STIR UP YOUR MIGHT

 

November 30, 2023

 

Psalm 80:1-2

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your might and come to save us!

"Stir up Your might and come to save us!" We are very familiar with that kind of prayer. Struggling with illness, loss, and grief, or worried about difficulties with family or work, we plead with God in much the same way: "Lord, come to save me!"

After King Solomon died, the twelve tribes of Israel were divided into two kingdoms. The northern tribes, including Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh as mentioned in this psalm, formed the kingdom of Israel. The southern kingdom was called Judah. The king of Assyria besieged and conquered the northern kingdom. The Israelites were taken captive and exiled to Assyria. The verses of this psalm is their plea for deliverance. They knew the Shepherd of Israel cared for His people, but now "wolves" surrounded them. They needed the Shepherd!

We also need the Shepherd. Israel looked back to their past to see how God had cared for them; they called on Him in prayer, seeking His help once again. We read about this story, this history, in the Bible to see how God led Joseph "like a flock." God's mighty acts of power shapes our faith and our life in Jesus. We see that we like God’s Old Testament people we must put our trust in the Shepherd: "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4).

Israel longed and prayed for the Messiah, the Shepherd of Israel, to come to rescue them. When the right time came, Jesus the Shepherd, the Son of God, was born in Bethlehem; the long-promised Savior had come! He is the Good Shepherd who came to lay down His life for His sheep, to suffer and die for the sins of all. He came to set free all who are held captive. As anticipated in the psalm, the Shepherd came to save us!

As we prepare to celebrate Jesus' first advent, His birth in Bethlehem, we also look forward to the day of His return, His second Advent. The Good Shepherd will come again to gather His flock to Himself forever. This prayer from the Psalm 80 is a good Advent prayer for us: "O Shepherd of Israel ... stir up Your might and come to save us!"

Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.