Introduction: When the Blessing is Broken
There is a special kind of pain that comes from seeing something that was once beautiful and thriving fall into ruin. We see it in a family that was once close but is now fractured by conflict. We see it in a business that was once prosperous but is now failing. It's the sorrow of looking at a withered garden that was once flourishing. This feeling of looking at a broken blessing is the emotional heart of Psalm 80.
This is a national lament for Israel. They are looking back at their history, remembering a time when they were like a magnificent vine, planted and cared for by God Himself, growing strong and filling the land. But now, as they look at their present reality, they see that the protective hedges are broken down, and the vine is being trampled and ravaged by its enemies.
This psalm is a model for how to pray when we need revival—whether in our own hearts, in our families, or in our church. It centers on a powerful, repeating plea that shows us the only true path to restoration.
I. The Cry: "Turn Us Again, O God"
The most important part of this psalm is its powerful, repeating chorus, which appears in verses 3, 7, and 19. It is the heartbeat of a people desperate for God.
A. The Repeating Refrain
The core prayer is this: "Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." With each repetition, the title for God intensifies, from "O God," to "O God of hosts," to the final, most desperate cry, "O LORD God of hosts." This shows their growing urgency as they press into God.
B. The God-Given Repentance
Notice the first part of the plea: "Turn us again." This is a profound theological truth packed into three simple words. They aren't saying, "God, wait there, we will turn ourselves back to you." They are admitting, "We are so lost, so broken, so entangled in our sin that we can't even turn back on our own. You must be the one to turn our hearts." True revival begins not with our human resolve, but with God's gracious action in our souls.
C. The Restored Favor
The second part of the plea is "cause thy face to shine." This is a prayer for God's presence and favor to return, a direct echo of the high priestly blessing in the book of Numbers. They understood that their deepest need was not a change in their political or military circumstances, but the restoration of a right relationship with God. They needed the smile of their Father to return.
II. The Story: "Remember Your Vine"
To motivate God to act, the psalmist tells God's own story of faithfulness back to Him, using the beautiful and tragic metaphor of a vine.
A. The Vine Planted and Prospered
He begins by reminding God of His past work. Verse 8: "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt." He recounts how God, like a loving vinedresser, miraculously transplanted His people (the vine) during the Exodus, cleared the land for them, and planted them in the Promised Land where they "took deep root, and it filled the land" (v. 9). This is a beautiful picture of God's power and tender care during Israel's golden age.
B. The Vine Broken and Plundered
But the story takes a tragic turn with a painful question in verse 12: "Why hast thou then broken down her hedges...?" The protective walls are gone. And now, the once-glorious vine is being wasted by the "boar out of the wood" (v. 13)—a fitting symbol for a destructive, savage, and unclean enemy. It's a picture of utter vulnerability and devastation.
C. The Application for Us
We can feel like this in our own lives. We can remember a time when our faith was flourishing, when we felt close to God and spiritually fruitful. But now, perhaps through sin, neglect, or the harshness of life, we feel broken, vulnerable, and plundered by the pressures of the world. This psalm gives us an honest language for that pain.
III. The Hope: "Look Upon the True Vine"
The prayer is desperate, but it is not hopeless, because it is addressed to the one who has the power to restore.
A. The Plea to the Shepherd
The prayer is addressed to the "Shepherd of Israel" (v. 1) and the "God of hosts" (the commander of heaven's armies). They are appealing to God's character as both a tender protector and an all-powerful commander. They ask Him to "look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine" (v. 14).
B. The Promise of Jesus, the True Vine
Israel, the vine of the Old Testament, ultimately failed because of its sin and disobedience. The story could have ended there, in a broken vineyard. But it doesn't. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ stands up and makes one of the most audacious statements imaginable. In John 15, He declares, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."
Jesus is the perfect, fruitful, and faithful vine that Israel could never be. Our ultimate hope for revival and restoration is not in trying to be a better vine ourselves, but in being connected to Him. He is the beloved Son on whom God's face will always shine.
C. The Security of the Branches
Because we are branches connected to Him, the True Vine, our prayer for revival is already answered in principle. When we pray "Turn us again," God the Father turns our focus back to Jesus. When we pray "Cause thy face to shine," we see the fullness of God's favor shining on His Son, and therefore on us who are in Him.
Conclusion: Praying for Revival
When we feel broken, useless, and trampled like a ravaged vine, our only hope is to pray the prayer of Psalm 80. We cry out for God to turn us, to restore His favor, and to save us. We do this by remembering His past faithfulness in our lives, and by looking to our ultimate hope, Jesus, the True Vine.
Do you need revival in your heart today? Does our church, our community, our nation need revival? Then let's make the prayer of Psalm 80 our own. Let's stop relying on our own programs and efforts to fix what is broken. Let's humbly and desperately cry out together:
"Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved."
