PSALMS LESSON 85

     We will begin this lesson by giving the 85th Psalm in metre.

                   THE PSALMS OF DAVID IN METRE

                             Chapter 85


Verse 1  "Lord, thou hast favor shown thy land, And brought back
         Jacob's captive band; Thy people's sins thou pardoned hast,
         And all their guilt hast covered o'er, Removed from them
         thine anger sore, All thy fierce wrath behind thee cast."
Verse 2  "Turn us, O God our Saviour, turn, Nor longer let thine anger
          burn. Wilt thou forever angry be? Through ages shall thy
          wrath survive? Wilt thou not us again revive, That so we may
          rejoice in thee?"
Verse 3  "O Lord, to us thy mercy show, And thy salvation now bestow;
         We wait to hear what God will say: Peace to his people he
         will speak, And to his saints, but let them seek No more in
         folly's path to stray."
Verse 4  "His saving help is surely near To those his holy name that
         fear; Thus glory dwells in all our land. Now heavenly truth
         unites with grace, And righteousness and peace embrace, In
         full accord they ever stand."
Verse 5  "Truth springing forth the earth shall crown, And
         righteousness from heav'n look down, And God on us his
         goodness shed: Our land shall them with plenty flow; Before
         him righteousness shall go, And cause us in his steps to
         tread.

     We will now begin the verse by verse study of chapter 85 of
Psalms. Psalms 85:1 "{To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of
Korah.} LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast
brought back the captivity of Jacob."

     There are many different opinions about the time this happened,
and just as many ideas about who the penman was. Since this is the
case, could we not think of this as a Psalm for all ages? I look back
over the wonderful blessings that the United States has had. We
possibly, as no other country in the world, could actually live within
our borders. We have been blessed with a land that produces more food
than we can use. There has been prosperity for everyone. There has not
been a major war fought on this soil since the Civil war, over a
hundred years ago. We are blessed far beyond what we deserve. I
believe the prosperity and all of the blessings that this land has
experienced is because, the blessings of God has been upon us. We must
take a close look at our nation now, because it appears that we are
out of fellowship with God. Our land is filled with crime of every
type. There seem to be no answers to these major problems. We are at
the end of our rope. The real reason for our problems, I believe, is
that God's blessings have been removed. We are out of fellowship with
God. The Israelites would get into a mess just about like the one we
have today, and they would repent and pray to God for His blessings to
be returned. Perhaps, we should heed the following Scripture.
II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land."  God will bring our land back to its former
greatness, if we will turn back and worship Him.  We must, also, look
at this from the standpoint of the natural Israelite. Perhaps, the
reason the word Jacob was used here, is that Jacob represented all 12
tribes of Israel. Truly there was a returning to the land in the time
this Psalm was written, and even today, there is a returning to the
holy land. LORD, is Jehovah. This was the same God that had Moses to
lead the children out of bondage to the holy land of promise. When
God's people have been in terrible situations, there has always been a
{Moses} to lead them out of sin and the world, to the promised land.

     Psalms 85:2 "Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou
hast covered all their sin. Selah."

     What has their sin been covered with? The blood of the Lamb. It
is amazing to me how many times God forgave these Israelites. On day
of atonement, the blood of the lamb was carried into the very presence
of God to cover the sins of the people. Christians, your sins are not
covered, they are done away with. The precious blood of the Lamb
{Jesus Christ} washed you in His blood and made you white as snow. In
exchange for our sin, He clothed us in His righteousness. Selah, is a
good word here. It is time to pause and think on this.

     Psalms 85:3 "Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned
[thyself] from the fierceness of thine anger."

     The wonderful thing about God is that He is longsuffering. Many
times when we deserve to be punished severely, the Lord will give us
another chance. It was no different with these Israelites, except it
seemed they sinned more often. You would think with the presence of
God with them, they would not have sinned. When you come to think of
it, we are in His presence, too. When God forgives, His wrath is gone,
also.

     Psalms 85:4 "Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine
anger toward us to cease."

     This is saying, We have made such a mess of our life. God you
make us different. Who is the God of salvation? Jesus Christ.

     Psalms 85:5 "Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw
out thine anger to all generations?"

