From Despair to Deliverance: Hope in Community Crisis
Notes
Transcript
We are continuing our study in the book of Psalms and will be looking at Psalm 74 and Psalm 80 tonight. These Psalms articulate the lament and longing of the community of Israel in times of crisis, expressing feelings of abandonment by God while calling on Him for restoration and hope. Just as Israel faced devastation and loss, we too experience moments of crisis. These Psalms teach us how to lament together and trust in God's past faithfulness as we pray for restoration.
A Contemplation of Asaph.
1 O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed— This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
3 Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4 Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs.
5 They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees.
6 And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers.
7 They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, “Let us destroy them altogether.” They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10 O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
12 For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20 Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.
21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
Start with the Struggle
74:1-11
We see the raw expression of despair in these verses. The psalmist laments the apparent abandonment of God. Like the Israelites, we often struggle with feeling forgotten in crises. Recognizing our own powerlessness opens the door to seeking God’s presence and intervention.
Application Question: Are we honest in bringing our struggles before God as a community?
2. Remember Remembered Victory
12 For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20 Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.
21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
After lamenting their crisis, the Psalmist shifts from despair to trust by recalling how God has acted powerfully in the past. This is a crucial turning point.
Key Observation:
In verses 12-17, the Psalmist recounts God’s mighty works—parting the Red Sea, defeating enemies, and establishing order in creation.
Even though they don’t yet see deliverance, they choose to remember what God has already done.
Why This Matters:
When we are in crisis, our present pain can make us forget past victories.
Israel had seen God part the sea, defeat enemies, and provide miraculously, yet in hardship, they felt abandoned.
We do the same—when trouble comes, we often forget how God has been faithful before.
Application to Us:
We need to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness in our past crises.
Just as Israel remembered the Exodus, we must recall how God has answered prayers, provided, or delivered us before.
Our greatest victory is already won—through Christ.
Jesus' death and resurrection is the ultimate proof that God brings victory even when all seems lost.
If God defeated sin and death, we can trust Him in our present struggles.
Reflection Question:
When was a time God brought you through a crisis? How can remembering that strengthen your faith today?
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.
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!
3. Persist in Prayerful Pleas-80:1-7
In these verses, we see a plea for divine attention and renewal. The Israelites call to God to shine His face amidst their troubles, just as Jesus’ light brings life to our darkness. We are to persist in prayer, asking God to reveal His power amid our current trials, trusting that His intervention is vital. Notice how this is a communal prayer, which fosters unity among believers during challenging times.
Application Question: Are we persistent in seeking God’s restoration, or do we grow weary?
4. Rooted in Restoration
Psalm 80:8-19
In these verses, the metaphor of a vine speaks to God’s nurturing care and hope for restoration. Christ is the true vine who restores and sustains us. We need to stay rooted in Jesus through communal worship, Scripture, and prayer, which strengthens and revives us as a community, preparing us for God’s deliverance.
Application Question: How can we stay ‘rooted’ in Jesus in times of hardship?
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Both of these Psalms express the cry of a people in distress—feeling abandoned yet clinging to the hope that God will restore them. Psalm 74 looks back at devastation, asking ‘Why, God?’ But in Psalm 80, the focus shifts to pleading for restoration. Both remind us that lament is not just about pain—it is about calling on God together as a community.
Final Thought: In times of crisis, we must be a people who lament in faith, remember God’s faithfulness, persist in prayer, and remain rooted in Jesus. May these Psalms guide us as we navigate trials together, trusting that God will restore us in His perfect time.
