Title. - To the Chief Musician, A Psalm for the Sons of Korah. There is no need to repeat our observations upon a title which is of so frequent occurrence; the reader is referred to notes placed in the headings of preceding Psalms. Yet it may not be out of place to quote Nehemiah 12:46. - "In the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God."

Subject and Occasion. - It is the prayer of a patriot for his afflicted country, in which he pleads the Lord's former mercies, and by faith foresees brighter days. We believe that David wrote it, but many question that assertion. Certain interpreters appear to grudge the Psalmist David the authorship of any of the Psalms, and refer the sacred songs by wholesale to the times of Hezekiah, Josiah, the Captivity, and the Maccabees, it is remarkable that, as a rule, the more sceptical a writer is, the more resolute is he to have done with David; while the purely evangelic annotators are for the most part content to leave the royal poet in the chair of authorship. The charms of a new theory also operate greatly upon writers who would have nothing at all to say if they did not invent a novel hypothesis, and twist the language of the Psalm in order to justify it. The present Psalm has of course been referred to the Captivity, the critics could not resist the temptation to do that, though, for our part, we see no need to do so: it is true a captivity is mentioned in Psalm 85:1, but that does not necessitate the nation's having been carried away into exile, since Job's captivity was turned, and yet he had never left his native land: moreover, the text speaks of the captivity of Jacob as brought back, but, had it referred to the Babylonian emigration, it would have spoken of Judah; for Jacob or Israel, as such, did not return. Psalm 85:1 in speaking of "the land" proves that the author was not an exile. Our own belie! is that David penned this national hymn when the land was oppressed by the Philistines, and in the spirit of prophecy he foretold the peaceful years of his own reign and the repose of the rule of Solomon, the Psalm having all along an inner sense of which Jesus and his salvation are the key. The presence of Jesus the Saviour reconciles earth and heaven, and secures to us the golden age, the balmy days of universal peace.

Divisions. - In the Psalm 85:1-4 the poet sings of the Lord's former mercies and begs him to remember his people; from Psalm 85:5-7 he pleads the cause of afflicted Israel; and then, having listened to the sacred oracle in Psalm 85:8, he publishes joyfully the tidings of future good, Psalm 85:9-13.

Hints to Preachers

Psalm 85:1. - There is,

I.Captivity.

1. Of the people of God.

2. Although they are the people of God.

3. Because they are the people of God. "You only have I known," etc.

II. Restoration from Captivity: "Thou hast brought back," etc.

1. The fact.

2. The Author: "Thou: by thine own power; in thine own manner; at thine own time."

III. The cause of the Restoration; the favour of God: "Thou hast been favourable."

1. On account of favour past. "Thou hast."

2. On account of favour in reserve.

Psalm 85:2. -

I. The subjects of forgiveness, "Thy people."

1. By choice.

2. By redemption.

3. By effectual calling.

II. The time of forgiveness: "Thou hast forgiven," etc.

III. The method of forgiveness.

1. Forgiven. Heb. borne, same word as in Leviticus 16:22 : "The goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities."

2. Covered; as the mercy seat covered the law that had been broken.

IV. The extent of forgiveness: "all their sin."

Psalm 85:3. -

I. The language of penitence. It is implied here that the wrath was,

1.:Great:

2.:Just: "thy wrath."

