The inspiration for this Psalm likely stems from the 430 years of Israelite bondage in Egypt and the subsequent deliverance that God provided. Although it is rooted in this historical event, the Psalm also applies to various situations where God’s people faced oppression from their enemies after being handed over by God Himself. This Psalm remains relevant to our lives today, as we often find ourselves trapped in various forms of bondage—whether it be sin, sickness, demonic influence, curses, or depression. Isn’t our God faithful in delivering us from such situations and keeping us under His care? After witnessing a remarkable deliverance from their enemies, the Israelites struggled to maintain their newfound freedom, even desiring to return to slavery because they didn’t know how to handle it. Deserving our freedom is more important than merely receiving it.
The Land of God
You, LORD, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. – Psalms 85:1 (NIV)
God does not need to acquire land for Himself, for the earth and everything in it already belongs to Him. When the Psalmist refers to “Your land,” it signifies the whole world rather than a specific territory. The Psalm also speaks of the restoration of fortunes. However, many people seek God to restore their material wealth rather than to restore the image of God within them—the image in which humanity was originally created.
You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. – Psalms 85:2 (NIV)
Often, people prefer to cover their sins rather than eradicate them completely, perhaps because God initially covered Adam and Eve’s shame with garments made from animal skins. While this was an Old Testament practice, we need to understand and apply it in the context of the New Testament era.
You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger. – Psalms 85:3 (NIV)
Jesus shed His blood to cleanse the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), not just for a specific religion or community. He came to open the gates of heaven for us, not to provide material wealth, which is already accessible to everyone on earth. However, eternal life is not automatically given—it requires a response from us.
Restore Us Again
Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation. – Psalms 85:4-7 (NIV)
It is disheartening to realize that God’s people have consistently resisted permanent restoration, repeatedly falling back into sinful patterns and compromising God’s forgiveness and grace for the temporary pleasures of the world. Week after week, people seek restoration from God, yet they continue to live in sin. Another common mistake is blaming ancestral sins and asking God not to hold those sins against us. This reasoning is flawed because God already laid the sins of the whole world on His Son. If God intended to keep transferring sin through generations, why would He have sacrificed His Son for the sins of the world?
The writer pleads for God to show His unfailing love and grant salvation, but both have already been given to us through God’s agape love. Salvation and unconditional love were established even before the foundation of the world—not because of our deeds, but purely by God’s grace. Understanding these truths will free us from misconceptions about God and the truth of His Word.
Does God Promise Peace To His People?
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. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. – Psalms 85:8-9 (NIV)
The author chose to turn his ear toward God, believing that God promises peace to His people forever. While God does not guarantee a life without troubles, He assures that His grace will never be withdrawn from His people (Isaiah 54:10). Our lives may not be free from difficulties, but God’s grace enables us to trust Him. This trust, in turn, brings peace into our hearts, regardless of the challenges we face.
We don’t need to fear God’s anger, as it lasts only for a moment—like a blink of an eye—but His love endures forever and fills all of us. As it is written: “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger, I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness, I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer (Isaiah 54:7-8). If we serve God out of fear, salvation may seem close but not fully ours. However, if we love God, salvation will be completely ours, secured by His grace and love.
Grace And Faithfulness Meet Together
Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. – Psalms 85:10-13 (NIV)
God loved us even when we were still sinners, completely unworthy of His love (Romans 5:8). Despite our failures, He chose to love us and gave His beloved Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Yet, even after this incredible act of mercy, people continue to struggle, feeling deprived of true righteousness and the justice that comes from it. God’s way of working is that wherever hatred exists, His love increases, and wherever sin multiplies, His grace overflows even more abundantly (Romans 5:20).
Though we learn to live by God’s grace, human nature remains inclined toward sin. People often believe that everyone else is sinful and that no one is truly righteous (Romans 3:23). To challenge this flawed mindset, Jesus came in human form and lived a righteous life, meeting God’s perfect standards.
Learning to live according to God’s standards through His grace is like a struggling student who, after receiving grace marks to pass a class, works hard, adapts to the higher level, and eventually exceeds the passing requirements. Initially, the student passed only because of grace, but through growth and effort, he later achieved results that matched the grace they had received. Unlike this student, we often remain dependent on God’s grace without striving to grow spiritually and meet the standards, His grace enables us to reach.
This Psalm emphasizes the need for us to grow spiritually and align our lives with the grace God has already given us. When humanity found it difficult to meet God’s standards, Jesus, in His human form, fulfilled those standards, bringing God’s grace and truth into alignment. John’s Gospel explains this to help us understand what Jesus accomplished in His earthly life and to encourage us to respond to God’s grace by growing in truth.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14 (NIV)
If we truly live according to God’s standards, we will no longer need grace to cover our shortcomings because His grace will have completed its purpose in us. As sin decreases, the need for grace also diminishes. However, some see the idea of grace diminishing as a loss rather than a sign of maturity. But God has promised never to withdraw His grace from us.
Even when we meet His standards, His grace will continue to sustain us—though it will no longer need to increase. Without God’s grace, we would be forced to return to the law, making Christ’s sacrifice meaningless (Galatians 2:21). Let us ask our LORD to help us grow in truth so that we may rise to the level of grace that He has already provided. At the same time, we must not take His grace for granted, for doing so would deny the truth of the Son’s atonement.
LORD, let Your grace decrease as truth increases in us, just as John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The self that relies on grace should diminish so that Christ, who lives within us, may increase. Amen.
The Jordan Valley 
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