258: Reasons for God to rescue us - Psalm 79

1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. 3 They have poured out their blood like water all round Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. 4 We have become a taunt to our neighbours, mocked and derided by those around us.

5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry for ever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name! 7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are  brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake! 10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes.

11 Let  the groans of the prisoners come before you according to your great power, preserve those  doomed o die! 12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbours  the  taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord! 13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you for ever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. Psalm 79 English Standard Version

We're not told if this Psalm was written when Jerusalem was raided before it's eventual destruction, or if it was years after it's destruction by the Babylonians – but the outcome is the same. In vs 1-3 the writer describes the terrible things the pagans did to God's people and, in vs 5, cries out 'How long, O Lord?' It was a similar cry to what the apostle John heard in Revelation 6:9-11 where he says: “I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They cried out to the Lord and said, 'O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?'” But what struck me in the Psalm were the reasons the writer sets before the Lord as to why God should come to His people's rescue and judge their persecutors. What were some of those reason in vs 1-4?

It was God's temple that had been defiled and the blood of God's servants that had shed. In a similar way Jesus told Paul that when he had been persecuting Christians he was actually persecuting Christ Himself. The Psalm writer also speaks of the mocking taunts the Jews were experiencing. But look at what vs 9-10 says about that.

When unbelievers triumph over God's people (especially if it leads to persecution) then the wicked gloat and say ‘there is no God’. We see the same truth in vs 12 where the surrounding nations taunted Israel when it was dashed to the ground. Their taunts were ultimately against God! So this prayer for help was based on the fact that it wasn't just God's people who were suffering, but God's honour was being trampled on too. What else does he appeal to in asking for God's help? (vs 8 and vs 11).

They were appeals to God's compassion as God heard the deep groans of those taken captive, many being led away to certain death. The writer may have had in mind how God described Himself to Moses when He said He was “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth. One who maintained faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7) That's certainly what the Psalm writer was seeking in vs 8.

It's not wrong to grieve over the deep sufferings that persecution brings to the saints. It's not wrong to long for God to bring about His justice and to bring down the tyrants of this world. But not only in such prayers, but in all the prayers we pray, it's good to give God reasons that are on our heart as to why He should hear our cries. And first on the list of the reasons we give should be our desire to see Jesus honoured and God’s name lifted high. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:9

There’s a musical version of this Psalm by Bill Monaghan at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPffyxS1w8I&ab_channel=MonaghanMusic