divine signal. It conveyed God’s message: something was seriously wrong in the heart of the nation.
David didn’t try to mask it or rationalize it. Instead, he turned to the only One who could help. In verses 4 and 5, he says, “You have set up a banner for those who fear you…that your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us!”

Even in God’s anger, David remembered the faithfulness of God. He gives victory to those who fear him. He delivers his beloved ones when they cry for help. For his faithful ones, God is their banner—their rallying point, their place to stand and regroup. David calls his people back to God, like soldiers finding the standard on the battlefield. For the real issue wasn’t with the enemy attacking them, but their unfaithfulness to Israel’s God.

And in this faith, David proclaims God’s sovereignty over the land. God has declared, “Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.” As for those who oppose the people: “Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

David anchors himself not just in emotion, but in God’s promises. This wasn’t just wishful thinking—it was covenantal truth. God is the Lord of all the earth. He had assigned Canaan to Israel. Though presently feeling the heat of God’s anger, Israel needed to cling to the covenant and mend their ways.

The people were defeated and powerless simply because God refused to give them the power of his presence. “Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.” This is a truth that later kings forgot. Many of them tried to form military alliances with pagan nations, hoping to stave off danger. They trusted in human strength rather than divine help. But David knows the truth: “Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!” (v.11)

Who will lead us into the fortified city? Who will overcome the final defenses and grant us a complete victory, both inner and outward? None but God, in his grace. This is the confession of faith. Even the best-intentioned friends, strongest armies, or sharpest minds can’t give us victory in our battles. Only God can.

So David ends with the quiet but bold note of confidence: “With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” (v.12) The threats are real. But he trusts the One who fights for His beloved people. He knows that their past victories, their future triumphs, and their present restoration all depend on the Lord. Psalm 118 echoes this trust: “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation… The right hand of the Lord does valiantly!” (Psalm 118:14-16)

Sometimes, like Israel, we stagger through life—confused, numb, overwhelmed—because we have wandered from God our strength and our victory. We have stopped listening to him. But restoration is possible. David’s cry—“Oh, restore us again!”—is a prayer we can all pray. God disciplines those He loves. He’s ready to receive us. In a world full of noise and shifting truths, God’s Word does not change. His promises are still fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore return to God’s promises.

The way back begins with honesty. Let us look at the state of our wandering hearts and our sinful lives. Let us admit the compromises we have made in quest of security. Our sin has dulled our ears to his voice. Let us abhor our folly in relying on the strength of man. Nothing can save us – not our cleverness, our connections, our plans, or our resources. But with God, we shall do valiantly.

Let us not despair when we feel defeated, disoriented, and distant from God. There is a banner still flying. There is a place to return. There is a Saving God. Let us search our hearts in his light. Let us return to him, destroying all the false loves of our hearts. Then we can rise in the strength of his presence, walking with him, to do valiantly. His right hand is still strong. He still restores his people to the joy of salvation.

There is no greater blessing than to walk in unbroken fellowship with Him. Let us hunger and thirst for righteousness, crying out, “Oh, restore us again!” And our faithful and loving God will turn us back and lead us to victory. God bless.