"Restore Usa, O God" (Psalms 80, 85, 126)

Nosotros've simply heard 3 psalms that are appointed for this Advent season, Psalms 80, 85, and 126. Did you happen to catch what they accept in common? At that place was a connecting theme running through all three of these psalms. And here it is. It is the prayer, in one course or another, that goes something like this: "Restore The states, O God."

In Psalm 126, nosotros heard of a previous restoration: "When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, nosotros were like those who dream." And so the psalmist prays that the Lord would practice this again: "Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb!" In Psalm 85, also, the same pattern, the recalling of a previous restoration, followed by a plea that the Lord would do this once more: "LORD, y'all were favorable to your land; y'all restored the fortunes of Jacob." Then, "Restore u.s.a. again, O God of our conservancy!" And in Psalm fourscore, did you notice the refrain running through the psalm? Verse 3: "Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!" Poetry vii: "Restore u.s., O God of hosts; let your face up shine, that we may be saved!" And verse xix: "Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Permit your face smooth, that we may exist saved!"

Dear friends, this plea of the psalmists is our prayer besides: "Restore united states, O God!" Now let's explore what that means.

These three psalms were all written in the wake of a historical devastation that befell the people of God. There was the devastation, which led to the plea for restoration. What were these calamities that came upon the people of God? A cursory review of Israel'southward history is in club.

Subsequently Male monarch David and King Solomon, the britain of Israel split up in two. The northern kingdom was called Israel, the southern kingdom was called Judah. The rightful king, the descendant of David, remained in the southern kingdom, in Jerusalem, which is where the temple of God was, as well. Afterward a couple hundred years, the northern kingdom fell to the invading Assyrian ground forces, and those northern tribes were dispersed and scattered. Merely then, over a hundred years later, the southern kingdom, Judah, likewise fell to an invading regular army, this time, the Babylonians. Jerusalem was conquered, the king taken off into exile, the temple destroyed, the people taken captive to Babylon. After decades in captivity, when the people of Judah finally were able to come dorsum to their homeland, then they faced the daunting task of rebuilding the urban center, rebuilding the temple–rebuilding their lives, essentially. And and then in each of these situations, y'all can certainly sympathize the plea running through these psalms, "Restore us, O God."

That was and then, this is now. Can we identify with these psalms? Yeah, I recollect we can. Take we faced, exercise nosotros face up, devastation and daunting tasks in our lives? In our personal life, in our family life, in our life together as church? Oh, yes, I call up nosotros can identify most closely! What has hit yous, to knock y'all back and throw y'all for a loop? Is it financial crisis? Medical bug? Relationships in tatters? What nearly for u.s.a. as a church? Could we use the Lord to restore the states again? Most certainly. And then I retrieve these psalms are ones we definitely tin can resonate with. "Restore us, O God." That was the plea of the psalmists. That is our prayer as well.

But now we need to come to grips with the root of the problem, as the psalmists did. And at the root of all our sorrows, of all man destruction, is our sin. The general sinful, fallen condition of this world, which causes us grief as it is. And then in that location are our own sins and straying from God's path, by which nosotros bring sorrow and regret on ourselves. The psalmists recognize this. The Lord was disciplining and chastising his people for their sins, letting those devastations striking them. But his purpose in all of this was that they would turn and repent, turn from their folly, plough to him for forgiveness, turn to him for help.

Heed once again to their cries for mercy. From Psalm lxxx: "Stir upwardly your might and come to save us!" "How long will y'all be angry with your people's prayers? You take fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure." "Turn once again, O God of hosts! Wait downward from heaven, and see." "Then we shall not turn back from you; give the states life, and nosotros volition telephone call upon your name!" And in Psalm 85: "Put away your indignation toward us! Will you exist angry with united states forever? Will y'all prolong your anger to all generations? Will yous not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in yous? Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant u.s. your salvation."

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we may not empathize why the Lord lets griefs and sorrows hit united states. But we exercise know this: The Lord is e'er there to hear our prayers, to forgive our sins, to hear our cries for mercy, and to give us the assistance nosotros need. The psalmists knew this. This is why they prayed the prayers in these psalms. They knew the Lord would hear and help. And we have the aforementioned balls from God, the same promises we can rely on–and more.

"Restore the states, O God." What is the basis for the confidence that the Lord will hear our prayer? Information technology's based on how he has acted in the by, what he has already done for his people, and the promises he has made. That's how the psalm writers pray: "You brought a vine out of Arab republic of egypt; you drove out the nations and planted information technology. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land." Here the writer is recalling the Exodus out of Egypt and how the Lord had brought his people into the Promised Land. God's historical action in the past gives confidence for him acting kindly and mightily in the future.

Simply nosotros have those promises made even more sure! How? Well, how has God acted since then? Listen once again to this passage from Psalm 80: "Turn again, O God of hosts! Look downward from sky, and meet; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right manus planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself. . . . Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have fabricated strong for yourself!"

Dear friends, who is this talking nigh? Who is this "man of your correct hand, the son of man whom you have fabricated strong"? This is a reference to the Messiah, the Davidic king whom the Lord would send to bring the deliverance from devastation, to bring the salvation and the promised restoration. Beloved friends, this is a prophecy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

You meet, God has already restored u.s. in our Lord Jesus Christ! It came about when God sent his Son into the world to exist our Savior. God stirred up his might and saved us through the birth, life, suffering, death, and resurrection of his only Son sent from heaven. This might was subconscious in weakness, though, when Jesus was nailed to the cross. Just this was God exercising his saving might in a most mysterious way: God'due south own Son, dying in the place of sinners, shedding his holy blood for people like you and me.

Yes, the Lord has been favorable to us, far more than we deserve. In Christ, we can say: "You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Y'all withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger." We take peace with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Christ, it can be truly said: "Steadfast love and faithfulness run across; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the basis, and righteousness looks downwardly from the sky." Christ is our righteousness, Christ is our peace! "The LORD has done great things for us; nosotros are glad."

The Lord has washed great things for the states, and he volition exercise them over again! God has restored u.s. already, and he will restore u.s. once more! Only as the people of Judah were restored when they returned from captivity, so they needed to be restored again when they faced what was alee of them. And so it is for united states of america. We have been redeemed, restored, forgiven, restored back to God through the cantankerous of Christ. Only we nevertheless live in this vale of tears, with sorrow all around us and death staring us in the face. "Restore us once again, O God!" And he will! Jesus is coming back to complete the restoration, to bring it to fulfillment.

Psalm 126: "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, begetting the seed for sowing, shall come domicile with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him." And the mean solar day is coming, dear friends, the day is coming, when Christ will come once again, and wipe every tear from our eyes! No more sorrows. No more than grief. No more than death. No more than sin. The restoration of our bodies, in perfect wholeness. The restoration of this globe and this creation, restored even better than the paradise of Eden. Yes, that is the twenty-four hours of restoration we are looking frontward to, and it is based on the restoration already achieved in Christ. And so it is sure. Information technology is certain.

"When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were similar those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy." That's what it will be like, my friends, that's what it will be like. And knowing that, we can start the laughter and the joy even now.

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