     Sometimes when we have sinned, it seems like forever before we
are comforted that all is well. This really is a silly question. The
penman knows that God is a forgiving God. He has forgiven them over
and over already. Sin remains, until it is forgiven. After it is
forgiven, God will remember it no more.

     Psalms 85:6 "Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may
rejoice in thee?"

     Many of the old hymns speak of a request for God to revive us
again. Rejoicing comes when there is a knowing that all is well with
my soul.

     Psalms 85:7 "Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy
salvation."

     It is by the mercy of God that any of us are saved. There is no
salvation in any, but in Jesus Christ our Lord. Acts 4:12 "Neither is
there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."  Salvation is
available to whosoever will. It is our option to accept, or reject,
the offer of salvation. I Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labour
and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the
Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." He offers
salvation to all, only those who believe receive salvation.

     Psalms 85:8 "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."

     I have said several times in these lessons that, God is still
speaking to His people even today, but some of us are not listening.
Prayer is a two-way conversation. We should be careful to be still and
let God speak to our heart. God brings salvation and salvation brings
peace. Notice, the warning not to go back to the sinful ways. Hebrews
chapter 6 tells exactly what we can expect, if we go back into our
sinful ways.

     Psalms 85:9 "Surely his salvation [is] nigh them that fear him;
that glory may dwell in our land."

     Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. This fear has to do with
holding God in high esteem. When we acknowledge the fact of the
holiness of God, it is easier to come to salvation. Possibly, the most
reassuring thing to know is that when we repent and accept Jesus as
our Saviour, we have established our eternal home in heaven.  Heaven
is the Christian's promised land.

     Psalms 85:10 "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and
peace have kissed [each other]."

     Mercy is a gift from God. Romans 9:16 "So then [it is] not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."
James 3:17 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."  Mercy and truth
are both in Jesus Christ. Righteousness {right standing with God} and
peace are the gifts the believer receives by faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ.

     Psalms 85:11 "Truth shall spring out of the earth; and
righteousness shall look down from heaven."

     The Truth that is in the world is the spoken and written Word of
God. Righteousness is bestowed upon every person who has faith in
Jesus.  We do not buy righteousness, neither do we earn it, it comes
as a gift to us from heaven. It belongs to Jesus, but He shared it
with us.

     Psalms 85:12 "Yea, the LORD shall give [that which is] good; and
our land shall yield her increase."

     God controls the rain, and the sunshine, and even the soil that
grows the plant. When we are in right standing with God, God sends the
needed things to make a bumper crop. Jesus removed the curse that was
spoken upon the earth. When we give to God as we should, God takes
care of all of our needs. Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added
unto you."

     Psalms 85:13 "Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set
[us] in the way of his steps."

     Jesus is Righteousness, and we must walk in His Light to stay in
the way. I John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."  Jesus has blazed the
righteous path before us and has lit the way that we might follow
without stumbling and falling.


























                             Questions 85

1.  Since there are so many opinions on who the penman was and what
    time it was written, could we not assume that it is for ____ ____?
2.  What modern country has tasted of many of God's blessings?
3.  Why does the author believe the problems of today are so great?
4.  Quote 2 Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14.
5.  God will bring our land back to its former greatness, if we do
    what?
6.  Why was the word Jacob used, instead of Israel in verse 1?
7.  What is LORD in verse 1?
8.  What has their sin been covered with?
9.  Christians, your sins are not covered, but ____ ____ _____.
10. In exchange for our sin, Jesus clothed us in what?
11. The wonderful thing about God is that He is _____________.
12. When God forgives, His wrath is ______, also.
13. Who is the God of salvation?
14. Sin remains, until it is _________.
15. What is the message of many old hymns?
16. Quote Acts chapter 4 verse 12.
17. Who is Jesus Savior of?
18. God brings salvation, and salvation brings ______.
19. Where do we find Scriptures cautioning not to go back into a
    sinful way of life?
20. What is the beginning of wisdom?
21. What is the Christian's promised land?
22. Quote Romans chapter 9 verse 16.
23. Mercy and truth are both in _______ _______.
24. What are the two gifts, in verse 10, the Christian receives by
    faith in the Lord Jesus  Christ?
25. What are the two truths in the world today?
26. Quote Matthew chapter 6 verse 33.
27. Quote 1 John chapter 1 verse 7.
28. _____ has blazed the righteous path before us.