Canon Rob's Reflections

The refrain, repeated three times in today’s psalm, sums up its purpose: “Turn us again, O God, show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.” Psalm 80 is a prayer that the nation, or quite possibly just the Northern Kingdom, will be restored again and was probably written in about 730 BC. Although, as always, there is no complete agreement and we cannot be certain. Whatever, the Oxford Bible Commentary describes it “another communal lament” and it is certainly that! What is also certain and interesting to reflect upon, is that it begins with the words, “Hear, O Shepherd of Israel” which is the only time the phrase is used in the psalms. Whilst verse one is not set for today, that phrase takes us back to Genesis 48.15 when Jacob blesses Joseph and includes the words, “the God has been my shepherd all my life to this day.” [New Revised Standard Version.] Psalm 80 then is an urgent plea to the Lord who is likened to a shepherd who has cared for his sheep in the past and, the hope is, that He will do so now and in the future. God cares like a shepherd (and Jesus referred to himself as the Good Shepherd) but God could also be very angry with His people when they sinned against Him. Verse 5 of the psalm, again not set for today, provides some of the background: “O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry at your people’s prayer” and verse 7, “You have made us a derision of our neighbours, and our enemies laugh us to scorn.” The only hope is for God to “show the light of his countenance” once again.


The shepherd is an analogy, but so too is the vine which is referred to in verse 9. “You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.” The vine represents God’s people, freed from slavery, and able to grow in the land of Canaan: the Promised Land. Indeed, the vine covered the whole land: “You [God] made room around it, and when it had taken root, it filled the land.” [Verse 10.] It stretched north to the mountains of Lebanon, west to the Mediterranean Sea, and east to the River Euphrates. [See verses 11 and 12.] This has been a time of plenty. But now it is threatened again because God is angry with His people, the vine! Verse 13 expresses what feels like a state of bewilderment: “Why then have you [God] broken down its wall, so that all who pass by pluck off the grapes?” That bewilderment continues in the next verse. “The wild boar out of the wood tears it off, and all the insects of the field devour it.” [Verse 14.] The wild boar was considered to be an unclean animal and here represents the enemy.


The plea for mercy and help is repeated in verse 15: “Turn again, O God of hosts, look down from heaven and behold.” The frustration is almost palpable! If only God would take a hard look at the plight of His people, then He would repent of His anger and save them again. After all, they are His people! “Cherish this vine which your right hand has planted, and the branch that you made so strong for yourself.” Then, in the last verse set for today, the anger and frustration boils over. The enemy are the ones who should be punished: “Let those who burnt it with fire, who cut it down, perish at the rebuke of your countenance.” This seems like a strange place to end the ‘set psalm’ for today and you may like to refer to verse 19 where the psalmist speaks of the people’s promise of repentance if God will save them: “And so will we not go back from you; give us life, and we shall call upon your name.” Calling upon God is another way of saying that a vital part of our way of life as Christians is to pray at all times and in all places, not just during Services in church. As well as our Harvest Festival, today is also the Feast of St Francis of Assisi who, as a young man, turned his back on his family’s wealth and was joined by others who like-minded and established a “Gospel-based rule for them all to live by.” [‘Celebrating the Saints.’]