Our psalm notes to this eightieth psalm indicate a solemn testimony sung to a favorite tune of the Hebrew Choir. Now this concept may be difficult for us to picture since we are accustomed to have our music in front of us with the words. However, in more primitive times even in early America, hymnbooks were nonexistent and psalters were restricted in the number of available and knowable tunes. Stories are told of early song leaders who were only able to lead eight or ten tunes. And yet, the earliest colonial psalters were able to accommodate the use of the psalms to these limitations. The tune here indicated is "The Lilies of the Covenant". This tune, as all the Hebrew tunes unfortunately has long since been lost to the memory of the Church.

This psalm is divided into three unequal parts which each end with a common plea "Restore us". And yet, as the plea progresses the Hebrew grows more and more intense. This growing intensity is difficult to phrase in our English tongue. However, the New International Version does show us this progression.

verse 3 "Restore us, O God"

verse 14 "Restore us, O God Almighty"

verse 19 "Restore us, O Lord God Almighty"

Each time, in this refrain there is another name added to the name of God. Each time, God is further magnified and glorified by the essential additions of praise. These three divisions may be described in the images of the traditional Church response known as the Gloria Patri. This hymn of praise written in the second century goes like this: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen."

Thus, for our purpose today the psalmist rehearses the history of Israel. In the first division he hearkens back to God's action with the tribes of Joseph. In the second division he describes the dismal present in Israel, in a period of time that we do not know. In the third division Asaph looks forward to the eternity of God's blessedness coming through the Son of Man. It is in this that we may appreciate the testimony of this psalm of petition with its heartfelt desire that the Lord might revive Israel once again. And in a time when Christ's Church is in similar need of revival we may pray the the same prayer as Asaph "Revive us Again" O Lord God Almighty.

Let us begin with the first three verses. Here is the opening address of the psalm. The psalmist calls upon the Shepherd of Israel to hear again the bleatings of His own flock. Asaph reminds us of the tribes of Joseph who marched together in the wilderness of the exodus. There is here a supreme confidence in the God of History, He who saved His people by His own power and might from the slavery and death of Egypt. Like we should be, the psalmist is confident that God's faithfulness in the past is the ground of all hope. "Glory be to the Father, ... As it was in the beginning," runs the Church's response. So too is the testimony of Asaph. And in that spirit Asaph calls upon the Lord of Israel's past to come and save Israel again.

We move on to the second division in verses four to seven. Here we sense difficult times. Our psalmist asks how long God's anger will smolder against the prayers of His people. By some means or another, Israel has lost the respect of the whole neighborhood in Palestine. Instead of food and drink, there is nothing but tears. Even the Church of Christ has known times such as these. "Glory be to the Father, ... As it is now," runs the Church's response. And again we see the appropriateness of Asaph's constant refrain. "Restore us, again he pleads".

We must note that the sense of desired restoration is wholly within the hands of the Almighty One. When we appreciate that our forms of address must grow more respectful and even more intense. No longer acceptable are the half-hearted pleas of a generation that barely gives lip service to the idea of prayer let alone to the Almighty God of creation. Will God restore us again? Are we willing to pray for such restoration regularly?

We move on to the third division in verses eight to nineteen. Asaph describes in vivid allegory the action of our Holy God. The emblem of the vine which is repeated several times in Holy Scripture, need not be our major concern here. Instead we must focus upon the fact of God's husbandry and the vine's incredible growth, which is in startling contrast to the psalmist's present.

One idea that we might emphasize is that the grape vines like other crops benefit from their close association with man. There is also the knowledge from agriculture that wild grapes tend to be much smaller and less tasty that those that are properly managed and cultivated. In a like manner, Israel has become uncultivated, God's protective fences have been breached, not by neglect on His part but by His sovereign allowance as we see in verse twelve. And yet, the psalmist looks forward to God's return as he pleads in verse fourteen for His watching. The psalmist observes that the vine is cut down, it is burned with fire. Thus is God's rebuke for all those who perish without His provident love.

What is our hope? In verse seventeen Asaph looks ahead to the coming of the Son of Man. That is the glorious title taken by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And under His leadership, there is eternal life and salvation. As Asaph's vision of the future Son of Man is revealed, we sense the importance of His leadership. In verse eighteen we see the security of Jesus' calling. "Then we will not turn away from you" Of course Asaph is looking forward in the sense of our Gloria Patria. "Glory be to the Father, ... and ever shall be," runs the Church's response.

In Christ's coming is fulfilled Asaph's revelation. The restoration that the psalmist pleads is the greater restoration of Jesus Christ. "Restore us, O Lord God Almighty". Here is another advance in title and intensity. Here is invoked the precious "I AM", which we translate as Lord. With the hope of Christ, real restoration is possible. Thus, the hope of being saved is assured in and through Him alone. May Jesus be our only hope, may He be our restoration for now and ever after just as the last phrase of the Gloria Patria runs "world without end".

There is one final passage of Scripture that applies to our understanding today. And that passage is found in the letter to the Hebrews 13: 8. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!" That is Good News that Asaph could only look forward to. Yet, it is our common knowledge. But do the words really have an intense meaning in your mind. This is the essential problem of understanding that I would focus your minds on for a minute. We have been considering Asaph's plea for God to restore. When it comes to your salvation and your eternity with Christ, will you, have you, can you make that your solemn and earnest plea? For us, everything depends upon what God has done in and through the One that God has raised up: Jesus Christ. He it is who can and will revive us again in a new birth leading to eternal life. Amen.