“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved,” Ps 80:1-3.
The words of our text were drawn to my attention when we sang this psalm some time ago at the start of our Sabbath worship.
I wondered how many grasped the significance of the words and terms used.
I. OUR GOD IDENTIFIED
He is the “Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims.” Joseph - an example of God’s goodness.
1. He is the tender Shepherd that we approach in prayer. God’s people have long rejoiced in this name. Gen 49:24.
2. He is the one that leads us. When we think of Joseph we think of one hated and persecuted, even by his brethren but who was exalted on high by the mercy of the Lord. Joseph’s life is a pattern of that of the true child of God - the misery of prison to the majesty of the throne!
3. He permanently dwells in the place of mercy. “Between the cherubims” is a reference to the mercy seat. “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel,” Exodus 25:22. The place where the blood of atonement was shed is where we come tonight in prayer. That blood assures us of acceptance, audience and an answer!
II. OUR REQUEST STATED
“Shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine . .” This needs a little explanation.
1. The tribes mentioned camped on the west side of the tabernacle, facing east toward it. They were facing the sun rise! It would arise over it. The shadow of the tabernacle would fall upon them each morning!
2. The sun is called ‘a strong man’. Ps 19:5. In like manner we desire to see the Lord arising and displaying His power and strength amongst us, warming our hearts and spirits!
3. God has ever arisen to save His people. The meaning of the names of the tribes mentioned is significant.
Ephraim - “I shall be doubly fruitful”, Benjamin - “son of the right hand”, Manasseh - “causing to forget”.
In revival times we know again the blessing of being ‘doubly fruitful’, of being sons and daughters of ‘God’s right hand’ and of ‘forgetting’ the times of defeat and misery that backsliding brought upon us just as Joseph was made to forget his times of trial, Genesis 41:51.
III. OUR CONFIDENT EXPECTATION
“And we shall be saved.” This word denotes much. It is translated by a number of other English words in our Bible. I will mention only three which help us understand what is entailed in the Lord answering prayer and ‘saving’ us..
1. Deliverance. “Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore,” Ps 18:50. That we certainly need. Deliverance from our backsliding and defeat and lethargy.
2. Health. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God,” Psalm 42:11. God’s blessing puts a smile on our face!
3. Help. “Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah,” Psalm 3:2. A helping hand from the Lord with the work here in Kilskeery would make mighty changes for the good!
4. Welfare. “Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud,” Job 30:15. Just as Job’s ‘wellbeing’ ceased for a time, surely it is so with us today!
The Lord can however, look after us and restore our welfare again. We need Him to pity us and to look out for our welfare.
It is something we must seek after, verses 1, 3, 7 and 19.
There is a different word used in verse 1, ‘shine forth’ than that used in verses 3, 7,19.
Verse 1, I believe refers to the shining forth of the glory of God amongst His people, called “the brightness of the LORD’S glory” in
Ezekiel 10:4. It reassured them of His presence resting amongst them.
Verses 3, 7, 19, has another word used which denotes ‘the dawning of the day’. That is a shining beyond the people of God and reaching all, just like the rising of the sun.
Looking for such a ‘shining’ is how we should begin and end our prayers. We want a thing ON us and BEYOND us!