Psalms 85
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Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.
8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
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Commentary
“Show us Your mercy, O Lord!”
As I write, 998,047 reported cases of COVID-19 are reported world-wide; where I live in the U.S. there are 237,063 COVID-19 cases. Of those 237,063 cases, 5,764 have died, and 10,324 have recovered. (These numbers change daily.)
Psalm 85 is given for encouragement, a thanksgiving song for the deliverance of Israel from her captors, a prayer for complete restoration, an acknowledgement that “Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness and peace have looked down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good ….” v. 10-11
Our ‘captors’ differ from those of ancient Israel, yet our world continues to be held under the enemy of soul’s grasp; the battle of good and evil still wages; and the souls of God’s creation remain in the balance.
We can benefit from this Psalm as it is evidence of God’s love and mercy. It is proof He is faithful, and His desire is for us to live in peace and righteousness. “Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.”
Encourage each other with these words.
Kami Borg
Church elder, youth Sabbath school teacher, assistant treasurer
Forest Park Seventh-day Adventist Church, Everett, Washington USA
