Psalm 85 - He promises peace

Read: Psalm 85 vs 1-13

Some of the Psalms have titles that enable us to place them in the overall storyline of the Old Testament (we have seen this with some of the Psalms written by David). Others have no particular historical references in the title, however there are strong hints in the content as to when the Psalm itself may have been written. Psalm 85 is one of these. It seems this Psalm was written at a time when God’s people could look back on a great moment of national forgiveness and restoration, but now things had turned sour again.

The book of Haggai was written about 500 years before the birth of the Lord Jesus. Around 20 years before it was written God had brought to an end what is known as ‘the exile’, that bleak period of Old Testament history when many of God’s people lived as exiles in Babylon. With a deep awareness of their past sin, and yet a great thankfulness for this new start, the people returned to Jerusalem and began the work of rebuilding the Temple and the city walls (the story is told in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah). 

But once back in the land the people quickly lost their focus on the God who had restored them. Work on the Temple stopped as everyone paid more attention to fixing up their own houses. Once again God was pushed to the margins, and God brought a drought upon the land (Haggai 1:9-11).

This seems to fit the flow of Psalm 85, with its thankfulness for past restoration and forgiveness (vs 1-3) and its cry for new mercy in light of new sin and (vs 4-7). God wants His glory to dwell among His people (vs 9), He wants to deliver them from the folly of constantly wandering from Him (vs 8). Psalm 85 vs 13 prepares the way for the One so needed, in whom God’s righteousness (His hatred of sin) and His love (for a fickle people) would meet. Jesus not only comes to restore our broken relationship with God, He leaves His Holy Spirit to help us and to keep us in His truth (John 14:16).

Prayer: Lord Jesus if You bring us to a point of deliverance, restoration and thankfuness, please don’t allow us to quickly forget Your goodness. Give us Your Holy Spirit to keep us close to You and to keep us in Your truth. Amen.