Jerusalem and the Temple in Ruins. Psalm 79:1-13

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1 1 Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell Jerusalem and the Temple in Ruins Psalm 79:1-13

2 2 Text: Psalm 79:1-13: Jerusalem and the Temple in Ruins Commentary by Clyde M. Miller 1. O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. 2. They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. 3. They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. 4. We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. 5. How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? 6. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; 7. for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. 8. Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. 9. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. 10. Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. 11. May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die.

3 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. 13. Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. NIV Introduction: I. This is a psalm of national lament following the devastation of the temple and the city of Jerusalem (Psalm 79:1). A. Psalm 79:1, O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. NIV B. The only time that adequately fits this description is the exilic period following the burning of Jerusalem and the temple by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia in 587 B.C. (2 Kings 25:8-12) Kings 25:8-12, On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon. But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields. NIV

4 There is no clear historical evidence for a siege of Jerusalem in either 485 B.C. or 344 B.C., as some have contended. 3. The apocryphal book of Judith seems to allude to the 344 B.C. date, but there are too many historical anachronisms in that book to justify our taking the story seriously. 4. The psalm does not refer to the desecration of the temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 167 B.C., for neither the temple nor Jerusalem was destroyed in his day. 5. The fact that Psalm 79:2 and 3 are quoted in 1 Macc. 7:17 indicates that these words were already used as sacred scripture, which precludes a Maccabean date for the psalm. a. Psalm 79:2, 3, They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. NIV 1. Maccabees 7:17, The flesh and blood of your saints they scattered around Jerusalem, and they had no one to bury them. NIV 6. Since vengeance has not yet been taken on Israel's enemies (Psalm 79:11-12), the psalm fits the exilic period better than the post-exilic. a. Psalm 79:11, 12, May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. Pay back into

5 5 the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. NIV 7. It would seem that the psalmist is still in the land (Psalm 79:4; cf. 2 Kings 25:22) rather than deported to Babylon. a. Psalm 79:4, We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. NIV b. 2 Kings 25:22, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. NIV II. In his lament (Psalm 79:1-4), the psalmist complains about the defilement of the temple and the devastation of Jerusalem (Psalm 79:1), and the defilement of the holy land through bodies left unburied (Psalm 79:2-3). A. Psalm 79:1-4, O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. NIV B. The taunts of Israel's enemies following her military defeat add insult to injury (Psalm 79:4). III. In the petition (Psalm 79:5-13), there are the elements of lamentation (5,7,10a), imprecation (Psalm 79:6,10b, 12), petition for forgive-

6 6 ness (Psalm 79:8-9) and deliverance (Psalm 79:11), and a promise to praise God following deliverance (Psalm 79:13). A. Psalm 79:5-13, How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. NIV Commentary: Desecration of Temple and City Psalm 79:1-4, O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. NIV

7 7 Note: In this paragraph, the psalmist enumerates the adverse conditions brought on by Israel's enemies. Psalm 79:1, O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. NIV I. In true piety, he recognizes the land as God's inheritance. A. In one sense, all the earth belongs to Yahweh (Ex. 19:5; Psalm 24:1-2) by virtue of divine creation. 1. Exodus 19:5, Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, NIV 2. Psalm 24:1, 2, The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. NIV B. However, Israel had been purchased by God (Ex. 15:16-17); therefore, the land of Israel was God's special possession (Lev. 25:23). 1. Exodus 15:16, 17, Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. "Make an atonement cover of pure gold two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. NIV 2. Leviticus 25:23, "'The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. NIV

8 8 C. The most terrible thing about this foreign invasion is not that Israel is suffering, but that God's holy possession has been defiled. 1. God's holy temple has been desecrated. Psalm 79:2, 3, They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. NIV I. God's servants and saints, loyal ones ; cf. New English Bible loyal servants, have been shamefully treated. A. Since dead bodies left unburied defiled the land, the people were to bury corpses the same day on which death occurred (Deut. 21:23; Num. 19:11-19). 1. Deuteronomy 21:23, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. NIV 2. Numbers 19:11-19, "Whoever touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days. He must purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean. Whoever touches the dead body of anyone and fails to purify himself defiles the LORD's tabernacle. That person must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean; his uncleanness remains on him. "This is the

