Let us turn to the psalm we were
reading, Psalm 80, the psalm of Asaph. And I'll read the first three
verses. Give ear, O shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest
Joseph like a flock, thou that dwellest between the cherubims.
Shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin, the Manasseh stirred
up by strength. and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause
thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. I want to say something
with regards to this request for the shining of God's face. There at the end of the first
verse, we have those words, shine forth. And then of course again
in verse 3, Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine,
and we shall be saved. And that petition repeated in
verse 7. Turn us again, O God of hosts,
and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. And then
at the close of the psalm in verse 19, we have the same words. Turn us again, O Lord God of
hosts, cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. this request then for the shining
of the face of God Asaph does seem to feel that his prayer
is being refused from what we read in verse 4 following these
petitions he says, O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou
be angry against the prayer of thy people? He was not being
heard so it appears. He was not being answered. Difficult to know just when the
psalm was composed but we maybe should take account of the fact
that there was of course a division of the kingdom of Israel after
the death of King Solomon. because of the foolishness of
his son Rehoboam the ten northern tribes did rebel and chose another
man Jeroboam son of Nebat to be their king who established
his capital at Samaria and it was just Judah really and little
Benjamin in the south who remained faithful to the house of David
with Rehoboam as their king in Jerusalem and here we do read
in verse 2 of Ephraim and Manasseh and in many ways these were the
two principal tribes in that northern kingdom it was a sad division really
and eventually of course God pours out his judgments first
of all he comes upon that northern kingdom with all its syncretism
in the worship of God they copied the practices of so many of the
nations round about them and imagined that they were still
worshipping Jehovah though they were not being faithful and true
to the instruction that he had given in his law they worshipped
him with idols the calves that Jeroboam set up at Dan and at
Beersheba and so God judges them and they are scattered and then
of course although God spares Judah initially there is subsequently
the judgment that falls upon Judah under the Babylonians and
here in the psalm we read of God's severe dealings with his
people Verse 8, Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt, Thou hast
cast out the heathen, he says, and planted it. And then at verse
12, Why hast Thou then broken down her hedges, so that all
they which pass by the way do pluck her? O God's judgments
were being visited upon the people, the bore of the wood doth waste
it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. Verse 16, it is burned with fire,
it is cut down, they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. This imagery that is being used
concerning God's people and God and the way in which he is dealing
with them. And it's interesting how, in
a way, God is spoken of here in simple, humble, and homely
terms. We read of this vine, which is
a symbol of Israel, God being the vine dresser. As he says
here at verse 9, Thou preparest room before it, and it caused
it to take deep roots, and it filled the land. Interestingly,
the same figure is also used by the Prophet Isaiah there in
chapter 5. He says, Now will I sing to my
well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyards? My well-beloved
hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill, and he fenced it, and gathered
out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choices vine, and
built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress
therein. And he looked that it should
bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. Verse 4 What could have been
done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore
when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it
forth wild grapes. This is a familiar figure then
with regards to God's dealings. He is the one who planted the
vine. He is the vine dresser, Israel
is the vine and of course it's taken up so wonderfully in the
New Testament when we think of the Lord Jesus and those statements
that we find throughout John's Gospel where we see him as Jehovah,
Jehovah Jesus, the I am that I am and he says I am the true
vine I am the true vine and my father is the husband Israel
was God's vine in the Old Testament, but God's true vine. Oh, that's
the Lord Jesus Christ. I am the vine, He says to His
disciples. You are the branches. Every branch that abideth in
me and I in him bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye
can do nothing, says the Lord. What a figure then is that that's
so clearly being employed here, that of the vine and the vine
dresser. But there's also the imagery
of God as the shepherd of his people. In the opening words
of the psalm, give ear, O shepherd of Israel. And again, of course,
when we come to the New Testament, it is Christ who is the Good
Shepherd. I am the Good Shepherd, says the Lord. The Good Shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. and we know that this particular
psalm is messianic from what we read at the 17th verse let
thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand upon the son of man
