Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Words for the Wise, Revival, Psalm 85



Psalm 85 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Psalm 85[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 You, Lord, showed favour to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people
    and covered all their sins.[b]
3 You set aside all your wrath
    and turned from your fierce anger.
4 Restore us again, God our Saviour,
    and put away your displeasure towards us.
5 Will you be angry with us for ever?
    Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
    that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love, Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what God the Lord says;
    he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants –
    but let them not turn to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
    that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Love and faithfulness meet together;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
    and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed give what is good,
    and our land will yield its harvest.
13 Righteousness goes before him
    and prepares the way for his steps.

The Bible Panorama
Psalm 85
V 1–3: REMEMBER The psalmist remembers what God has done for the people of Israel before. He has turned their captivity and forgiven them.
 V 4–5: RESTORE He asks God to turn from His anger at their sins and restore them again.
V 6–9: REVIVEHe pleads for physical and spiritual revival through God’s mercy, producing salvation, rejoicing and peace. 
V 10–13: RIGHTEOUSNESS Because of God’s mercy, truth, righteousness and peace, the supplicant is sure that God will lead them in fruitful righteousness and enable them to follow Him.


Dictionary of Bible Themes

8149 revival, nature of

Scripture indicates that a number of characteristics precede revival, including repentance, humility and obedience.

Characteristics which precede revival

God’s people long for renewal of their lives Ps 80:18 See also Ps 74:22; Ps 80:1-17,19; Ps 85:6
God’s people must repent 2Ch 7:14 See also 1Ki 8:46-50 pp2Ch 6:26-27; Isa 64:1-7; Hos 5:15; Ac 3:19
God’s people experience a new awareness of sin 2Ki 22:11See also Ps 32:3-5
God’s people need to be humble Isa 57:15 See also Ps 149:4;Isa 66:2; Mic 6:6-8
God’s people are revived through God’s initiative Isa 59:16See also Jer 24:7; Jer 33:6-9; Tit 3:5

Characteristic results of revival

People experience inward change Heb 8:10-12 See also Jer 31:33-34; Eze 11:19; Ac 2:42-47
People live obedient lives Eze 11:20 See also Eph 4:1-3; 1Th 1:7-8
People are zealous for God’s work Ezr 5:1-2 See also Hag 1:12-15

People are generous in giving Ex 36:5 See also 1Ch 29:6-9;2Ch 31:3-8; Ac 11:28-30
People delight in worshipping God Ezr 3:11 See also Isa 12:1-6
People are joyful Ac 13:49-52 See also Isa 35:1-10; Ac 8:5-8

Psalm 80:18New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

18 Then we will not turn away from you;
    revive us, and we will call on your name.

Hebrews 8:10-12New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
11 No longer will they teach their neighbours,
    or say to one another, “Know the Lord,”
because they will all know me,
    from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.’[a]


Dictionary of Bible Themes

8151 revival, corporate

The experience of God’s people both in the OT and NT when prayer is answered and their growth and effectiveness are renewed.

The recurring pattern of apostasy and revival in the OT

Jdg 2:10-19

God is petitioned to revive his people

Ps 80:14-15 See also Ps 85:4-7; Jer 31:18; La 5:21; Hab 3:2

Repentance is necessary for revival

God’s people are urged to repent 2Ch 30:6 Hezekiah’s appeal to all Israel. See also Isa 55:1-3; Jer 3:22; La 3:40; Hos 12:6; Hos 14:1-2; Zec 1:3; Mal 3:7; Rev 2:5,16; Rev 3:2-3

Wholehearted repentance is required Joel 2:12-13 See also Dt 4:29; Dt 30:2-3; Jer 24:7; Jer 29:13-14; Ac 19:18-19 Repentance should be evidenced by deeds.

Repentance prepares for revival Isa 59:20 See also Jdg 10:9-16; Ezr 10:1,10-12; Ne 1:9; Eze 18:30-32

Revival is God’s work

Hos 6:2 See also Ps 80:3,7,17-19; Isa 32:14-17

God promises revival

God promises to revive his people Eze 11:19 See also Jer 31:33-34; Eze 36:26; Zec 10:6

The nations are included in the promise of revival Isa 2:3 pp Mic 4:2 See also Isa 19:22-25; Isa 45:22; Isa 56:6-8; Zec 8:20-22

The revival of Israel

Under Hezekiah 2Ki 18:4-6; 2Ch 29:3-5; 2Ch 30:1; 2Ch 31:4,9-10,20-21

Under Josiah 2Ki 23:1-4 pp 2Ch 34:29-33; 2Ch 35:1-3

Revival in the NT

Crowds turn to the Lord Mk 1:5; Jn 3:26; Jn 4:39; Ac 2:41,47; Ac 4:4; Ac 11:21

The Holy Spirit is active in the revival of believers Ac 4:31 See also Ac 13:9; 2Co 4:16; Eph 5:18

The response of believers in revival Ro 12:1-2 See also Eph 4:23-24; Php 3:13-14; Col 3:9-14

Romans 12:1-2New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Dedicated Service

12 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, [a]acceptable to God, which is your [b]spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this [c]world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may [d]prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.

Colossians 3:1-17New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Put On the New Self

3 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 [a]Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

5 Therefore [b]consider the members of your earthly body as dead to [c]immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which [d]amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come [e]upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living [f]in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 [g]Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old [h]self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being [i]renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [j]barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and [k]patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is [l]the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ [m]rule in your hearts, to which [n]indeed you were called in one body; and [o]be thankful. 16 Let the word of [p]Christ richly dwell within you, [q]with all wisdom teaching and admonishing [r]one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing [s]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.



Some Revival Quotes

Oh! men and brethren, what would this heart feel if I could but believe that there were some among you who would go home and pray for a revival men whose faith is large enough, and their love fiery enough to lead them from this moment to exercise unceasing intercessions that God would appear among us and do wondrous things here, as in the times of former generations.     Author: Charles Spurgeon

To look back upon the progress of the divine kingdom upon earth is to review revival periods which have come like refreshing showers upon dry and thirsty ground, making the desert to blossom as the rose, and bringing new eras of spiritual life and activity just when the Church had fallen under the influence of the apathy of the times.    Author: E.M. Bounds

There is a growing conviction everywhere, and especially among thoughtful people, that unless revival comes, other forces will take the field, that will sink us still deeper into the mire of humanism and materialism.    Author: Duncan Campbell

Revivals begin with God's own people; the Holy Spirit touches their heart anew, and gives them new fervor and compassion, and zeal, new light and life, and when He has thus come to you, He next goes forth to the valley of dry bones... Oh, what responsibility this lays on the Church of God! If you grieve Him away from yourselves, or hinder His visit, then the poor perishing world suffers sorely!    Author: Andrew Bonar

A true revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out the spirit of worldliness and selfishness, and making God and His love triumph in the heart and life.    Author: Andrew Murray

There is need of a great revival of spiritual life, of truly fervent devotion to our Lord Jesus, of entire consecration to His service. It is only in a church in which this spirit of revival has at least begun, that there is any hope of radical change in the relation of the majority of our Christian people to mission work.    Author: Andrew Murray


You cannot revive something that has never had life, so revival, by definition, is first of all an enlivening and quickening and awakening of lethargic, sleeping church members. Suddenly the power of the Spirit comes upon them … they are humbled, they are convicted of sin … then as a result of their quickening and enlivening, they begin to pray. New power comes into the preaching of the ministers, and the result of this is large numbers are converted. So the two main characteristics of revival are, first, this extraordinary enlivening of the members of the church, and, second, the conversion of masses of people who have been outside in indifference and in sin.”  Author D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

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