Psalm 85 - Drought

Psalm 85:1-12 NIV

You, Lord, showed favor to your land; 

 you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 

You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. 

You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger. 

Restore us again, God our Savior,

 and put away your displeasure toward us. 

Will you be angry with us forever? 

Will you prolong your anger through all generations? 

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 

Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.

I will listen to what God the Lord says;

 he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—

 but let them not turn to folly. 

Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,

 that his glory may dwell in our land.

Love and faithfulness meet together;

 righteousness and peace kiss each other. 

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,

 and righteousness looks down from heaven. 

The Lord will indeed give what is good,

 and our land will yield its harvest.

Psalm 85 comes at a time of drought, or some kind of agricultural failure it would seem. The psalm begins by recalling God's mercy and providence in the past. This feels to me to be post-exilic. After the exiled returned to Jerusalem from Babylon they had to rebuild. God was with them and they experienced His blessing and providing. But now they sense God is not blessing.

Both Ezra and Nehemiah cover the restoration period. Both accounts speak of the unfaithfulness of the returning exiles. After recommitting themselves to the covenant of the Lord, Nehemiah discovered that they had shirked on their promises. They weren't paying the Levites their portions. Rather than attending to their duties at the temple, the Levites left Jerusalem and returned to their villages to work the fields. The Sabbath restrictions were being broken as Nehemiah saw trade being conducted and workers treading out the winepresses. Some of the Hebrews had married foreigners, something they promised not to do. Nehemiah 13 covers such transgressions.

Breaking covenant law eventually leads to the holy God removing His blessing. He hands His wayward nation over to the consequences of their sin. Regardless of the timing or nature of this agricultural crisis, the Israelites must acknowledge their sin and confess them. They must repent and return to faithful obedience to the law of God.

The prayer of the psalmist announces good news. God promises peace. Salvation is near. It's beautiful how the psalm turns from anxious petition to powerful praise. Hope in God's mercy and faithfulness wells up verse after verse. Love and faithfulness meet. God's right ways and the peace it brings kiss the people in a warm embrace. The glory of the Lord will return to the land and bless them. The land will produce a harvest so that the people and animals may feast.

Times can be tough. This post-9/11 world continues to count up casualties. Violence in our schools, brutality of police and against police, drug use, public obscenity, and more sinful and malicious behavior seem to be commonplace now. We are growing numb in the face of it.

We are on the midst of an economic drought, but there are hopeful signs of recovery. More than fiscal robustness, we need repentance as a nation. We need a spiritual revival. We need to turn away from folly and turn to the Lord.

I have hope in His unfailing love. Surely His salvation is near those who fear him, that His glory may dwell in our land. (Psalm 85:9) May God bless America and may Americans seek to serve the living God revealed through Israel and His Anointed One, Jesus.