451. Saturday after Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 80, 1-7. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock: thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine: and we shall be saved. O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors; and our enemies laugh among themselves. Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
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In this psalm the people of Judah pray for the people of the kingdom of Israel, who had been led captives to Assyria. “When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.” — As Jesus has taught us to strengthen our faith by praying to God as “our Father,” so the Spirit here calls the God of Israel by several glorious names of a kind to strengthen the faith of those who pray to him. The “Shepherd of Israel”; shall he not care for his own? He that “dwelleth between the cherubims”; shall he not be able to save? “The Lord,” Jehovah; “God,” Elohim, the glorious and heavenly majesty; “the God of hosts,” Zebaoth, the ruler of the hosts of heaven and earth; — in him who has these names, and who is that which he is called, in him is the hope of Israel. Shall his wrath continue against his people, when the incense of their prayers ascends to him? The vine which he has planted with great care, shall he allow it to be destroyed by the heathen? No; he blesses it now, and shall bless it forevermore. The psalmist lets the church repeat three times the prayer: “Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” He thereby reminds us of that which is written in Numbers 6, 22-27: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, THE LORD bless thee, and keep thee; THE LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; THE LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace! And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.” This triple benediction, with its repetition of “the Lord,” plainly points to the Trinity of God; something of which the Israel of old was no doubt dimly conscious. But our Articles of Faith interpret this benediction most beautifully. Therefore we are able to pray for God’s Israel, his church on earth, with a more clear view and a more firm faith, than could the faithful of the Old Testament. Certain it is, the triune, almighty God is the Shepherd of the church, and leads us in the paths of salvation; no matter how long his anger may seem to burn, and prevent our prayers from reaching his ear. Yet a while “our enemies laugh among themselves,” and ask, “where is your God?” But his righteous judgments go surely, though in secret, through the world; and it shall be said to Zion: “Fear thou not, and let not thine hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” — God, we bless thee, and pray thee to reveal thy glory. Protect that which thy right hand hath planted; keep us alive, that we may call upon thy name. Amen.*
He will present our souls
Unblemished and complete
Before the glory of his face,
With joys divinely great.
Then all his faithful sons
Shall meet around the throne,
Shall bless the conduct of his grace,
And make his wonders known.
[Common Service Book 305; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.