whom thou made a strong for thyself isn't this a clear reference
to the Lord Jesus he is that one who is the son of man. And God has laid help upon one
that is mighty, and one able to say to the uttermost all that
come to God by him. And I want us to consider in
particular this refrain that runs throughout the psalm in
verses 3, 7, and 19. Tell us again, O God, and cause
thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. And the God, of course, who is
being spoken of is Him who is at the end called the Lord God
of hosts, the Lord God of surveyors, the mighty God. He's the one,
the only living and true God. And first of all, With regards
to this God, we see how his face shines really in his providences. But what a mystery there is in
the ways of God's providence. He is the one who is spoken of
as the good shepherd who goes before his sheep. Be ver, O shepherd
of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock. We know
that that was the practice of the Eastern shepherds, very different
to what we might conceive as the work of the shepherd. Here,
of course, we think of shepherds having dogs, sheepdogs, helping
to round up the sheep and, in a sense, to guide and to direct
the sheep and to drive the sheep in many ways. Well, that was
not the the practice amongst the eastern shepherds they would
lead their sheep and the Lord of course in that 10th chapter
of John where he speaks of himself as that good shepherd I am the
good shepherd he says here that entereth in by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep and he speaks of the highlings who climb
up another way but the sheep do not hear their voices they
know not the voice of those strangers. They know the voice of the shepherd
and they follow him. This is the way the Lord speaks
then of himself as that good shepherd. The shepherd of Israel. Still the shepherd of his spiritual
Israel, the church. Remember how in that chapter,
that 10th chapter of John, Christ speaks of the shepherd as that
one who is also the door of the sheep. These remarkable statements
that we have time and again in that gospel, I am the good shepherd,
I am the door, he says, the door to the sheepfold. I am the door,
by me if any man enter in he shall be saved, says Christ,
and shall go in and out and find pasture. Oh, this God is never
far from his people, just as a shepherd in those Eastern countries
would be all night with his sheep. We read of that at the time of
the birth of the Lord Jesus. There were shepherds watching
over their flocks by night. And when they would put the sheep
into the fold, there's no door really. There's an entrance,
but they form the door. They lie in that entrance. They're
on hand should there be any fierce animals preying on that flock
of sheep. God is never far off, always
on hand to protect His sheep, to guide His sheep. And He does
it of course by His good providence. And He does it for His people,
for Israel. We read in Psalm 81 of Israel and Jacob and Joseph
it's interesting what we read there Psalm 81 verses 4 and 5
this was a statute for Israel and the law of the God of Jacob
this he ordained in Joseph for a testimony now remember at the
division of the of the nation the division of the kingdom They
said you have the ten tribes in the north, but the principal
tribes really in the north were the sons of Joseph, especially
Ephraim, but Ephraim and Manasseh. If you look at the map of the
division of the nation when they enter into the Promised Land,
I think Ephraim and Manasseh have the greatest percentage
of the land in those northern regions. and certainly after
that division often the northern kingdom is referred to under
the name of Ephraim the kingdom of Israel and in the south the
kingdom of Judah which is still loyal faithful to the house of
David but how in the prophecy of Hosea for example God addresses
those people in the north how shall I give thee up O Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, O Israel? He says. Ephraim, Israel, it's
one and the same thing. And the last Ephraim is joined
to idol, says God. Let him alone. But of course,
when we think of Joseph, the father, the father of those sons,
Manasseh and Ephraim, isn't Joseph, a remarkable example of the providence
of God. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
thou that leadest Joseph, like a flock, how the Lord God did
indeed lead Joseph. Through all that we read at the
end of Genesis, of the troubles that came into his life, how
he was persecuted by his own brethren, how he was sold into
slavery, how he was falsely accused and cast into prison. We're familiar
with the history of Joseph. And when we come to the end of
the book of Genesis, his father is now dead and his brethren
are afraid he's going to avenge himself on them for all their
cruelties. And what does he say? Fear not. for I am I in the place
of God but as for you he says he thought evil against me but
God meant it unto good as it's come to pass God's meant it for
good to preserve his people it was through Joseph that the children
of Israel were preserved and kept there in the land of of
Egypt and it was from thence of course that they're brought
out and and formed into a nation under Moses and under Joshua
they enter into the possession of the promised land but what
remarkable providences we see in God's dealings with Joseph
think of the language of Psalm 105 where something of that history
is recounted, and we're told in verse 19, until the time that
his word, that is God's word, until the time that God's word
came, the word of the Lord tried him. What a trial providences
are at times when we cannot understand the mystery of the ways of the
Lord. And so past our finding out.
