Proper 10 (Ps) July 15th

Psalm 80:1-19

¹ Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,

you who lead Joseph like a flock.

You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.

² Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,

stir up your might

and come to save us!

³ Restore us, O God;

let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁴ O Lord God of hosts,

how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?

⁵ You have fed them with the bread of tears

and given them tears to drink in full measure.

⁶ You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,

and our enemies laugh among themselves.

⁷ Restore us, O God of hosts;

let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁸ You brought a vine out of Egypt;

you drove out the nations and planted it.

⁹ You cleared the ground for it;

it took deep root and filled the land.

¹⁰ The mountains were covered with its shade,

the mighty cedars with its branches.

¹¹ It sent out its branches to the sea

and its shoots to the River.

¹² Why then have you broken down its walls,

so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?

¹³ The boar from the forest ravages it,

and all that move in the field feed on it.

¹⁴ Turn again, O God of hosts!

Look down from heaven, and see;

have regard for this vine,

¹⁵ the stock that your right hand planted,

and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.

¹⁶ They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;

may they perish at the rebuke of your face!

¹⁷ But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,

the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!

¹⁸ Then we shall not turn back from you;

give us life, and we will call upon your name!

¹⁹ Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!

Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

The Lord is truly our Good Shepherd.  The psalmist calls for the shepherd of Israel to hear him.  This shepherd is enthroned upon the cherubim and shines with bright light.  And he repeats the call for Restoration of God's people.  These are people who are cut down and find themselves oppressed.

God has brought forth pain and suffering upon his people.  When you read in the book of Judges about the Nations rising up against Israel it was because they turned their back on God.  When you read through the books of the Kings, it seems like most of the Kings did not follow in the path of King David but did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Are the nations and people any different today?  Should we really stand up and talk about how great our Country and people are?  Most of the time I like to think that the people in the World are not all that bad.  But then I am faced with reality.  Every Television program you watch is unsuitable for Mature audiences.  These TV rating systems are all a joke.  The Media one would think should be rated G, but often times is should be rated R.  The comedies are funny because they talk about reality, but where are the rate G comedians.  They have all lost their jobs because it is not reality.

This is the world of today.  The World is full of selfishness, sex, violence, and sin.  The World has provided us with more ways to turn our back on God rather than turn toward our savior.  The World would have us turn into the path of destruction rather than face Jesus Christ and His truth.  Pray with the Psalmist that the people of God may be restored.  Pray with the Psalmist that the world may find truth.  Pray with the Psalmist for the Shepherd to lead his people out of this wilderness into the Promise Land.  It is Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd who has provided us a way of salvation.  He has conquered death and the Devil.  When Christ returns he will judge this world and each of us, but through his sacrifice he has also provided forgiveness for all our sins.