Psalm Chapter 85

To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

Psalm 85:1 LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

The wonderful grace of God forgave the many sins of Israel and restored them into their land once again after the 70 year captivity by Babylon. Yet at that time they still was under the rule of Medo-Persia after the fall of Babylon, then the Grecian Empire, the Roman Empire was next which was the one in power when the birth of the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God came into the world.

When God sent Jesus Christ into the world it was not only to forgive sin but to usher in a new covenant that would bring forth unto human beings a new way of salvation, a new way for us to live with the power of God living within us, the Holy Spirit.

Before Jesus came to die or pay the penalty for our sins, Israel looked for the promised one, the Messiah to come and deliver them from the Roman Empire's rule over them. Except for the prophets and a few remnant Jewish people, most of Israel looked for a conquering deliverer instead of one that would come to save them from their sins.

Sin kills, steals and destroys both the body and condemns the soul to eternal separation from God in a place called hell. Jesus died for our sins by taking this punishment for us. Death was the penalty of sin for all mankind. Death came upon all human beings from the fall of Adam. After death the soul which can't die goes either to hell or heaven. If sin is in a person at the point of death, that sin condemns the soul to eternal hell. Jesus came to take away the penalty of eternal death and usher in eternal life for the soul.

At the resurrection, the soul will receive a new body that can never die. In order to inherit this new body the soul must be saved from sin. Thus we have Jesus. The blood He shed when He was crucified covers the sin of all who just believe.

When a person repents of sin. That means he or she acknowledges that they have sinned and wants to be free from the condemnation of sin. When a person repents of sin and comes to Jesus for forgiveness of sin with a willing heart that desires to turn away from sin, Jesus gives them a the Holy Spirit which abides within the person. The Holy Spirit is the living water spoken about in his message to the woman at the well in John 4. It is also called being "born again" in His message to Nicodemus in John 3.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Israel as a nation refused the message of Jesus Christ. They refused to acknowledge that they were sinners in need of salvation. They thought that they were the chosen of God and did not need to repent of anything. In their minds all the Gentile nations were sinners. They were looking for a king to save them from the Romans, not one to save them from their sins. That is why Israel rejected Jesus and the Gentiles who knew they were sinners in need of God, repented and received Jesus Christ.

We live in a day now where there are many that are not saved or "born again". The biggest reason is that they do not want to repent of sin and admit they need a savior, they have not yet heard the gospel, or they don't care one way or another. Too busy. Yet unless we do this, we can't be saved. Without Jesus to remove the curse of sin from us, at the point of our physical death, sin remains in us and we die in sin.

John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

If we do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah or Christ who came from the Father (God) to save us from sin, then we will die in sin. There is no other way to be saved and inherit eternal life.

John 8:25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Once we come to Christ for salvation, we must remain in Christ. Believe in Him means to believe His words and receive Him in our lives. We start following Him. This is a miracle where the true conversion comes within us. It's not just a religion we are converted to. It is a new life.

Psalm 85:3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

Why was God angry at Israel? Because they rejected Him time after time and worshiped the idols of the nations around them. God chose them from among all the people in the world, He chose them to be the seed that brings forth the savior, Jesus Christ. He led them out of bondage in Egypt. He gave them the best land and saved them from their enemies. Yet they turned their backs on God many times. Still God brought them back time and again. Then one day God sent His only Son. They rejected the Son because the Son wanted to save them from sin instead of from the Romans.
God has not cast away His people forever. During the future great tribulation period, Israel will recognize that Jesus was the true Messiah and then they will mourn and discover the Jesus they rejected is the very Christ.

There will be false Messiahs and false Christ's who will come first to deceive Israel and the rest of the world. They will try to get all who will to follow them and reject the real Messiah who already came over 2000 years ago. If we seek riches, fame, prosperity and goodies instead of seeking to get rid of sin, receive God's Holy Spirit and live in holiness, we will be fooled by the future antichrist.
That is why Jesus warns us to lay up treasure in Heaven and not on the earth. Yet we see now that even Christians are seeking treasure on earth.

Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This doesn't mean God does not supply our needs and give to us necessary things to help us live and support our families. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Some have lost their worldly possessions by those that oppose the gospel and persecute them. Their true treasure though is in heaven. Some God may bless with riches in this life but that doesn't mean He favors them. Not all believers will be rich in this life though and that is why we are to help one another.

Psalm 85:4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.
8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

Folly is seeking other things instead of God. The things of this world will pass away but only what is holy and what is of God will remain.

The Psalmist prayer is answered in that many people of Israel are receiving Christ even before the coming great tribulation.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

This is a message we rarely hear in today's world. Love not the world. Live in holiness without which we shall not even see the Lord.

Hebrew 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Psalm 85:9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

This describes what will be in the future for all who accept the righteousness God has provided through faith in Jesus Christ. God made the way out of sin and into eternal live. It is up to us to accept it. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved."

2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Holy living and godliness is still God's plan for us today. We rarely hear the holiness message any longer yet God demands it from all who believe in Him.

2Peter 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

The new heaven and earth will be one that is righteous and holy. To enter into eternal life and this kingdom, one must have their sins under the blood of Jesus and be born again by the Spirit of God. DC

Psalm 86

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