The prophet and musician Asaph who wrote 12 of the Psalms saw and knew Jesus. The scriptures tell us that if there was a true prophet in Israel, God had revealed Himself to them in a dream or a vision. When Asaph spoke of the “Holy One of Israel” and “Israel’s Shepherd” he was of course speaking by inspiration, but also by personal revelation. He is one of those who in the book of Hebrews saw the promise of the Father from afar. He was also among those prophets who Peter said searched for the time Messiah would come and knew beforehand of His sufferings and the glories which would follow.

Though these Psalms were written during times of great tribulation and judgment for the people of God, the prophets knew of God’s future deliverance in Messiah and comforted Israel through their words.

These words COULD and sometimes did have soon, albeit temporary fulfillment, but those of those generations would soon experience God’s silence like none of God’s people before or after. The silence would not be broken until an angel spoke to the parents of John the Baptist and those of Messiah Jesus, then to shepherds in a field when God came to His Own in the form of a baby in a feeding trough as Emmanuel – God among us. All of this was foretold by prophets like Asaph who in Psalm 80 said, “look on us with favor, and we will be saved.”