Shownotes
Welcome to Day 2708 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Day 2708 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 85:1-7 – Daily Wisdom
Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2708 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2708 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we begin a new and profoundly hopeful conversation, continuing our journey through the Psalms with Psalm 85 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its opening verses, 1 through 7. Psalm 85 is another Communal Lament, a prayer of profound longing for national revival and restoration. It is widely believed to have been written after the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, a time when the physical journey home was complete, but the spiritual and political realities were far from the glorious restoration promised by the prophets. The Temple was still being rebuilt, the nation was weak, and the initial burst of post-exilic joy had given way to discouragement and doubt. This psalm is a beautiful and necessary transition from the previous psalms. In Psalm 84, we heard the joyous longing for God’s presence, declaring that "a single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else" (Psalm 84:10). Now, in Psalm 85, the people acknowledge that same presence but ask God to complete the work of salvation. They remember God's past faithfulness and use it as an urgent argument for Him to move again in the present. This is the prayer of a people who have seen God move, but whose current circumstances demand a fresh move of divine power. So, let's open our hearts to this fervent prayer for revival, feeling the weight of hope and the desperate need for God's face to shine upon His people once again.- Remembering Past Favor, Pleading for Present Peace
- The Urgent Cry for Complete Restoration
- Wisdom on the Trek: The Cycle of Remembrance and Revival
- The Power of Remembrance: They do not begin with lamenting their troubles; they begin by acknowledging God's past goodness (verses 1-3). They say, in effect, "We know You are good, because You have restored us. You have forgiven our guilt. You have turned away your anger." This act of remembering God’s past hesed is the very engine that powers their present prayer. We, too, must intentionally recall God's specific acts of grace in our lives—the burdens He removed, the sins He covered, the times He turned away from our foolishness. This remembrance is the antidote to the despair of the "How long?" question.
- The Urgency of Petition: They are honest about their current state, recognizing that they are still struggling and still need God to "restore us again" (verse 4). This prayer for revival is rooted in their vulnerability. The plea to be revived (ḥāyâ) is a universal cry. It’s asking God to breathe life back into the areas that feel spiritually dead, tired, or dry. In the context of the lament psalms, they understand that God's work of salvation is comprehensive; it's not finished until His people are not only forgiven but also actively rejoicing in Him (verse 6).
Transcripts
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Day: dom-Trek Podcast Script - Day: hamberlain, and we are on Day:Today, we begin a new and profoundly hopeful conversation, continuing our journey through the Psalms with Psalm 85 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its opening verses, 1 through 7.
Psalm 85 is another Communal Lament, a prayer of profound longing for national revival and restoration. It is widely believed to have been written after the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, a time when the physical journey home was complete, but the spiritual and political realities were far from the glorious restoration promised by the prophets. The Temple was still being rebuilt, the nation was weak, and the initial burst of post-exilic joy had given way to discouragement and doubt.
housand anywhere else" (Psalm:So, let's open our hearts to this fervent prayer for revival, feeling the weight of hope and the desperate need for God's face to shine upon His people once again.
Remembering Past Favor, Pleading for Present Peace
(Psalm 85:1-3)
Lord, you have poured out amazing blessings on your land! You have restored the fortunes of Israel. You have forgiven the guilt of your people— yes, you have covered all their sins. You have withdrawn your furious anger and turned away from your blazing wrath.
The psalm begins not with a complaint, but with a confident historical acknowledgment of God's past goodness, a crucial starting point for any plea for revival: "Lord, you have poured out amazing blessings on your land! You have restored the fortunes of Israel." This immediately grounds the prayer in God's proven faithfulness. The psalmist remembers the great work God has already done, specifically the Restoration from exile. God had indeed acted, bringing the people back from Babylon, pouring out "amazing blessings" (literally, "been favorable" or "showed favor") upon their land. He "restored the fortunes of Israel" (shuv shevut), a technical term used by the prophets for the major act of bringing the exiles home and reversing their national calamity.
This physical restoration was rooted in a spiritual reality: "You have forgiven the guilt of your people—yes, you have covered all their sins." The ultimate blessing of the return was not just the rebuilding of the walls but the divine act of forgiveness. God's grace was powerfully demonstrated: He "forgave the guilt" (nasa', "lifted up, carried away") of their iniquity, and He "covered all their sins" (kāsâ, "covered over"). In the ancient Israelite understanding of the sacrificial system and atonement, to have sins covered meant the barrier between a holy God and His sinful people was removed. This was the greatest act of covenant restoration, making the new beginning possible.
