When God’s People Need Revival

Introduction: Please turn in your Bibles to Psalm 80. When many people hear the word revival, they think of a series of special services with an evangelistic emphasis. By definition, however, revival is something different. It is the reviving of God’s people: a renewal of spiritual life and fervor for the Lord. When a believer is genuinely revived, he or she will sincerely repent of sin, rededicate him-or herself to the Lord, strive for holiness, and walk more closely with Him than ever before.

Psalm 80 is a fervent prayer for revival. Shortly after Solomen’s death, the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms (1 Kings 12:1-24; 2 Chron. 10:1-19). The ten northern tribes banded together and were known as Israel or the Northern Kingdom. The Southern Kingdom, referred to as Judah, was made up of Judah and Benjamin. The Southern Kingdom fell to Babylonia in 586 B.C., and this was the subject of Psalm 79 (2 Kings 25:1-21). Approximately 135 years earlier, the Northern Kingdom had been overtaken by Assyria (2 Kings 17:1-23). Psalm 80 was written in response to this tragic event.

The heading of Psalm 80 attributes the psalm to Asaph. Like other psalms bearing his name that were written years after his death, it was presumably composed by his descendants. The sons of Asaph were an order of temple musicians called by his name (2 Chron. 35:15; Ezra 2:41; 3:10).

The heading also includes the term Shoshannim-Eduth, which means the lilies of the covenant. This was probably the title of a popular song, one whose tune Asaph chose to go with the lyrics of Psalm 80.

Psalm 80 revolves around a refrain or repeated phrase in which the psalmist pleaded with God to turn His face back toward His people in order to save them from their suffering (vv. 3, 7, 19). Throughout the prayer, Asaph addressed the Lord as the God of hosts–the commander of heaven’s armies (vv. 4, 7, 14, 19). In verse 4, he implied that God had not sent angels to protect the nation when Assyria attacked. In the succeeding verses in which he called God by this name, Asaph was indirectly praying for God to send an angel army to liberate His people from their captors. He realized, however, that before God would deliver His people, they would first have to repent and turn back to Him. Therefore, he prayed for God to revive His sinful, rebellious people. He asked God to do a radical work in their hearts, a work so powerful that they would never again turn from Him.

Many churches today are not true churches; they are man-centered rather than God-centered, they care more about entertaining people rather than genuinely worshiping Jesus Christ, spiritually they are cold because the Word is not truly being expounded, a real love for the Lord and for His church is absent and replaced with a love for self. There may be a lot of energy, but a lack in gospel power, lifeless and yet filled with so much “life.” Indifferent with no discernment. Many have accepted and endorsed sin within their ranks, totally ignoring the doctrines of Scriptural separation and holiness. Few souls are saved in these environments; the waters of baptism are seldom stirred; and few individuals are wholehearted followers of Jesus Christ. A form of godliness exists, but the power of God is tragically missing (2 Tim. 3:5). Such churches would do well to adopt Psalm 80 as their own, praying for God to reignite their cold hearts and turn His people back to Him. This is, When God’s People Need Revival, 80:1-19. And let us not fall into the trap of thinking that its message is for someone else and not for us! 

Appeal to God as your Shepherd, the Shepherd of His people (vv. 1-2).

Ask God to turn you back to Him (vv. 3-6).

Beg God to restore you–make His face shine on you and save you–lest you be condemned: Seen in the example of Israel (vv. 7-16).

Ask God to revive you through the Savior–the Davidic King: A picture of Christ, (vv. 17-19).

1. Appeal to God as your Shepherd, the Shepherd of His people (Ps. 80:1-2).

Psalm 80:1–2 “O Shepherd of Israel, give ear, You who guide Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your might And come to save us!”

Addressing God as the Shepherd of Israel, the psalmist called on God to listen attentively to his prayer. The image of God as Shepherd is a tender and precious one to His people. It emphasizes our total dependence on God as well as our foolish tendency to stray from Him. Asaph appealed to God on this basis, reminding God how desperately His sheep need His guidance and help.

a. Because He leads and cares for His people like a flock (v. 1a). The psalmist gave God praise because He had always led His people like a shepherd leads his flock, even when they turned away from Him. In Asaph’s previous psalms, he noted that God had led His rebellious people like a flock of sheep in the wilderness (Ps. 77:20; 78:52). Here he called on God to guide them through this crisis just as He did then. Even when He was forced to judge them for their unfaithfulness, God faithfully cares for His dear people. 

Asaph addressed God as “You who guide Joseph.” Joseph may represent the entire Northern Kingdom, as his descendants were a part of this faction or group that had split off from the southern tribes. Or, the psalmist may have been asking God to deliver his descendants for faithful Joseph’s sake.

b. Because you need God’s presence (vv. 1b-2). Asaph also praised God for His presence among His people. The cherubims referred to are the angels whose wings covered the ark of the covenant, where God’s presence dwelled in a special way. Just as God’s glory had shone when His presence filled the tabernacle and later the temple, the psalmist prayed for the glory of God’s presence to shine on Israel (Ex. 40:35; 2 Chron. 7:1-2).

Asaph then asked God to stir up His mighty power and to save His oppressed (v. 2). Notice the mention of Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s sons, were part of the Northern Kingdom. And, as already stated, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin made up the Southern Kingdom. By mentioning Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh together, the psalmist was undoubtedly praying that God would deliver the Northern Kingdom before all of Israel—both kingdoms. He may have been requesting for this crisis to reunite the Lord’s chosen nation. The mention of these specific tribes as representatives of the two kingdoms is significant because Joseph and Benjamin were Rachel’s two sons (as Dr. Warren Wiersbe mentions in his commentary). Note that Asaph mentioned Benjamin between Ephraim and Manasseh—an unusual arrangement under the circumstances of the divided kingdom. Asaph’s request appears to be for the family to come back together. He may even have been praying that the southern tribes would rise to their brother Joseph’s defense—that God would save Israel, the Northern Kingdom, by showing His mighty power through Judah, the Southern Kingdom.

Thought 1. Assyria’s capture