Luke 2:25-38 introduces us to two special people, Simeon and Anna. They spend their days in the temple worshipping and praying. Simeon, in particular, is looking for ″the consolation of Israel″ (Luke 2:25), that is, for God to save His people. When Simeon holds the newborn Christ in his arms, he announces with joy, ″my eyes have seen your salvation″ (v. 30). Hundreds of years before a poet had prayed to God, ″come and save us″ (Psalm 80:2) and now God has fully answered that prayer.

The psalm begins with Asaph asking God to restore the people. He wants God to smile upon His people and save them (v. 3).

Again, we hear the desperate cry, ″How long?″ (v. 4; see 79:5). We often pray, ″Give us today our daily bread″ to ask God to meet our daily needs. But for the Israelites, the only bread God has given is the bread of tears (v. 5). And to rub salt into the wounds, their enemies make fun of them (v. 6).

In vv. 8-16, the psalmist takes God on a brief historical tour. Through the popular metaphor of the vine, which stands for Israel, he reminds God of the ups and the downs of their relationship with Him. God saved Israel from Egypt (v. 8) and then planted her in the promised land where she prospered (vv. 9-11). Then the psalmist speaks of how God turned against Israel. He asks, why has this happened to us (v. 12)?

Has Asaph forgotten the centuries of idolatry and disobedience committed by Israel? Of course not. The previous two psalms have already reminded Israel of her persistent sin (see Psalm 78:32; 79:8-9). The thrust of this psalm is then a plaintive cry for God to rescue them, a note on which he both begins and ends, ″Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved″ (vv. 3, 19).

For centuries, the Jewish people sang this song–a prayer for salvation. Their enemies came and went, but they rarely experienced freedom and peace. Yet they never stopped praying, ″Save us″, because they never stopped hoping and believing.

Many churches read this psalm during Christmastime. This season reminds us of the day God finally answered the prayer of Psalm 80 through the gift of a Saviour. Jesus Christ demonstrates that God has indeed shone His face upon us and come to save us.

This psalm encourages us to keep praying, especially for the salvation of our loved ones. Maybe tears have been your bread for years, but keep praying because one day, like Simeon, you may discover that your prayer has been heard.