Psalms 85:8, commentary and pictures

I will listen for what God the Lord will say, for he promises to speak peace to his people and his saints if they do not turn back to folly. His voice is peace itself, for his thoughts are thoughts of peace, his rule is a rule of peace, and every word from him carries peace and life to those who hear it. That peace is not a feeling but a reality with God, full of creating power that faith takes hold of, which no man can make and which God himself must work in the heart by his word. It is known by acceptance with him through faith, by surrender, by receiving Christ and his righteousness, by hearing his word with meekness and keeping his commandments, and it comes only when sin is cleansed and his righteousness takes possession. Taken into the heart, his word quiets the soul as Christ quieted the Sea of Galilee, calming fierce passions and anxious fears with a peace the world neither gives nor can take away, yet it is freely given only to those who keep surrendering to Christ and do not return to sin.

Setting and Call to Hear

The psalm is a song of deliverance from captivity, to be studied together with Psalm 126 after prayer for favor to the land, return from captivity, forgiveness and covering of iniquity, removal of wrath and anger, turning and quickening by the God of salvation, rejoicing in him, and the showing of mercy and granting of salvation. If written before the captivity it speaks prophetically of that deliverance, for the Lord is ready to speak peace to his people when they turn from sin and rebellion. It belongs with the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, with its mingled emotions of joy, sorrow and anxiety, and with the rebuilding and dedication of the second temple.

The verse is a resolve to hear what God the Lord will speak, and hearing him is a duty requiring time given to his Word so that the message received is clear and fruitful and held with confidence in him and in God. The true seeker, learner and penitent takes this attitude of determined, attentive listening despite distracting voices, receiving the message personally with an open heart even to reproof. When people choose to listen, God makes his voice heard. Faith declares that he will speak peace to his people and saints, for he is not at war with them but they with him, and when they surrender all he will speak peace.

That listening is practiced in quiet morning prayer through his Word, in prayer meetings by turning from the pressures and temptations of the world to hear him in prayer and through his word with a sense of peace and shelter in his presence, and in evening prayer after pondering the day's words, deeds and work. In the evening the soul meditates alone on his goodness, guidance, keeping and abounding mercies, confesses little good done, straying feet, feeble and slow efforts and few won for the Master, then claims his promises and kneels calling on his name, and sorrow and doubt and worry are taken away because he speaks peace to the inner life. Such hearing produces definite results in life. The approach throughout is to listen simply and reverently for what the Lord teaches rather than reading prior beliefs decided beforehand into his words.

His voice is to be heard and obeyed now, for Jesus speaks by his Spirit calling people to repent and believe the gospel. That voice offers mercy, peace, reconciliation and pardon, and must be heeded before it gives way to judgment.

God's Promise of Peace

When God addresses his people and his saints he speaks peace, for his thoughts toward his own are good thoughts of peace and not of evil, and peace is the watchword of the plan that gives worth to the soul. All his ways are peace and his reign is a reign of peace in which he rules by peace, unlike human governments, and since a ruler's word is law his law is a law of peace and everything connected with his government is peace. Every word from his mouth is laden with peace and life for those who hear it, so blessed are the people who know that joyful sound, and the true seeker listens for what he will speak. That peace was announced at Christ's birth as peace on earth and goodwill to men.

This peace is an actual reality with God, not a feeling or sentiment. The word on which faith rests carries creative force and substance in itself, which faith appropriates to life as assurance, so hearing what he speaks brings peace to the troubled soul in response to faith. It cannot be controlled or manufactured by men and put into their own hearts; only God can supply it, and he has already done so. That only God can put his grace into the heart and cause it to rule there proves that he himself must fulfill his commands and exhortations in men, and he does this by his word.

Peace comes through knowing acceptance with God by faith, and it accompanies righteousness because both are found in receiving Christ and God's life and character. The Lord is ready to speak peace to his people when they turn from sin and rebellion, for God is not at war with his people but they are at war with him, and when they surrender all he will speak peace. It is promised even to the wicked who truly call upon him and lack peace, in connection with heeding his commandments and loving his law. When God speaks peace it is by speaking righteousness, which is had by hearing his word with meekness and by loving and obeying his law and commandments, and it comes only after sin is cleansed and his righteousness takes possession, with the humbled turning to Christ as King of righteousness and peace for grace and life.

Received as his word, his word of peace quiets the soul just as Christ's word quieted the sea in the stilling of the tempest. When Christ speaks peace a calm spreads over life's troubled sea that drives complaining away and sets the heart at peace where no one can make war, giving a peace the world neither knows nor can take away. The same word spoken to the Sea of Galilee is the word he speaks to troubled hearts, bringing comfort to those who struggle with fierce passions, quieting stormy passions and dispelling anxious fears. Where sinners plod in sin peace is unknown, for the sinner's lot remains like a troubled sea, while peace is found by acquainting oneself with God and ceasing selfish striving, for Christ Jesus himself is life and peace, making believers one with God and giving release from sin.

The wider passage shows redemption bringing justice and mercy together, with righteousness and peace meeting through the sacrifice that makes pardon possible without abolishing God's law. The promise that God speaks peace gave encouragement and grounds for faith, bringing light and confidence in deliverance during a time of financial crisis. Christ is shown speaking that peace to a neighbor's soul.

Warning and Daily Obedience

God's peace and pardon are freely given, yet they remain conditional on not turning again to folly, but on continuing to surrender to Christ and turn from sin. His mercy gives no warrant to return to sin, for the promise that he will speak peace to his people and to his saints carries with it the warning not to go back to the old course. That peace is for those who listen and truly call upon him, even the wicked who lack peace when they turn, and it is connected with heeding his commandments and loving his law. Claiming this promise gives encouragement and grounds for faith, bringing light and confidence in deliverance in time of financial crisis.

To turn again to folly is after surrender to trail his glory and goodness in the dust, since he is not at war with his people but they have been at war with him. In concrete obedience this includes refusing the day he set apart and treating the command as unimportant, for to hear his speaking voice is to keep the Sabbath.

The verse calls his people to trust him rather than carry needless burdens, to receive the rest he gives and let his word received into the heart quiet stormy passions and dispel anxious fears. Hearing him in turning from the pressures and temptations of the world brings a sense of peace and shelter in his presence in prayer. Where that calm spreads over life's troubled sea it drives complaining away and sets the heart at peace where no one can make war, so that peacemaking is learned as a heavenly art.

Such listening is a duty to make time to hear what he says through his Word, with an open heart even to reproof, and it produces definite results in life. In quiet morning prayer it gives a clear and fruitful message with confidence in it and in God. The truth kept in the heart that every word from his mouth is laden with peace and life smooths difficult sayings, so no dark saying is felt as a rebuff but is considered diligently to find what new comfort it holds. In evening prayer after pondering the day's words, deeds and work, meditating alone on his goodness, guidance, keeping and abounding mercies, and confessing little good done, straying feet, feeble and slow efforts and few won for the Master, the one who claims his promises and kneels calling upon his name has sorrow and doubt and worry taken away because God speaks peace to the inner life.