Psalm 79:1-2

Psalm 79:1-2

A prayer for forgiveness and redemption and judgement of enemies

Our friend Asaph is writing again, or at least a descendant of his family group. The Psalm dates to the time of the exile of the Jews into Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar in around 600 BC, 400 years after King David. Psalm 79 reflects two opposing and yet interwoven stories; the sins of Israel and her fall from God’s protection, and the hostility and brutality of the Babylonians who have taken advantage of the weakened state of God’s people. Both scenarios are explained in detail, but we will end on a note of hope. There are a number of prophetic and historic accounts of these events, it will be interesting to see how they are condensed into a song!

 

V1-2    The opening verse sets out the full horror of the Babylonian invasion. Four devastating calamities hit the city of Jerusalem and the land of Judah: -

·      Foreign nations invaded the land that belongs to the Lord

·      The Holy Temple was defiled 

·      Jerusalem was reduced to rubble

·      The dead were denied burials

The land, the temple and the city of Jerusalem were all ruined by the hostile brutality of the Babylonians. People were just violently hacked down and their corpses left to rot as carrion for wild animals and birds, and Israel became the scorn of the world. Many hostages were taken and carried off to Babylon and the proud city of the Jews was left to simmer in the noon-day sun, devoid of life and forsaken by God. 

The same scenario was to be repeated again 470 years later when the Romans did exactly the same thing. When will these people even learn? When will we all ever learn? Not until Messiah comes to reign.

If you have time, read Daniel’s prayer, written in captivity in Babylon. Daniel 9:1-19.

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