‘Restore us now!’

‘Restore us now!’

 

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[Psalms 60]

 

               When I think of "restoration," I remember a visit to a couple's home about 1-2 years ago with a church deacon.  At that time, the wife of that family was going through a difficult period, and we prayed to God for restoration.  After the prayer, I remember her being curious about why pastors always pray for restoration.  After visiting the couple, I returned to the church and reflected on the visit, and I thought, "Why didn’t I urge them to repent?"  I believe that without addressing the issue of sin and resolving it in the Lord, we cannot experience the true grace of restoration.  I still remember it clearly.  About two years ago, during the New Year's Eve service, I declared the message of the 5 R's: Repentance → Reconciliation → Restoration → Reformation → Revival.  In order to experience true restoration, we must first repent and be reconciled with God.

 

         In today's passage, Psalms 60:1b, we see that David is pleading with God, saying, "… now restore us!"  Based on this verse, under the title "Restore us now!" we will reflect on why David prayed for restoration, how he prayed for restoration, and finally, what his attitude was after praying for restoration, as we seek to learn the lessons he offers.

 

First, why did David pray for restoration?

 

The reason is that he had suffered a temporary defeat in battle due to God's discipline (Psalms 60:1-3) (Park).  The psalmist, David, explains the cause of the temporary defeat in the war as follows: "O God, you have rejected us and scattered us; you have been angry; restore us!" (v. 1), "You have shaken the earth and torn it open; heal its fractures, for it is quaking" (v. 2), "You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger" (v. 3).  The "wine" mentioned in verse 3 is a metaphor for God's wrath (Park).  In other words, David experienced a temporary defeat due to the invasion by Edom, and he knew the cause was God's anger.  As a result, David (and the people of Judah) endured hardships because of God's wrath (v. 3).  Therefore, David pleaded with God, saying, "Restore us now!" (v. 1), and "Heal its fractures, for the earth is quaking" (v. 2).  Since the Lord had shaken the earth and torn it open, a gap had naturally appeared.  David asked God to heal that gap.  This prayer was a prayer for restoration.

               If God is angry and abandons us, we cannot help but lose in the spiritual battle.  If God does not hold us, we will stumble and fall, and we will inevitably fail in life.  No matter how strong our faith may seem, or how firm our family, business, or church may appear, the Lord shakes the earth and causes it to split (v. 2).  If God’s anger causes the foundations of our family, business, and the church we serve to be shaken, how can we not be shaken?  When we see gaps in our lives due to God's wrath, and when we are shaken and unsettled, we must remember that there are sins within us that have provoked God’s anger.  We must repent of our sins before God and seek His mercy.  The reason for this is that true restoration cannot happen without genuine repentance.

 

Second, how did David pray for restoration?

 

David prayed for restoration with two convictions:

 

(1)    David prayed for restoration with the assurance of salvation.

 

Look at Psalms 60:5: "Answer us and save us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered."  Here, we see David pleading with God, relying on God's love (mercy).  David was confident that God, who loves His people more than anyone else, would not turn a deaf ear to their cries.  He believed that God would answer their prayers and save them with His powerful right hand.  This reminds me of the gospel song "Vision": ‘We have gathered before His throne, praising the Lord together, God gave His Son out of love, and by His blood we are saved, The love He poured out on the cross, flowing like a river across the land, From every nation, tribe, and people, they are saved and worship Him.  Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.  Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.’

 

(2)    ​David prayed for restoration with the assurance of victory.

 

Look at Psalms 60:4: "You have given a banner to those who fear you, to be raised because of the truth (Selah)."  The Bible tells us that God gives a "banner" to those who fear Him.  Why did God give David a "banner"?  It was to show that God would be with David and give him victory.  In short, the "banner" mentioned here is a flag of victory.  What is the cause of this victory?  It is not because the army is strong, the soldiers are many, or the weapons are powerful, but because God is with them.  Since God was with David, he was confident that he would prevail against Moab, Edom, and the Philistines, as mentioned in verse 8.  That is why, in verse 6, David declares, "I will rejoice."  David rejoiced because he foresaw victory in battle.  How could he have such assurance of victory?  "God has spoken from His holiness" (v. 6).  Because the holy God promised to be with David, David rejoiced with the assurance of victory.  The lyrics of hymn “There’s a Royal Banner,” verse 4 and the refrain, reflect this: “When the glory dawns 'tis drawing very near It is hast-'ning day by day; Then before our King the foe shall disappear, And the cross the world shall sway!  Marching on, marching on, For Christ count everything but loss!  And to crown Him King, Toil and sing 'Neath the banner of the cross!”

 

               Finally, third, what was David's attitude after he prayed for restoration?

 

In short, David relied on God and acted courageously.  Look at Psalms 60:12: "With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies."  What does it mean to rely on God here?

 

(1)    To rely on God means to believe that only God can lead and guide us.

 

Look at Psalms 60:9: "Who will bring me to the fortified city?  Who will lead me to Edom?"  The "fortified city" here refers to the impregnable city of Petra, the capital of Edom (Park).  The city of Edom, as strong as a rock ...   David believed that only God could bring down that city and lead him and the Israelite army into it.

 

(2)    To rely on God is to have Immanuel faith.  It is the belief that God is with us.

 

Look at Psalms 60:10: "Have you not rejected us, O God?  And will you not go forth with our armies?"  David, relying on God, was pleading while remembering how, in the past, God's anger had caused him and his army to suffer a temporary defeat.  This time, he earnestly prayed for God to be with them.  The reason for this was that David knew that no matter how large the army, it would be useless unless God went into battle with them.  In other words, he understood that victory in battle depended on whether or not God was with them, and that is why he prayed for God's presence.

 

(3)    To rely on God is to acknowledge that human salvation is worthless.

 

Look at Psalms 60:11: "Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless."  To rely on God means not to rely on people. David's faith was one that depended solely on God, not on people.  Like David, we must fully rely on God and act courageously.  We do not need to fear our enemies.  We must boldly raise the banner of the cross and go forward to fight against sin, the world, and Satan, and achieve victory.

 

                David, having experienced a temporary defeat in the war with Edom due to God's anger, prayed for restoration with the assurance of salvation and victory.  He then made the decision to rely on God and act courageously.  Like David, we must also plead with God, saying, "Restore us now!"  We must pray for recovery with the assurance of salvation and victory in faith.  And we must act courageously, relying on God.

 

 

"Restore us now!"

 

 

 

 

Pastor James' Sharing

(June 7, 2007, with a heart longing for the grace of restoration)