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Senior Sunday School 4 : Psalms Book 3 : Psalm 80 : 16th July 2023

Text: Psalm 80
16 July 2023

SSS 4 16 July 2023
Book 3
Psalms 73-89

Text: Psalm 80

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!

3 Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

4 O LORD God of hosts,
How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.

6 You have made us a strife to our neighbours,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt;
You have cast out the nations, and planted it.

9 You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.

10 The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the mighty cedars with its boughs.

11 She sent out her boughs to [e]the Sea,
And her branches to the River.
12 Why have You broken down her [g]hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?

13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.

14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine

15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.

16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.

18 Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

Psalm 80:1-19

 

The Theme of Psalm 80
“RESTORATION”

A PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!

Psalm 80:1-2

1. Appeal to the LORD as “Shepherd of Israel”

2. Two aspects of God’s work as Shepherd

a) To save Israel
b) To lead the nation

3. Israel is presented:

a) As a flock of God
b) As sheep
c) Names of sheep
Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh

4. Acknowledgment of what is needed

a) The Strength of the LORD
b) The Salvation that God would bring about

THE FIRST PRAYER FOR RESTORATION

3 Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

4 O LORD God of hosts,
How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.

6 You have made us a strife to our neighbours,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.

Psalm 80:3-6

1. Restoration

a) God’s face to shine on His people
b) God’s salvation

2. Pleading with God to end His anger

a) Anger of the LORD noted
b) Hence, prayers were not answered

3. Pleading with God to end suffering:

a) Bread of tears
b) Drink of tears in abundance
c) Strife with neighbours
d) Derisive laughter of enemies

THE SECOND PRAYER FOR RESTORATION

7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt;
You have cast out the nations, and planted it.

9 You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.

10 The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the mighty cedars with its boughs.

11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea,
And her branches to the River.

Psalm 80:7-11

1. Remembering God’s original Plan

a) Israel was a vine brough out of Egypt
b) God had cast out the nations and planted Israel in Canaan

2. Israel in its happier days

a) Israel had deep roots
b) The whole land of Canaan was filled
c) Mighty cedars were planted successful
e) Israel prospered
i) Traded in the Mediterranean Sea
ii) Traversed the River Euphrates
iii) These were mentioned remembering how successful Israel had been

3. Restoration was needed

a) Same Refrain
Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
Psalm 80:3, 7
b) This was repeated
Because the Restoration had not taken place yet
c) Prayer for Restoration to the old glory days

THE THIRD PRAYER FOR RESTORATION

12 Why have You broken down her hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?

13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.

14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine

15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.

16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

Psalm 80:1-16

1. The Plight of Israel

12 Why have You broken down her hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?

13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.

Psalm 80:12-13

a) Hedges (protection) were gone
b) Her fruits were stolen
c) The wild animals were destroying the Vine

2. Pleading with God to Return to His people
(Restoration is in mind)

14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine

15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.

16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

Psalm 80:14-16

a) God’s Return is necessary
b) The Vine (the nation) is being destroyed

THE FOURTH PRAYER FOR RESTORATION

17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.

18 Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

Psalm 80:17-19

1. To provide a strong leader

a) “The man of Your right hand”
b) “Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself”

2. To Revive the nation

a) He will lead the people back to God
b) The people would be revived
c) They will not turn away

3. The Three Refrains

a) Restore us
Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
Psalm 80:3
b) “Restore us”
Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
Psalm 80:7
d) “Restore us”
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
Psalm 80:19

These Refrains were made with growing Intensity!