II. The language of faith.

1. In the grace of pardon: "Thou hast turned away wrath." We could not, by anything we could do or suffer.

2. In the method of pardon: "Turned away." Turned it from us to our Surety.

III. The language of praise: "Thou hast - thou hast."

Psalm 85:4. -

I. In what salvation consists.

1. In the removal of God's enmity from us.

2. In the removal of our enmity to him.

II. By whom it is accomplished. By the God of salvation.

1. He causes his anger toward us to cease, and

2. Our anger toward him.

III. How is it obtained? By prayer: "Turn us," etc.

Psalm 85:6. -

I. Revivals imply decline.

1. That there is grace to be revived.

2. That this grace has declined.

II. Revivals are from God: "Wilt not thou," etc.: they cannot be got up by men.

III. Revivals are frequently needed: "Wilt not thou revive us again."

IV. Revivals are in answer to prayer, "Wilt thou not," etc.

V. Revivals are occasions for great joy.

1. To the saints.

2. In God.

Psalm 85:7. -

I. Salvation is God's work: "Thy salvation."

1. The plan is his.

2. The provision is his.

3. The condition is his.

4. The application is his.

5. The consummation is his.

II. Salvation is God's gift.

1. Of his mercy: "Show us thy mercy."

2. Of his grace: "Grant us," etc.

III. Salvation is God's answer to prayer.

1. It is the first object of prayer.

2. It includes every other.

Psalm 85:8. -

I. We should look for an answer to prayer. Having spoken to God, we should hear what he has to say to us in reply.

1. In his word.

2. In his providence.

3. By his Spirit in our own souls.

II. We should look for an answer of peace: "He will speak peace."

III. We should avoid whatever might deprive us of that peace: "But let them not turn," etc.

Psalm 85:10. -

I. The attributes displayed in man's salvation.

1. Mercy in the promise.

2. Truth in its fulfilment.

3. Righteousness in the manner of its fulfilment.

4. Peace in its results.

II. These attributes harmonized in man's salvation.

1. How? "Met together - kissed each other."

2. Why? Each on its own account. All on each others' account.

3. Where? Met and kissed,

(1) In the covenant.

(2) At the incarnation.

(3) At the cross.

(4) At the conversion of every sinner.

(5) At the completion of the saints in heaven.

Psalm 85:12. -

I. All spiritual good is from God: "The Lord will give," etc.

1. Is repentance a good thing? The Lord will give repentance.

2. Is pardon? "The Lord," etc.

3. Is faith?

4. Is justification?

5. Is regeneration?

6. Is growth in grace?

7. Is preservation unto the end?

8. Is eternal glory? "The Lord will give," etc.

III. All temporal good is from God. "Our land," etc.

1. In a lawful manner our land.

2. In the use of appointed means: "Shall yield her increase," etc.

3. In dependance upon the divine blessing. "Who giveth fruitful seasons," etc. Spiritual good is not less given in the use of appointed means.

Psalm 85:13. -

I. The righteousness by which we are justified long precedes our justification: this righteousness is "gone before," etc.

II. Our justification by that righteousness precedes our sanctification.

III. The righteousness of sanctification invariably follows that of justification.

[All the above are by the Rev. Geo. Rogers.]

1 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 an 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.

Psalm 85:1

"Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land." The self-existent, all-sufficient Jehovah is addressed: by that name he revealed himself to Moses when his people were in bondage, by that name he is here pleaded with. It is wise to dwell upon that view of the divine character which arouses the sweetest memories of his love. Sweeter still is that dear name of "Our Father," with which Christians have learned to commence their prayers. The Psalmist speaks of Canaan as the Lord's land, for he chose it for his people, conveyed it to them by covenant, conquered it by his power, and dwelt in it in mercy; it was meet therefore that he should smile upon a land so peculiarly his own. It is most wise to plead the Lord's union of interest with ourselves, to lash our little boat as it were close to his great barque, and experience a sacred community in the tossings of the storm. It is our land that is devastated, but O Jehovah, it is also thy land. The Psalmist dwells upon the Lord's favour to the chosen land, which he had shewed in a thousand ways. God's past doings are prophetic of what he will do: hence the encouraging argument - "Thou hast been favourable unto thy land," therefore deal graciously with it again. Many a time had foes been baffled, pestilence stayed, famine averted, and deliverance vouchsafed, because of the Lord's favour; that same favourable regard is therefore again invoked. With an immutable God this is powerful reasoning; it is because he changes not that we are not consumed, and know We never shall be if he has once been favourable to us. From this example of prayer let us learn how to order our cause before God.

It is clear that Israel was not in exile, or the prayer before us would not have referred to the land but to the nation.

"Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob." When down-trodden and oppressed through their sins, the Ever-merciful One had looked upon them, changed their sad condition, chased away the invaders, and given to his people rest: this he had done not once, nor twice, but times without number. Many a time have we also been brought into Soul-captivity by our backslidings, but we have not been left therein; the God who brought Jacob back from Padan-aram to his father's house, has restored us to the enjoyment of holy fellowship; - will he not do the like again? Let us appeal to him with Jacob-like wrestlings, beseeching him to be favourable, or sovereignly gracious to us notwithstanding all our provocations of his love. Let declining churches remember their former history, and with holy confidence plead with the Lord to turn their captivity yet again.

