Reflections on Psalms 79

 Psalms 79(Contemporary English Version)

1. (A psalm by Asaph.) Our God, foreign nations have taken your land, disgraced your temple, and left Jerusalem in ruins.sermons
   
2. They have fed the bodies of your servants to flesh-eating birds; your loyal people are food for savage animals.sermons
   
3. All Jerusalem is covered with their blood, and there is no one left to bury them.sermons
   
4. Every nation around us sneers and makes fun.sermons
   
5. Our LORD, will you keep on being angry? Will your angry feelings keep flaming up like fire?sermons
   
6. Get angry with those nations that don't know you and won't worship you!sermons
   
7. They have gobbled down Jacob's descendants and left the land in ruins.sermons
   
8. Don't make us pay for the sins of our ancestors. Have pity and come quickly! We are completely helpless.sermons
   
9. Our God, you keep us safe. Now help us! Rescue us. Forgive our sins and bring honor to yourself.sermons
   
10. Why should nations ask us, "Where is your God?" Let us and the other nations see you take revenge for your servants who died a violent death.sermons
    
11. Listen to the prisoners groan! Let your mighty power save all who are sentenced to die.sermons
    
12. Each of those nations sneered at you, our Lord. Now let others sneer at them, seven times as much.sermons
    
13. Then we, your people, will always thank you. We are like sheep with you as our shepherd, and all generations will hear us praise you.sermons

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Asaph pleaded with God to deliver his people from enemies who have invaded the land. These enemies had desecrated the temple and "turned Jerusalem into ruins." (79:1) The Israelites had become "an object of reproach" to their neighbors, "a source of mockery and ridicule" to those around them. (79:4) They were asking, "Where is their God?" (79:10) God was included in their ridicule.

Asaph knew their plight was a result of their own sin so his appeal was to God's mercy and compassion and protection of His own name. But then, God's mercy is our only appeal at any time. We have nothing to bring to the bargaining table. To direct the attention from their sins, Asaph asks God to "Pour out Your wrath on the nations that don't acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that don't call on Your name." (79:6) What he does not mention is that though Israel acknowledged God, she had turned away from God to worship idols, crediting God's works to the idols.

Along with his appeal for deliverance, Asaph asked God to "Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors the reproach they have hurled at You, Lord." (79:12) In return, "Then we, Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will thank You forever; we will declare Your praise to generation after generation." (79:13) If this suffering will return the people to worshipping God, it will have served its purpose.

The psalm is commonly thought to be related to the invasion of Israel by Nebuchadnezzar leading to her Babylonian exile. If this is the case, the deliverance Asaph prayed for was not to come anytime soon. Israel's sin was too great and had gone on too long for this prayer to turn God from His action against Israel that easily. Though God would eventually punish the Babylonians for their part in destroying Israel, it would not be at this time. Their part as God's agents of punishment on Israel was not yet completed.