Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved! (Psalm 80:3)
As the psalm continues, the theme of exile and prayers for deliverance is recurring. In fact, these same words in the verse above are invoked three different times in this psalm (Ps 80:3, 7 & 19). Rabbinical commentators believe these three occurrences coincide with the three primary exiles Israel has been subjected to — the Assyrian exile which resulted in the scattering of the Lost Tribes, the Babylonian exile and the Roman exile, also referred to as the Edomite exile. (The latter is said to be ongoing even though there is a Jewish presence in the land of Israel). In short, the psalmist understood that exile was in Israel’s future and, therefore, penned prophetic words of contrition and repentance in the belief that God would restore the nation.
In that vein, when Asaph petitioned God to “cause Your face to shine,” he acknowledged that exile amounted to God turning His face away from the people. This occurred because, in an act of rebellion, they had turned their face away from Him. Going after other gods was effectively turning their attention and affection toward ideologies and beliefs that were empty, self-serving and destructive. As a result, God pledged to turn away from them until they changed their ways. As it is written, “They will forsake Me and break My covenant…. Then I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them” (Deuteronomy 31:16-17) “until they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
As tragic as exile was and has been, God’s people have not been left hopeless. Throughout the Scripture, He clearly stated He has always been ready to receive those who “repent and turn away from idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations” (Ezekiel 14:6). In fact, it is the afflictions that come with exile and separation that prompts His people to have a change of heart and return to Him. As it is written, “Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1).
The point is this: when we turn our face back toward God in humility and repentance, He begins to turn His face back toward us. As this occurs — as His face shines upon us — we will be restored; The countenance of His glory saves us from our exile. The irony of this is, no one is supposed to be able to see God’s face and live; however, if we want to truly live, we must seek His face and reverently plead with Him to cause His face to shine upon us, with all His glory. So may we all pray, “O God; cause Your face to shine!”
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments