Like One Who Watches For The Morning: Pslam 80

Reflection: Psalm 80   The shepherd metaphor is used five times (23:1; 28:9; 49:14; 78:71; and 80:1) in the psalms and Psalm 23 is the only time it is not used as a complaint or lament. In Psalm 80, the psalmist is asking the Shepherd to listen to the cries of the people and save us. The writer of psalm 80 wants what the writer of psalm 23 has; The Good Shepherd who leads, guides, and restores life. More than wants, the psalmist believes it is possible even when the circumstances would seem otherwise. Psalm 80 is a lament, but it is also a psalm of faith and hope. It is hope in God’s gracious willingness to repent (see v. 14) or turn or return to the work of bringing life to humanity. It is faith in God’s tender loving care that we have once received and we long for again.  The psalmist feels that God is at fault for not taking care of the vineyard (which is the only occasion the vineyard metaphor is used to accuse God of not caring for the vine). Psalm 80 asks why God is letting all of God’s work be ruined.  In psalm 80, the faithful long for God to see what’s happening, to hear our cries, and most importantly to enter our lives anew to bring healing and restoration. We are waiting, hoping, and believing that God will return to lead, guide, and restore our lives. The psalms before and after psalm 80 identify people’s sin as the reason we feel separated from God. But, psalm 80 more than implies that God is the one not present or not actively engaged in relationship. When we feel distant from God, is it God who abandoned us in our time of need or did we loose connection with God? The Psalms say yes. In my experience, sometimes I disengaged with the divine, but sometimes it does feel as though God is the one who stepped away and I'm glad that the psalms express both of these view points. Either way, there is hope that the relationship will be restored and made new. Advent is a season of waiting and listening; and most of all hoping that we will see God in our midst just as we have before. We are hoping for what we have already experienced and we know we will experience God’s presence again.