The Message of the Psalms

PSALM 85: THE PSALMIST ON REVIVAL

There are times in history when the Lord moves among
men in an extra-ordinary way, saving souls and renewing
His Church. There are times also when the Church stirs
itself up and calls out to God for revival and restoration.
While both are the gracious interposition of God, the former
is His sovereign prerogative but the latter, which includes
reform, is the responsibility of men at all times. It is this
reform and revival the psalmist prays for (Jeremiah 33:3;
James 4:8).

The Psalm implies two things; that the Christian is prone to

decline and that the Lord can and will delivery. The Lord
does not bully the individual into sanctification, the
Scripture gives clear directives and the Lord respects
human intelligence and gives liberty. The wander-lusting
Christian will be given liberty (Jeremiah 34:17), but it is in
reality slavery to self and sin (“captivity” Vs. 1). When the
Lord leaves us to wander, (or be driven by the world) into
the “strange land” the true Christian feels the barrenness
and cannot sing the Lord’s song (Ps. 137:4; Ruth 1:20-21).
It is then that the prayer of Verse 6 goes up; Lit. “will you
not return and revive…?”

The psalm naturally divides into two main parts, Vs. 1-8 a
prayer for renewal (Vs. 4-7) based on former blessings (Vs.
1-3) and second the source of revival (Vs. 8-13).

1. The Prayer for Revival (Vs. 1-8)

Vs. 1-3 are in the past tense while the remainder is present,
which has been the subject of much comment. Some think
this psalm is post exilic, but there were many other times
when the Lord’s people forsook truth and felt the bitterness
of folly. The gracious delivery in the past gives hope for the
same in the present if there is repentance.

2. The Promise of Revival (Vs. 8-13 cf. Proverbs

10:3)
The psalmist begins in Vs. 8 with the assurance that the
Lord will have a word of peace to a troubled soul, to those

2010, Victoria Free Presbyterian Church

 The Message of the Psalms

who turn from folly, and fear God. But with prophetic
insight he see that this peace is found by faith in Christ
when mercy and truth will meet. This is a meeting of
opposites, truth and righteousness condemning sin, mercy
forgiving it and granting peace.
The blessings that flow from personal revival are first
spiritual and then temporal; peace (Vs. 8), deliverance from
that trial used to induce prayer, (Vs. 9), further grace of
salvation in preservation (Vs. 10-11), and the fruit of the
Spirit, temporal good as evidence of God’s working, (Vs. 12)
and finally the fruit of the Spirit in sanctification (Vs. 13).

2010, Victoria Free Presbyterian Church