The Bible Dept. — Day 280: Psalms 85–86

Host: Dr. Manny Arango
Date: October 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Manny Arango leads listeners through Psalms 85 and 86, offering historical and literary context while weaving in reflective theological insights. Dr. Arango also revisits Psalm 82 from the previous day, exploring its implications for understanding spiritual powers and worldly politics. He closes with a timeless truth drawn from the structure of lament psalms, encouraging listeners to seek comfort amid pain.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context and Structure of Today’s Psalms

• Psalm 85:

  • A classic example of a “corporate lament” over Jerusalem’s fall.
  • The psalm expresses Israel's grief, mourning, and longing for restoration after exile.
    • Quote: "This is a corporate lament over the fall of Jerusalem. And that is the context for this psalm. The people are grieving, they're mourning." (04:10)
  • Book III of Psalms centers on communal suffering and hope for renewal.

• Psalm 86:

  • Uniquely, the only Psalm of David in Book III.
  • Stands out as an “individual lament,” still keeping with the theme of sorrow and seeking God.

2. Revisiting Psalm 82: The Divine Council and Spiritual Principalities

• Missed Depth Previously:
  Dr. Arango admits that Psalm 82 deserved more attention for its spiritual worldview.

• Divine Council Concept:

  • “God has taken his place in the divine council.”
  • The “divine council” are angelic or spiritual beings, appointed over nations but have rebelled.
  • “God” (Elohim) is a title, not a name, and the biblical worldview acknowledges many “gods” (lowercase g), with Yahweh as supreme.
    • Quote: “The Bible is not espousing monotheistic worldview where there's only one God. It's espousing a monolithous worldview where we are loyal to one God, where we worship one God.” (11:55)

• Deuteronomy 32 Parallel:

  • God assigned nations to different spiritual beings after Babel.
  • Israel is God’s own portion—chosen to be a light to other nations.
  • Dr. Michael Heiser's Scholarship: Supports idea that God created nations “according to the number of the gods.”

• Daniel 10 Example:

  • Spiritual beings (princes/principalities) over nations directly influence earthly politics.
    • Quote: "There is a spiritual being that governs over Persia...over Russia...Italy...America...Canada, over Mexico." (19:10)
  • Our struggles are not against flesh and blood, but “against powers and principalities.”
    • Quote: "There are puppet strings attached to those politicians. And those politicians actually work for spiritual beings that have been assigned to every nation." (18:40)

• Call to Rise Above Partisanship:

  • Political parties are influenced by spiritual forces; no party is truly righteous.
  • Christians should not see themselves primarily as left or right, but as belonging to God.
    • Quote: "I'm not on the right. I'm not on the left. I belong to God. I'm God's. I'm. I'm God's property." (25:20)

• The Mission of the Church and the Nations:

  • Psalm 82 points to God reclaiming all nations through resurrection.
  • Paul’s gospel mission: Jesus’ resurrection means the nations can return to Yahweh—fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise.

3. Literary Features: Psalm Structures

• Psalm 85 Structure:
  Dr. Arango breaks the psalm into four segments:

  1. Past acts of forgiveness (vv. 1–3)
  2. Cry for restoration (vv. 4–7)
  3. Awaiting God’s answer (vv. 8–9)
  4. Affirmation of God’s love and faithfulness (vv. 10–13)
  • Nerdy Nugget: Recognizing this four-part structure helps readers interpret the psalm.

• Psalm 86 as a Chiasm:

  • The entire Psalm is structured as a chiasm (A-B-A), common in biblical poetry.
  • The “buried treasure” or central message is in the center.
    • Outside layers: Problem, lament, and complaint (vv. 1–7 and 14–17)
    • Center (vv. 8–13): Praise and thanksgiving
    • Quote: “In an Eastern worldview, you always bury the most important thing in the center of the chiasm because it's always the buried truth that is the treasure.” (39:20)

4. Timeless Truth: The Spiritual Value of Lament and Comfort

• Pain and Comfort:

  • The psalms legitimize expressing pain; they "oppose the idea that we should suffer in silence."
  • God does not desire us to mask our pain with stoicism; he is moved by our brokenness.
    • Quote: “Christianity is not stoicism. We are broken people, and God wants to hear us tell him about our brokenness. He is concerned with our pain.” (43:50)
  • Comfort—the central treasure of Psalm 86’s chiasm—must be sought and unearthed; it does not find us automatically.
    • Memorable Story: Dr. Arango recounts a grieving father who says: “Comfort is there if you want it...I promise you, if you are looking for comfort, you'll find it. But if you're not looking for it, you won't find it.” (41:10)

• Romans 8 Connection:

  • The Spirit interprets our groans, echoing the theme of God’s presence at the heart of suffering.
  • The psalms’ central focus in lament is not the pain, but Yahweh himself—the fount of hope and new life.

• Takeaway for Listeners:

  • No political or secular solution can address the heart of national or personal chaos—only the word, presence, and people of God.
    • Quote: "The only thing that is going to heal America, the only thing that is going to bring hope to our nation is the word of God, the presence of God, the person of Jesus and His amazing bride called the Church." (46:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “God, which is not a name, it's a title. So Yahweh, the God of gods, the King of kings, the Lord of lords...Yahweh is taking his place in the council of all the gods, and he has something judgmental to say.” (08:50)
• "There are puppet strings attached to those politicians. And those politicians actually work for spiritual beings..." (18:40)
• “I'm not on the right. I'm not on the left. I belong to God." (25:20)
• On chiasm and comfort: "Comfort is actually the center of the chiasm because it's the buried treasure. Comfort is something that you're always going to have to dig up...it's not just gonna automatically find you." (41:50)

Selected Timestamps

• 00:00–04:10: Overview of Psalm 85 as corporate lament; opening reflections.
• 04:10–09:10: Psalm 86 as individual lament; transition to Psalm 82 and its significance.
• 09:10–14:40: Deep dive into Psalm 82’s “divine council”; Yahweh’s sovereignty among the gods.
• 14:40–22:00: Deuteronomy 32 and Daniel 10; spiritual beings as princes and political/worldly application.
• 25:00–29:00: Call to see our true identity in God, beyond partisan divides.
• 29:00–34:00: The mission of the church, the reclamation of the nations through Christ.
• 34:00–36:30: Psalm 85’s structure and its interpretive value.
• 36:30–40:30: Psalm 86’s chiasm; significance of literary structure in biblical interpretation.
• 41:00–44:45: Timeless truth about pain, comfort, and the value of lament.
• 44:45–46:56: Closing encouragement: only God can heal, comfort, and restore.

Final Takeaways

Dr. Manny Arango urges listeners to ground themselves in the biblical worldview, which sees beyond human politics and recognizes the unseen spiritual realm influencing nations and people. Through thoughtful analysis of Psalms 85 and 86, and a rich exploration of Psalm 82, he equips listeners to find hope through lament, seek comfort in God, and embrace their identity as God's own, not defined by earthly allegiances but by God's eternal purposes.