PSALM 85 – COMFORT AND HOPE

PSALM 85 – COMFORT AND HOPE
6^th December 2020
2^nd Sunday of Advent

 

This is the psalm set for the second Sunday in Advent and continues in some our Advent themes of expectation.

It has a background of liturgical expression couched in a responsorial way – someone starting and another group responding. When they first sang this psalm there were no prayer books or music sheets with parts marked out in bold print (like now) for all to sing together. Those gathered at the Temple or shrine would usually know the words off by heart and know when to join in.

1     O Lord you were gracious to your land:

you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
and covered all their sin.
for he will speak peace to his people to his
faithful ones whose hearts are turned to him.
and his glory shall dwell in our land.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other;
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
And our land shall yield its plenty
and tread the path before his feet.

2     You forgave the iniquity of your people:

In this first part of the psalm the members of the congregation recall the past as they pray, holding it up to themselves and to God. Their faith takes comfort in the nature and the providential role of God, who withdrew his wrath and proved his gracious will by forgiving their sins.

Verses 3-7 are not reflected on here, but they form a lament asking God to come and answer their prayers. And there is a change…

8     I will hear what the Lord God will speak:

A prophetic voice speaks to the congregation demanding that they listen to hear whether God speaks, and he does, giving the word ‘peace’. He, and the congregation with him, anxiously listen for what God will say to them in reply. The people, the community of the faithful, have now received the answer they had longed for from God. At the moment of the crisis of their faith, as they were in danger of ‘falling into folly’ and of doubting God’s salvation, God himself intervenes to revive and strengthen their faith by his word.

9     Truly his salvation is near to those that fear him:

But the prophetic seer has more to tell: the peace and salvation is imminent, and the glory of the Lord will dwell in the land – a new year, season, epoch is coming. Sounds like some Christmas songs. In this worship service the people are given the vision of the divine – heralding a new start.

10   Mercy and truth are met together:

11   Truth shall flourish out of the earth:

12   The Lord will also give us all that is good:

In verses 10 – 12 there is a wonderful set of images where truth, mercy, righteousness, and peace are persons that meet, kiss, flourish and look down. It is a dynamic and lively image of the characteristics of God being present and alive to the people. The poet in a magnificent picture visualizes how the mythologically personified powers of divine love and faithfulness, of righteousness and peace as God’s messengers at his advent are at work to fashion the end of time.

13   For righteousness shall go before him:

The conclusion of the poem, which once more makes the theophany the centre of the events leads to the same view. God appears like a king, suitably escorted, to usher in the age of salvation. Righteousness precedes him like an outrider and Salvation follows in his way.

There is a wonderful sense that this psalm takes on the pattern of Judaeo-Christian liturgy. The first part of our liturgy is often filled with praise which looks to the past graciousness of God; then while still in the past we turn to requesting God for forgiveness; this is followed by listening for God’s message to his people, and concludes with a time of meeting, of communion with God. Isn’t it wonderful that when you look at the psalms you discover more and more ways to discover the fullness and variety of our religious life.

Thank you Fr Graham Alston for your weekly commentary on the psalms.