Psalm 85:2

"Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people." Often and often had he done this, pausing to pardon even when his sword was bared to punish. Who is a pardoning God like thee, O Jehovah? Who is so slow to anger, so ready to forgive? Every believer in Jesus enjoys the blessing of pardoned sin, and he should regard this priceless boon as the pledge of all other needed mercies, He should plead it with God - "Lord hast thou pardoned me, and wilt thou let me perish for lack of grace, or fall into thine enemies' hands for want of help. Thou wilt not thus leave thy work unfinished." "Thou hast covered all their sin," All of it, every spot, and wrinkle, the veil of love has covered all. Sin has been divinely put out of sight. Hiding it beneath the propitiatory; covering it with the sea of the atonement, blotting it out, making it to cease to be, the Lord has put it so completely away that even his omniscient eye sees it no more. What a miracle is this! To cover up the sun would be easy work compared with the covering up of sin. Not without a covering atonement is sin removed, but by means of the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, it is most effectually put away by one act, for ever. What a covering does his blood afford!

Psalm 85:3

"Thou hast taken away all thy wrath." Having removed the sin, the anger is removed also. How often did the long-suffering of God take away from Israel the punishments which had been justly laid upon them! How often also has the Lord's chastising hand been removed from Us when our waywardness called for heavier strokes! "Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger," Even when judgments had been most severe, the Lord had in mercy stayed his hand. In mid volley he had restrained his thunder. When ready to destroy, he had averted his face from his purpose of judgment and allowed mercy to interpose. The book of Judges is full of illustrations of this, and the Psalmist does well to quote them while he intercedes. Is not our experience equally studded with instances in which judgment has been stayed and tenderness has ruled? What a difference between the fierce anger which is feared and deprecated here, and the speaking of peace which is foretold in Psalm 85:8. There are many changes in Christian experience, and therefore we must not despair when we are undergoing the drearier portion of the spiritual life, for soon, very soon, it may be transformed into gladness.

"The Lord can clear the darkest skies,

Can give us day for night,

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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.

Psalm 85:5

"Wilt thou be angry with us for ever?" See how the Psalmist makes bold to plead. We are in time as yet and not in eternity, and does not time come to an end, and therefore thy wrath! Wilt thou be angry always as if it were eternity? Is there no boundary to thine indignation? Will thy wrath never have done? And if for ever angry, yet wilt thou be angry "with us," thy favoured people, the seed of Abraham, thy friend? That our enemies should be always wroth is natural but wilt thou, our God, be always incensed against us? Every word is an argument. Men in distress never waste words. "Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?" Shall sons suffer for their fathers' faults, and punishment become an entailed inheritance? O merciful God, hast thou a mind to spin out thine anger, and make it as long as the ages? Cease thou, as thou hast ceased aforetime, and let grace reign as it has done in days of yore. When we are under spiritual desertion we may beg in the like manner that the days of tribulation may be shortened, lest our spirit should utterly fail beneath the trial.

Psalm 85:6

"Will thou not revive us again?" Hope here grows almost confident. She feels sure that the Lord will return in all his power to save. We are dead or dying, faint and feeble, God alone can revive us, he has in other times refreshed his people, he is still the same, he will repeat his love. Will he not? Why should he not? We appeal to him - "Wilt thou not?" "That thy people may rejoice in thee." Thou lovest to see thy children happy with that best of happiness which centres in thyself, therefore revive us, for revival will bring us the utmost joy. The words before us teach us that gratitude has an eye to the giver, even beyond the gift - "thy people may rejoice in thee." Those who were revived would rejoice not only in the new life but in the Lord who was the author of it. Joy in the Lord is the ripest fruit of grace, all revivals and renewals lead up to it. By our possession of it we may estimate our spiritual condition, it is a sure gauge of inward prosperity. A genuine revival without joy in the Lord is as impossible as spring without flowers, or daydawn without light. If, either in our own souls or in the hearts of others, we see declension, it becomes us to be much in the use of this prayer, and if on the other hand we are enjoying visitations of the Spirit and bedewings of grace, let us abound in holy joy and make it our constant delight to joy in God.

