Psalm 85--Revive Us Again

Psalm 85
English Standard Version

Revive Us Again
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
85 LORD, you were favorable to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you covered all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.

4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
    and put away your indignation toward us!
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
    that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
    and grant us your salvation.

8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
    but let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that glory may dwell in our land.

​10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him
    and make his footsteps a way.

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The LORD has been slow to anger and rich in mercy with His people, Israel concerning the covenant that He gave to Abraham that included a place (a land) and a people (descendants).  God has continued to bless the people even when they sinned (even though He didn't have to according to the covenant), He has defended them in the Land that He has given to them, and He has caused the Land to grow and produce for them.  He has also turned away from His hot anger and wrath that the people of Israel deserved when they rebelled against Him.

They must have messed up in a big way again, as the Sons of Korah are praying for the LORD to once again save and forgive His people and to restore and revive them.  They have kindled the LORD's anger, and they are asking that the cease being angry with them (but have they repented and turned away from their sin?).  They want to return to a time when they could worship the LORD and draw near to Him to praise Him (but is unrepentant/unconfessed sin for which no atonement has been made according to the Law what's in the way of that? Are their sins high-handed sins of rebellion for which there was no sacrifice available?).  The sin and its consequences appear to be generational, and they wonder if the cycle will ever be broken and if they will ever experience the LORD's steadfast, covenant love again.

The Sons of Korah know that the LORD will draw near to those who fear Him (part of that is repentance and another part is obedience).  The Law only promised blessings for those that chose to be a part of God's covenant community and lived according to the rules that He established for them.  While no one could perfectly keep the rules, there was a system in place for if you accidentally/unintentionally broke the rules, but no one was supposed to willfully break God's Law.  That kind of behavior has to stop if the people want to experience God's blessings.

The Lord is both loving and faithful.  He is also the Righteous One and the Prince of Peace.  However, we cannot forget that He is also just and holy.  All of these characteristics perfectly meet and are satisfied at the cross of Christ.  I don't know that these psalmists had that in mind, though it's clear that the LORD gave David a glimpse of this in some of his psalms like Psalm 22.  However, it seems the Sons of Korah are interested in the Land and the blessings of "A Land flowing with milk and honey" in this life here and now.  They say that if the people will repent and turn back to the LORD, He will turn away from His wrath and His blessings will once again be poured out on the Land and the people of promise.