Revive Us Again Series

In 1863, the Scottish medical doctor William P. Mackey wrote a song entitled, “Revive Us Again.” Some of the lyrics of this well-known hymn declare, “Revive us again! Fill each heart with thy love. May each soul be rekindled with fire from above. Hallelujah! Thine the glory! Hallelujah! Amen! Hallelujah! Thine the glory! Revive us again!” These words are based on Psalm 85:6-7, in which the sons of Korah petitioned the Lord, crying out, “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, LORD, and grant us Your salvation.” We’re going to look at a similar Psalm, and prayer for revival, in just a moment. But I must ask, what was it that inspired Mackey to write this hymn? Well, listen closely as I share some of his own testimony:

“My dear mother had been a godly, pious woman, quite often telling me of the Savior . . . But nothing had made a deep impression on me. The older I grew the more wicked I became. One day a seriously injured (laborer) was brought into the hospital . . . The man died, [and] some things about the deceased’s affairs were to be attended to in my presence. ‘What shall we do with this?’ asked the nurse, holding up a book in her hand. ‘What kind of book is it?’ I asked. ‘The Bible of the poor man’ . . . I took the Bible and – could I trust my eyes? It was my own Bible! The Bible which my mother had given me when I left my parents’ home, and which later, when short of money, I sold for a small amount. My name was still in it, written in my mother’s hand . . . Be it sufficient to say that the regained possession of my Bible was the cause of my conversion.”(1)

William Mackey’s song “Revive Us Again” is a prayer for revival, and so is Psalm chapter 80, which we’re about to read. Mackey prayed for everyone to experience God in a personal and powerful way just as he did! And as we’re going to discover, there is nothing more powerful in sparking revival than a visitation from God! In Mackey’s case it was a personal revival. Now, we’re also going to see that an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, on an individual or a group, is most often born out of a season of prayer motivated by some form of hardship or depraved condition. So, let’s go ahead and get started by reading Psalm 80:1-19; and I want to invite you to stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

Asaph’s Plea for Revival (Psalm 80:1-19)

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up Your strength, and come and save us! 3 Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved! 4 O LORD God of hosts, how long will You be angry against the prayer of Your people? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in great measure. 6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!

8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. 9 You prepared room for it, and caused it to take deep root, and it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with its shadow, and the mighty cedars with its boughs. 11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, and her branches to the River. 12 Why have You broken down her hedges, so that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? 13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, and the wild beast of the field devours it. 14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine, 15 and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, and the branch that You made strong for Yourself.

16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we will not turn back from You; revive us, and we will call upon Your name. 19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!

This Psalm is said to be a testimony of Asaph (v. 1). There was one named Asaph who was a leader in David’s choir. He was said to be skilled in music and he was a seer (1 Chronicles 6:29; 2 Chronicles 29:20). However, the Asaph mentioned here is thought to have been one who lived at a later time during the reign of King Hezekiah, and known as “the recorder” (2 Kings 18:18). Warren Wiersbe says, “This is Asaph’s prayer to God on behalf of the northern kingdom (Israel and Samaria) after it was taken captive by Assyria in 722-721 B.C.”(2) So, let’s take a look at another passage that addresses the beginning of the Assyrian captivity, and which also mentions Asaph. Feel free to turn to 2 Kings chapter 18, verses 9-16, and follow along as I read and make some comments.