John Calvin Commentary Psalms 85

O Jehovah! You have been favorable to Your land. Those who translate these words in the future tense, in my opinion, damage their meaning. This psalm, it is likely, was composed to be sung by the people when they were persecuted by the cruel tyranny of Antiochus. From the deliverance accomplished for them in the past, they were encouraged to expect in the future fresh and continued tokens of divine favor—God having thus testified that their sins, however numerous and aggravated, could not erase from his memory the remembrance of his covenant, so as to render him unyielding towards the children of Abraham and deaf to their prayers.

Had they not previously experienced such remarkable proofs of the divine goodness, they must necessarily have been overwhelmed with the load of their present afflictions, especially when so long prolonged. The cause of their deliverance from captivity they attribute to the free love with which God had embraced the land which he had chosen for himself.

From this it follows that the course of his favor was uninterrupted; and the faithful also were inspired with confidence in prayer by the reflection that, mindful of his choice, he had shown himself merciful to his own land. We have remarked elsewhere that nothing contributes more effectively to encourage us to come to the throne of grace than the remembrance of God’s former benefits.

Our faith would immediately succumb under adversity, and sorrow would choke our hearts, if we were not taught by past experience to believe that he is inclined to compassionately hear the prayers of his servants and always provides them aid when their urgent needs require it. This is especially true as there always remains the same reason for him to continue his goodness. Thus the prophet aptly applies to believers of his own day the benefits which God in former times bestowed upon their fathers, because both they and their fathers were called to the hope of the same inheritance.

Thou hast taken away the iniquity of thy people. It was very natural for the faithful to feel alarmed and perplexed on account of their sins, and therefore the prophet removes all ground for overwhelming apprehension by showing them that God, in delivering his people, had given an irrefutable proof of free forgiveness.

He had previously traced this deliverance to the mere good pleasure and free grace of God as its source; but after it was accomplished, the iniquities of the people having separated them from their God and estranged them from him, it was necessary that the remedy of pardon should be brought to their aid.

In saying that their iniquities were taken away, he does not refer to the faithful being reformed and purged from their sins—in other words, to that work by which God, sanctifying them by the Spirit of regeneration, actually removes sin from them. What he intended to say he explains immediately after.

In short, the point is that God was reconciled to the Jews by not imputing their sins to them. When God is said to cover sins, the meaning is that he buries them, so that they do not come into judgment, as we have shown more extensively when discussing the beginning of Psalm 32.

When, therefore, he had punished the sins of his people by captivity, since it was his will to restore them to their own country, he removed the great obstacle to this by blotting out their transgressions; for deliverance from punishment depends upon the remission of sin.

Thus we are provided with an argument to refute that foolish notion of the Sophists, which they present as some great mystery: that God retains the punishment even though he forgives the fault. In contrast, God announces in every part of his word that his purpose in pardoning is that, being pacified, he may also mitigate the punishment.

We find additional confirmation of this in the following verse, where we are informed that God was mercifully inclined towards his people, so that he might withdraw his hand from chastising them.

What plausible answer can be given to this by the Sophists, who affirm that God would not be righteous if he did not, after he had forgiven the fault, execute punishment according to the strict demands of his justice?

The consequence of the pardon of sin is that God, by his blessing, testifies that he is no longer displeased.

Turn us, O God of our salvation! The faithful now make a practical application to themselves, in their present circumstances, of what they had previously stated concerning God’s fatherly tenderness towards His people whom He had redeemed. And they attribute to Him, by whom they desire to be restored to their former state, the title O God of our salvation! to encourage themselves, even in the most desperate circumstances, in the hope of being delivered by the power of God.

Although to natural perception and reason there may be no apparent basis for hoping our condition will improve, we ought to believe that our salvation rests secure in His hand. We should also trust that, whenever He pleases, He can easily and readily find the means to bring salvation to us.

God’s anger being the cause and origin of all calamities, the faithful implore Him to remove it. This order demands our special attention; for we are so lacking in fortitude and so faint-hearted in bearing adversity that no sooner does God begin to strike us with His little finger, than we entreat Him, with groaning and sorrowful cries, to spare us.

But we forget to plead for what should primarily occupy our thoughts: that He would deliver us from guilt and condemnation. And we forget this because we are reluctant to descend into our own hearts and to examine ourselves.

Will you be wroth against us forever? Here the godly lament the long continuance of their afflictions and derive an argument in prayer from the nature of God, as it is described in the Law:

The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin (Exodus 34:6–7).

This truth has also been brought to our attention in Psalm 30:5: For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Thus, it is fitting for us, when we engage in prayer, to meditate on the divine promises so that we may be equipped with suitable expressions.

It may seem, at first glance, that these devout Jews find fault with God, as if he showed his character to them in a very different light from how he was used to showing it. However, their aim was undoubtedly to obtain hope of relief from contemplating God’s nature in the struggle they were resolutely maintaining against temptation, as if they established it as a fixed principle that it is impossible for him to be angry forever.

We may observe, incidentally, that it is evident from their praying in this manner that they were weighed down by such an oppressive load of calamities that they were almost unable to endure them any longer. Let us therefore learn that although God may not immediately grant us clear signs of his returning favor, we must not stop persevering in earnest prayer.

If it is objected that God has then promised in vain that his anger would be of short duration, I answer that if we hold appropriate views of our own sins, his anger will certainly appear to be always of short duration. And if we recall the everlasting course of his mercy, we will confess that his anger endures but for a moment.

Since our corrupt nature is continually relapsing into the unrestrained indulgence of its natural inclinations, many corrections are absolutely necessary to thoroughly subdue it.

The godly, continuing with the same theme, ask in the 6th verse whether God will not turn again and quicken them. Being fully convinced of the truth of this principle—that the punishments with which God chastises his children are only temporary—they therefore encourage themselves with the confident expectation that he will act. Although he may now be justly displeased and may have turned his face from them, yet when they implore his mercy, he will be moved by their entreaties and, raising the dead to life again, will turn their mourning into gladness.

By the word quicken, they complain that they almost resemble dead people, or that they are stunned and laid low by afflictions. And when they anticipate reason for rejoicing, they indicate that in the meantime they are nearly worn out with sorrow.

Show us your mercy, O Jehovah! In these words, there is the same contrast as in the preceding sentence. In supplicating that mercy may be extended to them, and deliverance granted to them, they confess that they are deprived of all awareness of both these blessings.

Since this was the state of the saints in former times, let us learn, even when we are so oppressed with calamities as to be reduced to extremity, and on the brink of despair, to turn to God nonetheless.

Mercy is appropriately put in the first place; and then salvation is added, which is the work and fruit of mercy. For no other reason can be given why God is moved to show Himself as our Savior, except that He is merciful. From this it follows, that all who present their own merits before Him as a plea for obtaining His favor are blocking the way of salvation.