And this forgiveness had a direct impact on God's posture: "You have withdrawn your furious anger and turned away from your blazing wrath." The psalmist acknowledges that the national calamity and exile had been the result of God's righteous anger against their unfaithfulness (as we saw extensively detailed in Psalm 78). But now, God has "withdrawn" (’āsap, "gathered back") His furious anger and "turned away" (shuv, "turned back") from His "blazing wrath." This suggests that the judgment phase is over; God's face is no longer set against His people. This memory of past forgiveness and the cessation of judgment becomes the powerful argument for present intervention.
The Urgent Cry for Complete Restoration
(Psalm 85:4-7)
Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Stop being angry with us. Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath through all generations? Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
With the foundation of past faithfulness established, the psalmist now moves to a fervent plea for completion. The work of restoration is only half done: "Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Stop being angry with us." The prayer shifts from the past tense of acknowledgment (You have restored) to the present plea (Now restore us again). They are asking for a second, deeper, and more comprehensive act of restoration—a full spiritual and national revival that goes beyond just the physical return from Babylon. They appeal to God as the "God of our salvation," the One who alone has the power to deliver. The direct plea to "Stop being angry with us" implies that while the worst of the judgment is over, the full measure of God's favor has not yet returned; some aspect of His displeasure lingers over their struggling community.
The psalmist then voices the fear that their suffering might be unending, echoing a common lament theme: "Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath through all generations?" This is the crucial "How long?" question (as seen in Psalm 79 and 80). It expresses the anxiety that the current state of weakness, turmoil, and political vulnerability—the lingering effects of God's anger—might persist indefinitely. They beg God not to allow this punitive season to become permanent, lasting "through all generations." This is the core fear in a post-exilic world—that the promises of prosperity and peace are eternally out of reach.
The plea for revival then becomes explicit, rooted in the desire for joy: "Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?" The word "revive" (ḥāyâ) means "to bring to life," "to restore life," or "to preserve life." They are asking for a spiritual and national re-animation, a complete turning around of their depressed state. The purpose is not selfish: it is "so your people can rejoice in you." Their greatest joy, their ultimate happiness, is found only in a vibrant, restored relationship with God. Revival is desired so that their praise—the very thing that distinguishes them as God's people—can be renewed.
The psalm concludes this section with a concise, all-encompassing request that summarizes the entire prayer: "Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation." This is the essence of their need. They ask for God to visibly "show" (rā'â, "to see, to perceive") them His "unfailing love" (hesed), that steadfast, covenant-keeping love that is the bedrock of Israel's hope. This is their plea for God to turn His face toward them (as lamented in Psalm 80:4, where they asked for His smile) and to "grant us your salvation." This salvation (yeshû‘â) is comprehensive—it includes deliverance from their enemies, restoration of their dignity, and renewal of their spiritual life. It is the visible fruit of His hesed.
This section beautifully transitions from a confident look back at God’s past faithfulness to an urgent, yet hopeful, look forward, asking God to complete the work of revival and show them His perfect, saving love. The confidence that God will answer is built entirely upon the reality that He has already forgiven their sins and turned away His blazing wrath.
Wisdom on the Trek: The Cycle of Remembrance and Revival
The experience of the people in Psalm 85 provides profound wisdom for our own Wisdom-Trek today. Their journey from captivity to return, and their subsequent struggle with disappointment, reflects a pattern we often see in our lives: The gap between the miracle and the settled reality.
The psalmist successfully navigates this gap by adhering to two vital spiritual disciplines: Remembrance and Petition.
The Power of Remembrance: They do not begin with lamenting their troubles; they begin by acknowledging God's past goodness (verses 1-3). They say, in effect, "We know You are good, because You have restored us. You have forgiven our guilt. You have turned away your anger." This act of remembering God’s past hesed is the very engine that powers their present prayer. We, too, must intentionally recall God's specific acts of grace in our lives—the burdens He removed, the sins He covered, the times He turned away from our foolishness. This remembrance is the antidote to the despair of the "How long?" question.
The Urgency of Petition: They are honest about their current state, recognizing that they are still struggling and still need God to "restore us again" (verse 4). This prayer for revival is rooted in their vulnerability. The plea to be revived (ḥāyâ) is a universal cry. It’s asking God to breathe life back into the areas that feel spiritually dead, tired, or dry. In the context of the lament psalms, they understand that God's work of salvation is comprehensive; it's not finished until His people are not only forgiven but also actively rejoicing in Him (verse 6).
The ultimate lesson here is that our greatest source of hope is the unchanging character of God. The people knew that the same God who had removed their sin and had turned away His wrath would surely show them His unfailing love and grant them complete salvation. When we feel stuck in the "in-between"—between the promise and the fulfillment—we must use the psalmist's prayer: Acknowledge the miracle, and then pray for the complete revival.
Let us resolve today to anchor our faith in God's history, using His past mercies as the firm foundation for our present prayers for revival. For our God is the God of salvation, and His unfailing love is always searching for a way to "show" itself.
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