Psalms 80:1

CONTENTS

Here is another of the records of the day of Jacob's troubles. The church is still at the mercy-seat, and adopts similar arguments in prayer to those which were made use of in the foregoing Psalm, namely, God's love to his people, and their interest in him.

To the chief musician upon Shoshannim-Eduth, A Psalm of Asaph.

Psalms 80:1

This first verse is the key to the whole Psalm. Who is the Shepherd of Israel, but Jesus? Uniformly, through all the word of God, this is the well-known character and office of Christ, as Christ. Of him it is specially and particularly spoken; of him it is specially said, that he should feed his flock like a shepherd. He was promised under that character by the Father, Isaiah 40:11. So again, the Lord saith by another prophet, I will set up one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David: he shall feed them, and he shall be their Shepherd; Ezekiel 34:23. Hence Christ takes to himself this very name, John 10:11; and the church desired Jesus, as her Shepherd, to tell her where he fed his flock; Song of Solomon 1:7. I dwell the more particularly upon this, because, though it is generally known and confessed, yet believers have too few actings of faith upon the person of Christ in his sweet offices and characters, as distinguished from God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost; for though there be many precious offices in which God the Father hast condescended to put himself, and in the enjoyment of them it is the privilege of the believer to be everlastingly engaged; yet it is in a peculiar and special way that redeemed souls are to behold Christ as their Head, their Shepherd, their Husband, their Surety, their Brother, their Advocate, and the like. I venture, therefore, to believe that this Psalm opens with a cry to Jesus, as Jesus, the church's Shepherd. And surely it is he that hath all along led Joseph and his people like sheep; surely it is he which sitteth between the cherubim, for God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself; and he it is that shines forth when God the Spirit shines in the heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 4:6.