Psalm 80

“You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. You prepared room for it, and caused it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with its shadow, and the mighty cedars with its boughs. She sent out her boughs to the Sea, and her branches to the River.” Psalm 80:8-11 (NKJV)

Today’s psalm is a prayer for Israel’s restoration, but it is not necessarily a prayer of repentance.  In subtle terms, Asaph hints at the fact that Israel is being punished for its national sin of idolatry, but the overall tone is a plea that God would cut short His punishment and that the prayers of the people are falling on deaf ears.  Rest assured that God will not rebuke His people one second too soon or one second too long.  He, and He alone, has the wisdom to know “when and how much.”  Three times, Asaph acknowledges that repentance may be the responsibility of the people, but restoration is solely in God’s court!

“Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” Psalm 80:3 (NKJV)

Halfway through Psalm 80, we see the familiar imagery of a vineyard.  Asaph likens the Promised Land of Canaan to a vineyard and Israel as the vine.  And it reminds us of the words of Jesus, who likened Himself to the “True Vine.”  (John 15:1-8)

“Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, and the branch that You made strong for Yourself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You; revive us, and we will call upon Your name.” Psalm 80:14-18 (NKJV)

“Then He began to speak to them in parables: ‘A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, “They will respect my son.”  But those vinedressers said among themselves, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.”  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?”  Mark 12:1-11 (NKJV)