Sunday 06:24:12

A prayer for the community of Israelites to ask God to renew his mercies. The psalm has two main divisions of 7 lines. • Vv. 1-7 are the prayer • Vv. 8-13 are assurances of God’s response Each division is made up of a three-line stanza, then a four-line stanza. The corresponding stanzas of the second half answer to those of the first. • Vv. 1-3 speak of God’s past mercies. Vv. 8-9 speak of God’s mercies to come. • Vv. 4-7 voice the prayer. Vv. 10-13 offer the assurance that God will answer the prayer. The beauty of the structure is this: • God’s past kindness toward us (vv. 1-3) gives us assurance that God will show his kindness to us again (vv. 8-9). • The prayer for God to bring restoration and revival (vv. 4-7) is assured (vv. 10-13). The psalm is one of 7 psalms ascribed to the Sons of Korah. “Sons of Korah” refers to a choir of Levites, temple attendants, who were descendants of Korah, who were appointed to King David to serve in the temple liturgy. This psalm would have been spoken during temple services. The Sons of Korah would have led worshippers in this psalm, all together, asking for God’s restoration, renewal, revival. vv. 1-3 – the prayer begins with a reminder of God’s past mercies. • V. 1 – God has restored them before, perhaps a remembering the restoration from the exile. • V. 2 – He has forgiven them before. • V. 3 – He has put away his anger against them. vv. 4-7 – the prayer for God’s restoration and revival. • V. 4 – they ask God, “restore us again,” recognizing their need for God to help them to be restored, or to turn. The image is for God to turn them towards him. • V. 5 – they are suffering, perhaps this is from the time of the return of the exiles, perhaps a time of drought. They need God to show them his kindness again. • V. 6 – “Revive us again” literally means “will you give us life again.” God is the giver of life. They know that if they are to be renewed and revived, that it must come from the Lord. They are dependent upon him to revive them. Their response is not just for them, but that they “may rejoice in” God. • V. 7 – “Show us unfailing love” checed love from God is his covenant to love his people. The prayer asks show us your unfailing, unconditional, loyal, devoted love. and grant us your salvation. vv. 8-9 – This is the assurance that God WILL bless his people again. • V. 8 – “I will listen” the speaker waits for the word from the Lord. This is lost on us English speakers, but the word wait and hope are the same word in many languages. To hope for something is to wait for it. If we hope for restoration, renewal, revival, we are dependent upon God for it. We are waiting for his response. “He promises peace to his people” shalom is something God wants for his children, and gives to us ultimately in Jesus Christ. Peace or shalom itself speaks of restoration. • V. 9 – “His salvation is near those who fear him,” God is good and brings his salvation to his people. “his glory may dwell in our land” wherever God’s saving power is displayed, his glory is revealed. God’s salvation is a significant part of his glory – his love and kindness displayed for sinners. vv. 10-13 – God is sure to show his mercies again to his people. Why is God certain to show his love again? Because of his covenant love (checed). • V. 10 – This is who God is: he is love, he is faithful, he is righteousness, he is peace. love, faithfulness, righteousness, peace are all personified. The image is that these attributes of God are all greeting and embracing each other. This image is one of the most beautiful in all of scripture. It is a picture of God’s graciousness toward his people. • V. 11 – God’s faithfulness springs from the ground like spring time. Mankind is blessed with the bounty of God’s faithfulness. God’s righteousness shines down from the heavens. God’s people are enveloped by God’s faithfulness and righteousness. • V. 12 – the Lord will give what is good. James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” • V. 13 – God’s righteousness is like a herald going before him. It marks the course for how God deals with his people. Righteousness is God’s perfect faithfulness to all his covenant promises. Like the Israelites, we can – and should – pray for God’s restoration, renewal, revival. Like them, we are dependent upon him to shower us with his mercy, checed love. Would you pray with me for the Lord to pour out his love for us again? vv. 4-7