Psalm 85: the glory of God

As is the way of the Psalms, 85 works on several levels.

We can grapple with what it was saying to Israel at the time it was written.

We can perceive what is within it as to Christ Jesus, and its Christian significance.

We can therefore also see its message to the Church today and

We can also contemplate its eternal significance.

And all of these, it seems to me, revolve around the reality of God dwelling with His people and the blessing that generates.

So, firstly the psalmist looks back to a great salvation work of God. Many suggest that He is looking back to the return of Israel from Babylon. An action and a blessing that rests on their being forgiven. When God rescued His people, renewing their life in Israel, He laid aside His wrath. But there is still distress.

They are home again but still suffering. Haggai, speaking God’s word to them after their return, tells them that their distress flows from their failure to put God first, as evidenced by their reluctance to press ahead with re-building the Temple in Jerusalem. Their interests have been before God’s interests. [Haggai 1:1-11]. Their distress is such that they become afraid that God would be angry with them forever. So, they cry out “Restore us again, O God our Saviour and put away Your indignation from us.” They fear losing their blessing for ever. They plead with God that He will revive them again - that they may rejoice in Him. They seek the blessing of His steadfast love, that would release them into joy.

Into their fears comes a prophetic word: Let me hear or LISTEN. TRUST. FEAR HIM. REPENT. Then glory will return to their land.

Listen to God and act on what is heard.

Trust that He will speak to those whose hearts are turned to Him

Therefore Repent, for God who is faithful will save those who fear Him.

Then glory will be in their land again.

That glory is not their glory but God’s. [Haggai 1:8 ESV]

When Solomon built the first temple, its glory was not in his splendour nor the design of the building and all its content and features, but in the dwelling of God in the building: “the glory of the Lord filled the house of God”. [2 Chronicles 5:13-14 ESV]. But, because of Israel’s sin we know from Ezekiel that the glory of God, His Shekinah dwelling in the Temple ended – He left the building. [Ezekiel c10: 18-19]. Ichabod! Which sadly had happened before through the sin of the priest children of Eli, as the Covenant Ark was taken by the enemies of Israel, so was the Temple.

And when they did rebuild the temple, it not only seemed to many, inferior to the first, it was not filled at its dedication by the cloud of the glory of God. The Shekinah presence of God did not dwell therein, the psalm was a prayer that was not answered. Until, unexpectedly it was. Not in the Shekinah descending into Herod’s temple but in the humble coming down of God to live with His people. As John tells us the Word of God became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Emmanuel tabernacled with us, and we saw the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, the Son, Gd with God, the very glory of the Father. As Hebrews tells Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint or representation of His being. [c1:3] a truth Paul also describes in Colossians: He is the image of the invisible God in whom God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell. [c1:15 and 19]

Jesus Christ, the living glory of God came to dwell with His people. John the Baptist preparing His way, calling Israel to confession, to the fear of God, to turn anew to Him and live in ways consistent with being His people. But when Jesus came to His own, His own did not accept Him. Listening to His Father, He taught in the synagogues, the streets and the Temple but His Father’s appointed leaders rejected Him. And, as Matthew tells us, at the turn of chapters 23 and 24, Jesus walked out of the Temple saying “Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see Me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’” [Ichabod] And having left, when His disciples call His attention to the Temple buildings He proclaims its destruction. “Do you see all these things? … I tell you the truth not one stone will be left on another, everyone will be thrown down.” [c24:2] And so it happened. The physical temple building is no more; yet, everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is a temple of the Holy Spirit [1Corinthians 3:16]. And unlike the dead stones of the Jerusalem Temple, all Christians are living stones, being built into a spiritual house, forming a people belonging to God, in whom God’s Shekinah glory dwells.

Wherever you are, speaking of Christians, there is God. You and all Christians are God’s dwelling, called to Listen, Trust, Fear Him and a life of Turning to Him [Repentance], being a transformed people, walking with the Holy Spirit, to become more and more like Christ Jesus, growing in knowing the Father’s good, pleasing and perfect will; expressing that, as a royal priesthood and a holy nation, in being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We being perfected, a process not completed until our resurrection into our new creation life, in which heaven and earth will no longer be separated for God will dwell with His people. The blessings of living in the presence of the glory of God will be abundantly fulfilled.

Until then we live in a world still cursed, with all its sad consequences. And sadly we also suffer those consequences. Like Israel returned from Babylon we yearn to be revived, and long for those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. And in this in-between time we also are called to Listen, to Trust, to Fear and to Repent.

Revival – and the salvation of others – is a fruit of our repentance and a harvest of our walking in righteousness with God. Therefore, stand firm in faith, hold strong to the Holy Trinity, don’t return to folly in putting our interests in the world before God. Hunger and thirst for righteousness. Be humble and contrite of heart. Keep turning to God. Our lives are meant to be a holy partnership with God. Then His blessings will flow to us and from us to others whom He is calling to Himself. That’s no reference to a prosperity gospel. The blessings of the Father upon Jesus came through the cross, that is came through His freely given obedient willingness to suffer for the pleasing of His Father’s will and kingship reign. In that was He glorified. As Jesus says: if anyone serves Me, the Father will honour him. [see John c12:20-28] And the land will yield its increase.

Glory to God, the One God, the Only God, the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever more. Amen.