Psalm 85:7

"Shew us thy mercy, O Lord." Reveal it to our poor half-blinded eyes. We cannot see it or believe it by reason of our long woes, but thou canst make it plain to us. Others have beheld it, Lord shew it to us. We have seen thine anger, Lord let us see thy mercy. Thy prophets have told us of it, but, O Lord, do thou thyself display it in this our hour of need. "And grant us thy salvation." This includes deliverance from the sin as well as the chastisement, it reaches from the depth of their misery to the height of divine love. God's salvation is perfect in kind, comprehensive in extent, and eminent in degree; grant us this, O Lord, and we have all.

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.

Having offered earnest intercession for the afflicted but penitent nation, the sacred poet in the true spirit of faith awaits a response from the sacred oracle. He pauses in joyful confidence, and then in ecstatic triumph he gives utterance to his hopes in the richest form of song.

Psalm 85:8

"I will hear what God the Lord will speak." When we believe that God hears us, it is but natural that we should be eager to hear him. Only from him can come the word which can speak peace to troubled spirits; the voices of men are feeble in such a case, a plaister far too narrow for the sore; but God's voice is power, he speaks and it is done, and hence when we hear him our distress is ended. Happy is the suppliant who has grace to lie patiently at the Lord's door, and wait until his love shall act according to its old wont and chase all sorrow far away. "For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints." Even though for a while his voice is stern with merited rebuke, he will not always chide, the Great Father will reassume his natural tone of gentleness and pity. The speaking of peace is the peculiar prerogative of the Lord Jehovah, and deep, lasting, ay, eternal, is the peace he thus creates. Yet not to all does the divine word bring peace, but only to his own people, whom he means to make saints, and those whom he has already made so. "But let them not turn again to folly." For if they do so, his rod will fall upon them again, and their peace will be invaded. Those who would enjoy communion with God must be jealous of themselves, and avoid all that would grieve the Holy Spirit; not only the grosser sins, but even the follies of life must be guarded against by those who are favoured with the delights of conscious fellowship. We serve a jealous God, and must needs therefore be incessantly vigilant against evil. Backsliders should study this verse with the utmost care, it will console them and yet warn them, draw them back to their allegiance, and at the sine time inspire them with a wholesome fear of going further astray. To turn again to folly is worse than being foolish for once; it argues wilfulness and obstinacy, and it involves the soul in sevenfold sin. There is no feel like the man who will be a feel cost him what it may.

Psalm 85:9

"Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him." Faith knows that a saving God is always near at hand, but only (for such is the true rendering) to those who fear the Lord, and worship him with holy awe. In the gospel dispensation this truth is conspicuously illustrated. If to seeking sinners salvation is nigh, it is assuredly very nigh to those who have once enjoyed it, and have lost its present enjoyment by their folly; they have but to turn unto the Lord and they shall enjoy it again. We have not to go about by a long round of personal mortifications or spiritual preparations, we may come to the Lord, through Jesus Christ, just as we did at the first, and he will again receive us unto his loving embrace. Whether it be a nation under adversity, or a single individual under chastisement, the sweet truth before us is rich with encouragement to repentance, and renewed holiness.

"That glory may dwell in our land." The object of the return of grace will be a permanent establishment of a better state of things, so that gloriously devout worship shall be rendered to God continuously, and a glorious measure of prosperity shall be enjoyed in consequence. Israel was glorious whenever she was faithful - her dishonour always followed her disloyalty; believers also live glorious lives when they walk obediently, and they only lose the true glory of their religion when they fall from their stedfastness.

In these two verses we have, beneath the veil of the letter, an intimation of the coming of the Word of God to the nations in times of deep apostasy and trouble, when faithful hearts would be looking and longing for the promise which had so long tarried. By his coming, salvation is brought near, and glory, even the glory of the presence of the Lord, tabernacles among men. Of this the succeeding verses speak without obscurity.

Psalm 85:10

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