2 (1) Shepherd of Isra’el, listen!
You who lead Yosef like a flock,
you whose throne is on the k’ruvim,
shine out!
3 (2) Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M’nasheh,
rouse your power; and come to save us.
4 (3) God, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
5 (4) Adonai, God of armies, how long
will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
6 (5) You have fed them tears as their bread
and made them drink tears in abundance.
7 (6) You make our neighbors fight over us,
and our enemies mock us.
8 (7) God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
9 (8) You brought a vine out of Egypt,
you expelled the nations and planted it,
10 (9) you cleared a space for it;
then it took root firmly and filled the land.
11 (10) The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches;
12 (11) It put out branches as far as the sea
and shoots to the [Euphrates] River.
13 (12) Why did you break down [the vineyard’s] wall,
so that all passing by can pluck [its fruit]?
14 (13) The boar from the forest tears it apart;
wild creatures from the fields feed on it.
15 (14) God of armies, please come back!
Look from heaven, see, and tend this vine!
16 (15) Protect what your right hand planted,
the son you made strong for yourself.
17 (16) It is burned by fire, it is cut down;
they perish at your frown of rebuke.
18 (17) Help the man at your right hand,
the son of man you made strong for yourself.
19 (18) Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
RG AUDIO 043015"The Glory Days" by Author: Stephen M. Long
Try Googling the phrase “the glory days” and you will find everything from baseball to Hollywood celebrating their “golden era.” In Psalm 80 Israel prays for the return of “the glory days.” Notice the repeated phrase “Restore us . . . make your face shine upon us” (Psalm 80:3, 7, 19). They longed for the glory of the Lord to return.
Because this prodigal nation turned its back on the Lord God, they lost His glorious blessing. How many times will God forgive and restore his people? How many times does Jesus say to forgive our brother? (Matthew 18:22). The number of times is not as important as God’s powerful restoring grace and mercy toward those who repent. As David cried out, “I acknowledge my transgressions,” and every prodigal cries, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you,” so must all who seek God’s forgiveness and restoring grace (Ps. 51:3, NKJV; Luke 15:21).
Are we yearning for “the glory days” when we first believed? Then let us pray with the psalmist through the Son “who the Lord God Almighty raised up” (Ps.80:15). Let’s pray “Restore us . . . make your face shine upon us.”
Hymn for Today: "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken" by Text: John Newton, 1725-1807
1. Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
God, whose word cannot be broken,
formed thee for his own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded,
what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
thou mayst smile at all thy foes.
2. See, the streams of living waters,
springing from eternal love,
well supply thy sons and daughters,
and all fear of want remove.
Who can faint while such a river
ever will their thirst assuage?
Grace which like the Lord, the giver,
never fails from age to age.
3. Round each habitation hovering,
see the cloud and fire appear
for a glory and a covering,
showing that the Lord is near!
Thus deriving from our banner
light by night and shade by day,
safe we feed upon the manna
which God gives us when we pray.
4. Blest inhabitants of Zion,
washed in our Redeemer's blood;
Jesus, whom our souls rely on,
makes us monarchs, priests to God.
Us, by his great love, he raises,
rulers over self to reign,
and as priests his solemn praises
we for thankful offering bring.
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