Psalm 80:19 (KJV)
19 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Many of us struggle with the flesh. At times we wish we didn't have such shortcomings. But the turn is we cannot turn ourselves away from our own wickedness. Only God has the power to transform our hearts and restore us through the gospel. The repetition of this verse three times emphasizes the critical truth that it is God who initiates our return to Him. Anything repeated thee times in the Bible represent what is being repeated in completion. What this means is context is that God has to turn us away from that sin and save us. We are incapable of saving ourselves.
Despite our best efforts, we are powerless to overcome our sinful nature. This verse acknowledges that true repentance and restoration come solely from God's grace.
It is not by our own strength or righteousness that we are saved, but by the mercy and grace of God. The number 3 represents divine completeness. It is through Jesus' sacrifice we are saved. He is the divine one who turns our hearts back to God and causes His face to shine upon us.
God's shining face is a metaphor for His blessing and grace.
When God turns us to Himself and shines His face upon us, our salvation is secure. This is not because of anything we have done but because of the finished work of Christ. God is truly loving and merciful. I am thankful he did not place the responsibility of turning away from our sins on us. He placed that on Jesus who took those sins to the cross.
Amen!
