Bible Study from January 13, 2020 - Psalm 85

In our study, we began looking at Psalm 85. The authors, sons of Korah, remember how God had been merciful and forgiving to His people, descendants of Jacob, the people of Israel (v.1-3). Many commentators think they are speaking of how God had forgiven and allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland, after their years of captivity in Babylon. Prophets like Jeremiah had warned the people of God’s wrath coming, because of their many sins and rebellion against Him and His will. Then the time of judgement came and the Babylonians conquered the Southern Kingdom and killed many and carried many others away to Babylon. (See Jeremiah 30:15, for example, and the “lamentation and bitter weeping” of that period,(Jeremiah 31:15) as had happened before with Rachel (Genesis 35:16-20) and would happen again with the slaughter of the children in Bethlehem, after Jesus was born (Matthew 2:13-18).

God had also promised though, through Jeremiah, that He would eventually bring some of His people back to the land of Israel, when they realized their sin and repented. (Hear God’s promises, through Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 31:17,20, when His people cry out, literally, “Turn me, and I shall be turned” (Jeremiah 31:18-19).

God even promises a new covenant (the New Testament) in which His own Son would come to be the Savior and forgive and forget their sin. (See Jeremiah 31:31-34 and explanation of that in Hebrews 8.)

God’s people return to their land, by God’s grace, but much does not go well. The people now living in Israel do not want these Israelites around, and the Israelites are not eager to do what God wants them to do. (Read Ezra 4:4, 24, and Nehemiah 1:3 and Haggai 1:4-10, for example) Once again, the Israelites need to call out, “Turn us again, O God of our salvation”, as we hear in Psalm 85:4-7.

Next week, we will continue with Psalm 85 and what it means for us today, and how we need to cry out, too, “Show us Your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” (Psalm 85:7) And God does provide His own Righteousness for us, in Christ!