The mention of discipline is typically not a topic we all get excited about. For those of us with young children, it may simply be a reminder of what we feel we find ourselves having to do all day every day. It may be a point of embarrassment as we wish we’d done better with our children or of frustration because though we have done it consistently, the fruit of it seems to only come ever so slowly. Then, moving into the arena of the church, the mention of discipline might again bring to our mind the sadness of a memory of one of our own walking away from the faith, the frustration of our pursuits not seeming effective, or of fear over feeling compelled to go to a brother or sister who seems to be walking in unrepentant sin. The topic of discipline is simply typically not a topic that brings happy thoughts fluttering into our minds.
But it is important for us to remember that discipline is not an idea that originated with man. It’s not something man invented because we were frustrated with our children’s disobedience or that churches invented to deal with those who were walking in unrepentant sin. Discipline is, rather, revealed to us in the Scripture and prior to any of us deciding to discipline our own children, God has revealed that discipline is something he utilizes as a loving heavenly Father with his own children. Therefore, we should not be surprised to find numerous texts within the Bible that deals with God disciplining his people when they sin. We saw it in 2 Kings as God brought strong discipline on Israel and Judah after years of walking in sinful rebellion. And we see it also in Psalm 80.
The reason we see it in Psalm 80 is because this psalm appears to be written either as the northern kingdom of Israel is about to be conquered by the Assyrians or just after Israel has been conquered. It is a plea to the Lord by an Israelite, asking the Lord to do an about-face, to shine on them kindly, and to bless them instead of allowing them to suffer the discipline they are facing at the hands of their enemies.
Therefore, what I want to do this morning is walk through the psalm so that we might understand what the psalmist is saying exactly. Then, I want to note a few things that this psalm reminds us of concerning our own walk with the Lord. So, first, let’s begin with a look at the psalm.
The psalm divides into four sections: vv. 1-3; 4-7; 8-13; and 14-19, with a refrain that is repeated three times (vv. 3, 7, and 19). The refrain itself is a plea for the Lord to shine his face on them so that they might be saved, and each time the title of the Lord is expanded so that in the first instance the psalmist cries, “O God,” in the second, “O God of hosts,” and in the third “O LORD God of hosts.” So, it’s as if the psalmist is ratcheting up his cries with each address to the Lord.
In verses 1-3 we find the psalmist’s appeal. He asks the Lord, who is Israel’s Shepherd and who is enthroned to lead Joseph, to stir his might, and to save them. By stressing God’s fatherly care (their shepherd) and might (enthroned on the cherubim), it’s not as if the psalmist doubts God’s care or ability to do something about their present suffering. The only problem is that God does not seem to be acting. It seems that God has decided to turn his face away from them and give them over to suffering, while refusing to intervene. So he asks God, “Stir up your might and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved” (vv. 2-3). The psalmist knows God is his only hope.
Then, in verses 4-7, the psalmist protests God’s actions. He asks God how long he will allow them to suffer, seemingly ignore their prayers, and allow their enemies to laugh at them. Everything going on with Israel seems to be the effect of a shepherd’s negligence. Everything occurring is the opposite of what happens to a flock under the care of a shepherd. God is to know them and listen attentively to them, but it’s as if he is angry at their prayers. He is to lead them to green pastures so that they might eat and provide for them, but it seems that he is giving them only their tears to eat and drink. He is to protect them with his rod and staff, but he has made them a source of mocking and contention for their neighbors. He has seemingly turned his attention away from them, and they are suffering. So the psalmist protests what’s going on and asks again for God to turn his face toward them, save them, and restore them.
Then, in verses 8-13 the psalmist voices his bewilderment at God’s present action in light of the past. He reminds God of how he graciously redeemed them and so carefully cared for them. They were like a vine that he redeemed from Egyptian oppression. Then he drove other nations out of a land so that he might plant this vine. The Israelites were worth more to him than others. He even cleared the ground so that the vine might take root. And then he blessed the Israelites so that they grew into a massive kingdom, like a vine that fills the mountainside and grows so mightily that its branches eclipse even the mighty cedars and grows so broadly that it stretches from sea to river. The Israelites only existed in the land as a great people because of the Lord’s gracious deliverance and tender care.
Yet now the Lord is giving them over to destruction. He has broken down the walls so that passersby come and pluck the fruit from the vine – no doubt, symbolizing that the people are being plundered. All the wealth and blessing God had carefully supplied to the people is being ripped from them left and right. And it’s not just a few individuals who are taking advantage of this weakened state of the people but everyone who passes by. So, the psalmist asks, “In light of what you’ve done to bless your people, why have you now done this?”
Finally, in verses 14-19, the psalmist petitions the Lord to take action. He asks him to turn again, look at this vine (this people), and have regard for them. And the request is not that the Lord would have regard for some strange people but for those whom he has planted, for his son whom the Lord delivered from Israel. We’ll remember, after all, that this is the very terms in which the Lord referred to Israel, saying to him that he must let God’s son go or else Pharaoh’s son would die. And yet what has God allowed to happen to his precious son? The psalmist says, “They have burned it with fire and cut it down” (v. 16).
