Party Time In Jerusalem

Psalm 85:8-13

8I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying,

for he speaks peace to his people, his faithful ones.

But let them not return to their foolish ways.

9Surely his salvation is near to those who honor him;

our land will be filled with his glory.

10Unfailing love and truth have met together.

Righteousness and peace have kissed!

11Truth springs up from the earth,

and righteousness smiles down from heaven.

12Yes, the LORD pours down his blessings.

Our land will yield its bountiful crops.

13Righteousness goes as a herald before him,

preparing the way for his steps.

The time of captivity had ended for the Israelites, and many had returned to their homeland from Babylon. Nehemiah had masterminded the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, and it was time for a worship service.

Ezra the priest brought out the scroll of God’s law and read it from early morning until noon. Apparently these words were new to many of the people.

Ezra praised the Lord, and the people shouted, “Amen!” as they lifted their hands and bowed to the ground. Then the assistant priests began circulating among the people, explaining what the law said. As the people recognized how far they had strayed from God’s ways, they began to weep.

But Nehemiah and Ezra tried to cheer up the people by telling them, “The joy of the Lord is your strength!” And then people ate, drank, and had fun (Nehemiah 8:1-12).

Psalm 85 also shows us a nation in transition. As in the days of Ezra, disaster was turning to success, and the people were praising God for it. Like the worshipers in Nehemiah 8, they recognized their past sins but trusted God for forgiveness and looked forward to God’s favor in the days to come. Above all, they “listened carefully” to what God said—that’s a prescription for revival in any nation.

O praise ye the Lord!

Praise Him upon the earth,

In tuneful accord, ye sons of new birth;

Praise Him who hath brought you

His grace from above;

Praise Him who hath taught you

To sing of His love.

HENRY W. BAKER

A Word on Words

Don’t overlook the opposites in verse 10. Mercy and truth don’t always go together easily. Neither do righteousness and peace. Obviously God is doing some major matchmaking.

Bible Networking

This psalm is speaking from the context of Israel’s deliverance from Babylon. Another reference to this great event is Haggai 2:7-9.