And here, In this psalm all seems so contrary to the children of
Israel, as Asaph acknowledges, as I said there at verse 4. It
seems that God is setting himself against them. "'How long will
thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?' asks Asaph. "'Thou
feedest them with the bread of tears, and givest them tears
to drink in great measure. they make us to strife unto our
neighbours and our enemies laugh among themselves or those who
are being ridiculed not to be surprised of course that was
the Lord's own lot in this world how men would mock him how he
was that one who was rejected of men and of course in the crucifixion
how they taunted him what was the lot of Christ will be the
lot of His people. All God moves in a mysterious
way, His wonders to perform. He climbs His footsteps in the
sea, rides upon the storm. There's a mystery there in God's
providence. But there's also this here in
the psalm. We see how the God Himself dwells in the midst of
mercy. Where does God dwell? Thou dwellest
between the cherubims, he says. Thou dwellest between the cherubims. That is the angels. Of course,
God is in heaven and we know that there are angels, there
are cherubim, there are seraphim in Isaiah 6. We read of those
who are about the throne of God when King Uzziah sees that remarkable
vision. and the Seraphim all about his
throne. He's in the midst of the Seraphim,
but it says Cherubim. There are different types of
angels, principalities, powers, rulers. Seraphim are bright, burning
ones. They're all pure angels of course,
but Seraphim They seem to have a glorious lustre in all their
service of God. They have six wings, with two
of them covering their feet, and with two of them covering
their faces, but with two of them flying at the commandment
of God, and waiting on Him day and night, doing His bidding.
Cherubim are mighty ones, strong angels. But surely here, when
we read of the the shepherd of israel who dwells
between the cherubims we're to think in terms of the old testament
and the mercy seat the mercy seat and what we're told concerning
the the mercy seat there in in exodus 25 it's a remarkable passage
isn't it where we're given detail moses is given detail with regards
to that is to form the covering for the Ark of the Covenant with
the Ten Tables of the Lord, the Ten Commandments in the Ark of
the Covenant. And what do we read there? Verse
17 of Exodus 25, Thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two
cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and
a half the breadth thereof. Exactly the same measurements
as the Ark itself, so it's a perfect covering. And they shall make two cherubims
of gold of beaten work, shall they make them in the two ends
of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one
end, and the other cherub on the other end, even of the mercy
seat, shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And
the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering
the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces, their faces
shall look one to another toward the mercy seat. shall the faces
of the cherubims be and God's promise there I will meet with
them and there I will commune with thee from above the mercy
seat from between the two cherubims God says and then later in Leviticus
16 God says I will appear in the clouds upon the mercy seat
the Shekinah glory the Shekinah glory there in the holy of holies
I will appear in the clouds says God on the mercy seat and he
goes on doesn't he in that 16th chapter of Leviticus to describe
all that was to be done on the great day of atonement the one
day in the year when the high priest would go beyond that second
veil and he must take the blood of sacrifice and he sprinkles
it upon the mercy seat, and he sprinkles it before the mercy
seat. He's making atonement for all
the sins of the children of Israel. And this is where God dwells.
Well, all of that, of course, as I'm sure many of you are well
aware, is a wonderful type of the Lord Jesus himself. There's
words in Romans 3.25 concerning the Lord Jesus whom God has set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. Oh, it was
there at the mercy seat that propitiation was made. The blood
is sprinkled. God's justice is satisfied. And Israel is reconciled to the
God whom they've offended and sinned against so grievously. and it's a type of Christ. The
very word, I've said this so many times but I don't make any
excuses for saying it again, it's a wonder really, that word
propitiation in Romans 3.25 in that particular form is only
used once more in the New Testament. In Hebrews 9.5 the furnishings
of the tabernacle where we read of the mercy seat. He could equally
as well have been rendered the same in Romans 3.25, whom God
has set forth to be a mercy saint. Christ is the mercy saint. And
where does our God dwell? He dwells in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's only in Christ that we can know anything of God. It's only
in Christ that we can have any dealings with God. And we have
not a high priest which is not touched with the feeling of our
infirmities. Why, he was in all points tempted
like us we are, yet without sin. Therefore, says the apostle,
let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We have a mercy
seat, yes, we have more than that, we have a throne. the throne
of grace and Christ fills the throne Christ fills the throne
and he's here isn't he? he's in the psalm verse 17 let thy hand let thy
hand be upon the man of thy right hand upon the son of man whom
thou made a strong for thyself So will not we go back from thee? Quicken us, and we will call
upon thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of
hosts, cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Oh, it's all in the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself and only in the Lord Jesus Christ that we can
know God. In Him is salvation, in Him is
His safety. What do we read in other Psalms?