The picture is of a man who carefully and tenderly cares for this vine. He plants it, helps it to grow, prunes it, and does everything necessary for its well-being. This vine is the object of his affection and tender care. He even builds a wall around it so that no people or animals can harm it. Then, one day he tears down the way he had built, exposing the plant. He simply watches as individuals come by and pluck its fruit. And finally, he turns his head as some even come by, cut it down and burn it.
So, the psalmist cries for God to take action, saying, “May they [i.e., these people who have cut down and burned your vine] perish at the rebuke of your face! But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!” (vv. 16-17). And the psalmist declares that the people would then not turn from the God who gave them life and would call upon his name. Thus, he ends, asking God once more, “Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let your face shine, that we may be saved!” (v. 19).
So, you can understand the psalmist’s confusion, in part, his plea, and where he’s coming from. Part of us has trouble fathoming the concept of someone letting an enemy tear down and burn a vine he has planted, let alone a heavenly Father allowing his people to undergo such suffering at the hands of their enemies. And if this psalm was written just prior to the destruction of the northern kingdom, the suffering was only going to last longer and increase greatly in might.
So, what is it then that we need to be reminded of when reading a psalm like Psalm 80? Well, I want to note a few things.
There is a certain sense in which it’s odd to consider the Lord bringing such suffering upon those whom he has redeemed, cared for, and loves. On the other hand, I think the psalmist actually provides the answer to why they are suffering when he reminds the Lord of who they are and what he has done for them.
Part of the answer to why they are suffering is because they have sinned. It’s interesting that in a psalm that parallels the theme of this psalm almost exactly (Psalm 44), the psalmist makes clear that he is questioning his suffering because he has lives righteously and has not violated the covenant. That claim is not present in this psalm. Rather, the psalmist simply says, in essence, “Why would you allow this much suffering to one whom you love and care so deeply for, one whom you have redeemed?” But I think that’s the other part of the answer. The Lord is disciplining them precisely because he redeemed them, precisely because they belong to him, precisely because he loves them. In fact, as I briefly mentioned last week, when Amos announces the coming judgment to Israel, he tells them that they are being punished because of what God has done for them and because of who they are to God. He declares, “Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: ‘You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities’” (Amos 3:1-2). And when the author of Hebrews sees this theme in the Old Testament, he reiterates in the New, “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Heb 12:6).
This concept is not foreign to anyone who, like me, made the mistake of ever saying to their parents, “But Stephen’s (or fill in the blank with whatever name you used) parents let him do that” only to have your parents remind you that Stephen isn’t their son; you are. That is, my parents disciplined me and not my neighbor precisely because they loved me, had been given responsibility for me, and longed to make sure that I walked in righteousness.
Well, the Lord is the same way. Because he loves us and takes responsibility for us, refusing to let us be condemned along with the world, he disciplines us so that our lives might “yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness” and “may share in his holiness . . . without which no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:10-11, 14).
Now, the Bible never gives us a list of what discipline looks like. We know that for the Corinthians, some were getting sick and even dying – for it is better to die than be condemned. But no doubt there is more. And in my own life it has seemed that the Lord has pulled me to himself after allowing me to go through struggles, or feel deep emptiness before him, or a number of other things. Also, there are not also clear differences between things we encounter because of the Lord’s discipline and things we encounter simply because we live in a fallen world. However, what we do need to note is that the Lord disciplines those whom he loves so that we might turn from sin and pursue righteousness. So, if you are under not tasting the Lord’s discipline and yet are walking in unrepentant sin, do not be comforted but ask yourself if your faith is in Christ and you belong to God. After all, as Psalm 80 reminds us, the Lord disciplines those whom he loves.
Perhaps we should read the psalmists question not to be, “Why are we being disciplined?” Maybe he knows the answer to that question. He knows that they have sinned and that God does not let his people continue to walk in unrepentant sin. Perhaps, rather, the psalmist is saying, “I know why we are being disciplined; I just can’t fathom the severity and length of the discipline. God, why is it so severe and seemingly without end?”
But such a question in Psalm 80 serves to remind us that the Lord’s discipline may indeed be harsh. The author of Hebrews reminds us that “all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant” (Heb 12:11). Discipline is not pleasant but painful, according to the Bible. And we should expect that. When we discipline our children, we do not make the experience pleasant so that the discipline might be effective.
Well, in the same way, the Lord will allow us to walk under his heavy and harsh hand of discipline sometimes because he so dearly loves us. I think one of the most gracious statements in Scripture comes in 1 Corinthians 11:32. It comes after Paul speaks of the discipline that has fallen on the Corinthians. Some were sick and some had even died. It’s hard to overstate how harsh that seems. Yet, Paul writes in 11:32, “But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
Do you see that? The reason God disciplines us is so that we may not be condemned. God is showing his faithfulness to us – a faithfulness that is so steadfast that he would discipline to the point of death if necessary to keep us from being condemned.
