Psalm 80:19 Restore us, Lord, God of Armies: make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.
“that we may be saved”
Susannah sat with her friend, watching the scene below. It reminded her of the darkest night of her life over 30 years ago. A peaceful night with her family was shattered by an intruder. With cold, lifeless eyes the soldier plunged a sword into her sleeping baby boy, as if attacking a brutal enemy instead of an 18-month-old child.
Her best friend, seated beside her, knew her thoughts. Thirty years could not erase the grief etched in her face.
And the two women sat, now watching another mother, stooped with sorrow. Her own son was taken being from a cross. The weight of the horror was too much for her frail frame, and she was supported by a few friends.
In the years that followed her son’s death, Susannah saw her strong young husband slowly weaken. Devastated by his failure to protect their son from a cruel king’s order, which claimed their child’s life, she lost not just her son but, in another way, her husband too. In five years, he was gone, leaving her to raise two children by herself.
Although Susannah’s family was caught up in the terrible tragedy of Jeremiah’s (Jeremiah 31:15) prophecy, this awful path would lead straight to her Savior.
Susannah met Jesus three years before this tragic day. He found her when thousands of people sought His attention on a hillside. Matthew 14:13-21 All of them had heard of the Messiah who had come to set up His kingdom. Would the cruel government finally face punishment and be defeated, allowing God’s chosen people to rule?
That was not to be. As Susannah’s faith grew, she realized that Jesus came to be the suffering, Savior. The man acquainted with grief. And somehow, she came to love this Messiah more than a victorious military conqueror. His mission was meant to save people from their sin. She knew He would keep His promise.
But he was pierced because of our rebellion,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on him,
and we are healed by his wounds.
Isaiah 53:5
As she sat and listened to His parables, she felt drawn toward a grace that was for her. Susannah realized that she needed this kind of Savior. Not one who would make her rich or restore all that she had lost. When Jesus came, He revived her wounded heart.
And now she watched Jesus taken down from the cross. That cross was meant for her, for the Roman soldier who killed her baby, and for His own mother, Mary. A cross meant for the whole world.
But none of them could carry that cross. Only the innocent Savior could. He never wavered or turned away from the Father’s plan.
Susannah’s friend grasped her hand tightly, offering comfort. The women knew this was not the end; it couldn’t be. They weren’t sure what came next, but they still had faith.
This vile world, which willingly turned away from the Redeemer, had been given a way to new life. If only they believed, too.
The story of Susannah is a fictitious about the true story of the Massacre of the Innocents. Yet, we sometimes need to remember that the world is still dark, just as it was during Jesus’ time. That darkness didn’t stop God’s plan then, and it won’t defeat Him now. His promises are eternal, His love is everlasting, His justice is kind, and His punishment for sin is certain.
The Psalmist, Asaph, understood. He was inspired to offer a prayer for all believers long ago. Although he never met the Messiah, he believed in God’s Promise spoken through the prophets.
Restore us, Lord, God of Armies: make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.
The price for our sins and ignoring God’s moral law was the cross, and it wasn’t paid for by us.
Our sinful actions are forgiven, but we still disdain God’s holiness.
Psalm 51:4 “against You, and You alone I have sinned.”
We should let this thought sink in and change us.
The stories of the Hebrew Nation are full of tragedy when God’s children turn their back on Yahweh. The answer only ever came by the redeeming hand of God.
The scars and devastation caused by human beings was not erased from God’s Word. It stands as an example of what happens when people turn their back on God. And none of it is God’s fault.
But the Bible is also full of redemption stories from the Old Testament to the New. The only way you’re going to know this is if you open God’s Word.
God’s moral law is never irrelevant, and it is always changeless and true.
God’s moral law helps us identify our sin so that we can confess it and repent.
Like the Hebrew Nation, many believers have assimilated their lives with the sinful culture and have joined the enemies of God.
Our key verse should become our prayer.
“Restore us, Lord, God…make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.“
Because believers live to bring honor and glory to God, we need to prepare every day to make godly living our choice.
A great verse for your family to put into action is the one below. Apply its wisdom to your life so that your family, friends, and your world can see Jesus in you.
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.
“Lord, let the Light from Your Face shine upon us so that we may be saved.”
Phillipps Craig and Dean
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 