Psalm 85:8

Psalm 85:8

He promises peace

Let us not forget that this Psalm was written at a time of national crisis. The situation in the land of Israel was pretty bleak, the country had been rendered desolate and there may have been a drought. (v11-12). The plea in the opening verses has been for restoration and for God to relinquish His anger and show mercy again to His people. Now, the writer awaits a word from the Lord, “I will listen to what God the Lord says.” That’s not a bad place to be! Just waiting and listening and expecting, because the Lord God is never quiet for very long.

Remember, that Israel is God’s chosen people. He watches over them in their successes and in their failures. Their present rehabilitation of the land shows that even though the Jews were dispersed throughout the world for nearly 1900 years, the Lord God preserved them and always planned to restore them. In this He teaches us about His faithfulness and that none who believe in Him are forgotten. Indeed, many who do not presently believe are constantly in His thoughts. 

God’s promises almost always involve peace. In a world that is constantly in a state of turmoil and among people who seek peace but rarely find it, the Lord promises peace to those who are His faithful servants. The Hebrew word for faithful servants is “Hasid” from which we get Hassidim - a sect of Jewish mystics founded in Poland about 1750, characterized by religious zeal and a spirit of prayer, joy, and charity. The term is often used generically to describe the orthodox Jews of today. The faith of these people is misplaced, and we should pray that they will “turn away from folly.”  May the Lord keep us all from folly, from listening to the theories and philosophies of men instead of the truth of God’s Word. 

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