So, there are two things I want us to see in light of this. First, do not think that the Lord’s discipline, even harsh discipline, is a sign that he does not love you. In fact, the Lord’s discipline proves precisely the opposite. He disciplines those whom he loves, not those whom he does not love. And, second, let this reminder of the Lord’s harsh discipline encourage you to fight against sin ferociously. Sin is nothing to play with. It is nothing that we should let linger in our lives. We should fight to avoid it and repent quickly when we recognize it.
Don’t you feel as if it is a shame that the author of this psalm did not have this sense of pain concerning discipline before the conquest of the Northern Kingdom? But God had told them. He had warned them. And so I want to say to you this morning. Consider the Lord’s discipline as you tempted with sin.
Psalm 80 paints for us a right response to discipline. The psalmist doesn’t see discipline and run from the Lord but runs to him. He rightly calls out to the Lord in prayer. He asks God to save them, protect them, act again like he has acted before. This is indeed right, and the Lord has given us the home to train us for this response. It happens often that when we discipline our children, they turn to us for comfort. I noticed this with Luke just the other night. After I was the one that disciplined me, I was the one whom he wanted to hold him.
But some of you may not know that. You may have had fathers that meant to drive you away from them when they disciplined you. You may have had fathers where a spanking carried with it the implied message, “And don’t let me see you anymore today.” Some may have had absent or negligent fathers, and so this is not your natural inclination to turn to the Lord as your Father in the midst of being disciplined. But it is biblical, and Psalm 80 reminds us that this is the right response. In fact, I would hope that those of you who did not have fathers who modeled the Lord’s loving discipline find this reflected in this local church. I hope that you see that when your brothers and sisters love you enough to fight for your holiness, it is so that you might cling to Christ and to them.
Everyone who is disciplined at every stage is sought out so that they might cling to Christ and to us. We want them. Every time we’ve had to speak to someone in discipline the response we’ve prayed for is that they would see our love for them and want to turn to Christ and to us. It is right to turn to the Lord in discipline, and it is right to turn to the Lord in repentance.
Perhaps the admission that their sin is the cause of this discipline is found in verses 17-18. There, the psalmist writes, “But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom have you made strong for yourself! Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!” This is the psalmist saying, “We will no longer do what we have done.” They had turned from the Lord and called upon false gods. Now, the psalmist is saying, “No more.” He is declaring repentance. This is the right response. Discipline is so that we might walk in righteousness and holiness. So, if you find yourself being disciplined by the Lord today, won’t you turn to the one who loves you and disciplines you so that you might bear the fruit of righteousness and never be condemned.
This might not be obvious at first, but if we know the rest of our Bibles, we are constantly reminded of who Christ is and what he has done for us when we read this psalm. Throughout Psalm 80, the psalmist speaks of Israel as a vine and as God’s son, and that is fitting. God calls them both of these. However, we are also reminded that Israel was a fine who yielded bad fruit and a son who dishonored his father left and right. Israel indeed was a son but a disobedient son who did not reflect the righteousness of God.
But because we know of the New Testament, as we read this psalm, we are reminded of one who came and said, “I am the true vine.” We remember one of whom the Father said at his baptism, “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.” The vine and son imagery constantly reminds us that God demanded of Israel that which they could not do, but that God has provided an obedient son and a true vine. He has provided one who obeyed on our behalf. Israel’s sonship recalls Adam and his failure, Israel and their failure, even Israel’s kings and their failure. Would their ever be a fitting son? That is a question the whole Old Testament seems to ask. And it is a question the New Testament answers clearly, “Yes, Jesus of Nazareth.” He is the obedient Son. He obeys where Adam fails, and is obedient to the point of death. Therefore, he is the righteous Son.
But his righteousness is not only for him. He is able to redeem others. He came and lived and died and was raised so that he might bring “many sons to glory” (Heb 2:10). He is not ashamed to call us “brothers” (2:11).
So, this morning, do not respond to the Lord’s discipline simply saying, “Okay, Lord, I’ll do better so that you might be pleased.” Rather, look to the gospel in faith. Remember that Christ has done everything you need to be justified before God. And let the gospel serve as a fuel for your obedience. Remember the finished work of Christ for you and only after recognizing that Christ has done for you everything necessary, then declare that you will walk in holiness. After recognizing that Christ has broken the reign of sin in your life by paying your penalty on the cross, turn from sin and make war with it. That is, let the realization that you are justified by faith in the gospel be your foundation to fight against sin so that you might walk in holiness. This is the goal of the Lord’s discipline. He’s disciplining you because he wants this response. He wants you to turn again to Christ in faith. So, as we come to the table this morning, will you allow the Lord’s discipline to turn you again to repentance and faith, as we proclaim the Lord’s death as our only hope? I pray that you will. Amen.