Psalm 17 and verse 8. Hide me under the shadow of thy
wings. Or the shadow of God's wings.
In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge. We read in
Psalm 57. We can shelter there then. That's
where God is. He's in the midst of the mercy
seats. He dwells between the cherubim. And we're not under the wings
of the angels, are we? We're under something more wonderful
than that. We're under the wings of Him who is the great God,
the Lord God Himself. God dwells then in the midst
of His mercy. He dwells in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it's here that God's face shines so graciously. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
thou that leadest Joseph like a flock, thou that dwellest between
the cherubims. Shine forth, shine forth before
Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up thy strength and come
and save us. And then that refrain, Turn us
again, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. And then we have it those three
times, not only in verse three, but again in verse seven and
at the end of the psalm also, cause thy face to shine is the
prayer that is made. We want to know those gracious
shining of the face of God, the Lord looking upon us in his mercy
and favoring us with the smilings of his face. In Psalm 4 and verse
6, there'll be many who say, Who will show us any good? Lord,
lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. All for
God to do that, to lift up the light of His countenance. The gracious God. The God of
the covenant. We remember the instruction that
He's given to Moses at the end of Numbers chapter 6, that familiar
benediction. Speak unto Aaron and unto his
son, saying, On this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel,
saying, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make
his face to shine upon thee, and gracious unto thee. The Lord
lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And
then he says, And they shall put my name upon the children
of Israel, and I will bless them. Oh, it's God's name. And who
is God? He is the Lord. The Lord. The Lord is three Lords. He's three persons in one glorious
Godhead. And all of this, of course, ultimately
is revealed to us in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and
that great work that He came to accomplish. God reveals His
face God reveals His face in Christ. He's the image of the
invisible God. I love that passage, that opening
part of the whole chapter, really, of Hebrews 1. God who at hundred
times and in diverse manner spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets, that in these last days spoken unto us by His
Son. And He's that One by whom we
made all things, He's the brightness of God's glory. He's the express
image of God's person. That's what it says. The brightness
of God's glory. The express image of His person. We see Him in the face. We see
God in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4 and verse
6, God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has
shined in our hearts. to give the light of the knowledge
of His glory in the face, it says, in the face of Jesus Christ. And the psalm is, as we've said,
a messianic psalm. It speaks of Christ, the man
of thy right hand, the son of man, whom thou hast made strong
for thyself. And think of the Lord Jesus,
how the Lord turned here is the request turn us again O Lord God of hosts cause thy face
to shine and we shall be saved and the Lord turned didn't he
and looked upon Peter and Peter remembered the word of the Lord
how he said before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice Peter
we're told went out and wept bitterly or when the Lord does
turn, when the Lord looks upon us as sinners. Ephraim joined
to idols. Manasseh also part of those tribes
that rebelled against the house of David. I know Benjamin was
faithful to to David's line, but what sins were also the southern
kingdom, the kingdom of Judah, guilty of? They were all guilty.
And yet, here is the ease, the prayer that God would shine forth
before these people, before these tribes, before these sons of
of Jacob, Ephraim and Benjamin in Manasseh. Stir up thy strength
and come and save us. Oh, how we need to turn to God
again and again and ask that the Lord would turn to us. It's only as He turns to us that
we can truly turn to Him. Turn us again, O God. Cause thy
face to shine and we shall be saved. Let the Lord help us might
we by his good grace learn then from the prayer of this man Asa
and the Lord bless his truth to us as we come to him in prayer
we're going to sing the metrical psalm number four made reference
just now to the sixth verse of that psalm we're singing verses
1 to 6 and the tune is Martyrdom 182 Psalm 4 verse 1 give ear unto
me when I call God of my righteousness have mercy hear my prayer thou
hast enlarged me in distress to verse 6 a will will show us
any good is that which many say, that have thy countenance the
light, Lord, lift on us all the way. Psalm 4 verse 1 to verse
6 to the tune 182.