513_O Lord, restore us again

Psalm 80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might
and come to save us!

3 Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!

4 O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
and our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!

14-19 Turn again, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15 the stock that your right hand planted,
and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call upon your name!

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

A few years ago, a massive wildfire tore through parts of California. Families who lived in their own hillside homes were suddenly left with nothing but ashes. One image stood out: a single vineyard, still green and vibrant, while everything else around it was charred. The owner of that vineyard had spent years caring for those vines. While others soon stopped maintaining firebreaks and watering systems, he remained vigilant, and his vineyard was spared.

Our lives and our faith can be just as fragile as the vineyard – and yet survive as miraculously. When we are carefully tended by the hand of God, our Shepherd and our Keeper, we prosper. When we turn away from Him and neglect His Word, walking in disobedience, the brokenness of the world can sweep in, leaving devastation behind. In such a situation, we pray with the author of Psalm 80: “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!”

Psalm 80 is a prayer of desperation. The people of Israel had suffered defeat at the hands of their enemies, likely during one of the many invasions by pagan nations. Their land was devastated, their dignity was trampled, and their prayers seemed to meet only with silence from heaven. Asaph, the psalmist, lifts up his voice on behalf of the nation and calls upon God, addressing Him as the “Shepherd of Israel.”

This is not just a poetic title. A shepherd is responsible for the provision, protection, and preservation of his sheep. Rather than simply watch while his flock is scattered or destroyed, he runs to their defense. Here, when it feels as if God is silent and distant, the psalmist pleads: “Stir up your might and come to save us!”

The lament deepens in verses 4–6:
“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 an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.”

This is the cry of a people who are weary of defeat, replete with sorrow, drunk with ridicule. But why was God angry? The prophets give us the answer. Jeremiah 11 tells us: “They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers… they have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers. Therefore, I am bringing disaster upon them… Though they cry to me, I will not listen.”

Again, Zechariah 7 echoes: “They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the prophets. Therefore, great anger came from the Lord of hosts. As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, says the Lord of hosts.”

The silence of God was not random. It was the direct consequence of the people’s rebellion. They had hardened their hearts, chasing after idols, ignoring the voice of the Lord, and breaking the covenant that bound them to Him. When we refuse to be led by God’s Spirit, through God’s Word, our prayers will eventually fall on deaf ears. His patience is prolonged but not to be trifled with.

Even in their misery, the people of Israel knew where to turn. Three times in this psalm they repeat the same desperate plea: “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” This refrain captures the central theme of the psalm: they longed for restoration, for the joy of God’s favor to shine upon them once again. No longer did they place their hope in military might and strategic alliances, political power or commercial wealth. Their only hope was that God Himself would turn back to them in mercy.

Verses 8–13 jog our memory of what God had once done for them. God brought out Israel as a vine brought from Egypt and planted it in the land of Canaan. The vine flourished. It spread its branches far and wide, and the blessing of God was visible to all. But now, the vineyard lay in ruins. The walls that once protected it had been broken down, and wild animals ravaged it. It was a painful picture of neglect, of a once-thriving nation now reduced to desolation.

This memory of what once was leads the psalmist into his most passionate prayer in verses 14–19: “Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted.” He shifts his imagery, at times speaking of Israel as God’s flock, at other times as His vineyard, and finally as His son—the man of God’s right hand. In verse 17, he cries: “But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!”

Historically, the psalmist may have been thinking of the king, God’s appointed leader over Israel. But prophetically, this verse points us to Christ, the true Son of Man, seated at the right hand of God. It is through Him that restoration would ultimately come, not just for Israel, but for all nations.

The psalm ends with a vision of revival: “Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name! Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” Here we see the heart of true repentance. It is not simply a desire to escape suffering. It is a longing to be alive again in God, to enjoy His presence, to walk faithfully in His ways, and to never again turn back to sin.

This psalm reminds us of the devastating emptiness that comes when God turns His face away from us. For a true child of God, such separation is unbearable. It is worse than death itself. But it also shows us the way back: repentance, confession, and humble desperation for God’s mercy.

Through Christ, the way of restoration has been opened. On the cross, Jesus bore the silence of God’s anger so that we would never have to. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” so that we, through faith, could forever hear the Father’s voice saying, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The invitation today is clear: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

There are times when we feel far from God. Maybe we have allowed sin to harden our hearts, or perhaps life’s disappointments have left us weary and cold. The good news of Psalm 80 is that it is never too late to cry out: “Restore us again, O Lord God of hosts.” He is the Shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep. He is the Vine whose life is in the branches. He is the Son of Man at the right hand of God who intercedes for us even now.

Let us cry to him until His face shines upon us once more. Let us confess our sins, turn away from idols, and incessantly plead for His mercy. For when His presence returns, when His face shines upon us, then we are truly saved.

May our prayer echo the psalmist’s cry: “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” God bless.