9 9 law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean. "Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days. "For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them. Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or someone who has been killed or someone who has died a natural death. The man who is clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify him. The person being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and that evening he will be clean. NIV B. The apocryphal book of Tobit attaches a great deal of merit to the character of Tobit because of his zeal in burying bodies which the heathen oppressors had left unburied (Tobit 1:16-20; 2:3-7). 1. Tobit 1:16-20, In the times of Shalmaneser I used to do many acts of charity for my brothers. I would give my bread to the hungry and my clothes to the naked, and if I saw one of my people dead and thrown outside the all of Nineveh, I would bury him. And if Sennacherib the king killed anyone who had come as a fugitive from Judea, I buried them secretly, for he killed many in his anger, and their bodies were looked for by the

10 10 king and could not be found. But one of the Ninevites went and informed the king about me, that I was burying them, and I hid, and when I learned that I was being sought for, to be put to death, I was frightened and escaped. Then all my property was seized, and nothing was left me but my wife Hannah and my son Tobias. 2. Tobit 2:3-7, And he came back and said, Father, one of our race has been strangled and thrown out in the bazaar! Then before I tasted anything I rushed out and brought him into a room until the sun set. Then I returned and washed myself and ate my food in sadness; and I remembered the prophecy of Amos, as he said, Your feasts will be turned into sorrow, And all your good cheer into lamentation. And I wept aloud. And when the sun was set, I went and dug a grave and buried him. 3. The allusion to the shame of unburied bodies may reflect the distress suffered over human indignity in such a situation. C. Jeremiah warned that God would bring such shame on the ungodly because of their cumulative national sins (Jer. 7:33; 8:1-2; 14:16; 16:4). 1. Jeremiah 7:33, Then the carcasses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. NIV 2. Jeremiah 8:1, 2, " 'At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. They

11 11 will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground. NIV 3. Jeremiah 14:16, And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve. NIV 4. Jeremiah 16:4, "They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like refuse lying on the ground. They will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth." NIV 5. There is little justification for the idea that Israel believed the soul would suffer in Sheol if the body were left unburied. Psalm 79:4, We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. NIV I. In addition to the physical distress of the time, Judah had to suffer the indignity of the taunts of her enemies, the various pagan peoples near her borders. How Long Until Deliverance Psalm 79:5-7, How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that

12 12 do not call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. NIV Psalm 79:5, How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? NIV I. The plaintive cry How long? was often upon Israel's lips in time of distress (cf. Psalm 13:1-2; 74:10; 80:4; Isa. 6:11). A. Psalm 13:1, 2, How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? NIV B. Psalm 74:10, How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? NIV C. Psalm 80:4, O LORD God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? NIV D. Isaiah 6:11, Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, NIV II. The expression forever should be taken here to mean a period of long duration (cf. the notes on Psalm 78:69). A. Psalm 78:69, He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever. NIV III. Jealousy is doubtless an allusion to Ex. 20:5.

13 13 A. Exodus 20:5, You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, NIV III. The psalmist knows that God takes vengeance on evildoers. A. But the wrath was not intended to be forever. 1. See the note on the wrath of God at the end of Psalm 76. Psalm 79:6, 7, Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. NIV I. On the basis of the concept of degrees of wickedness, the psalmist prays that God will not let peoples more wicked than Israel torment them. A. But greater opportunity brings greater judgment for failure (cf. Amos 3:1-2; Luke 12:48). 1. Amos 3:1, 2, Hear this word the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt: You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins." NIV 2. Luke 12:48, But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. NIV

14 14 B. Again see the note at the end of Psalm 76 and compare Hab Habakkuk 1:1-17, The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received. How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. "Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own. They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like a vulture swooping to devour; they all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. They deride kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them. Then they sweep past like the wind and go on guilty men, whose own strength is their god." O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? You

15 15 have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? NIV 2. Habakkuk 2:1-20, I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright but the righteous will live by his faith - indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. "Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, " 'Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?' Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man's blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. "Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your

16 16 life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime! Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies. You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the LORD's right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed man's blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. "Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." NIV 3. But the psalmist is not completely ignorant of this principle, for he confesses the sins of his people. Cumulative National Sins Psalm 79:8, Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. NIV

17 17 I. The expression sins of the fathers could also be translated our former iniquities (KJV), but it seems better to follow the majority of the versions in their understanding that cumulative sin is under consideration. A. It is cumulative sin perpetuated through many generations which destroys a nation (Jer. 7:21-26; Lam. 5:7; Dan. 9:16). 1. Jeremiah 7:21-26, " 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.' NIV 2. Lamentations 5:7, Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment. NIV 3. Daniel 9:16, O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. NIV

18 18 B. We may be called upon to suffer the earthly consequences of the sins of others (Ex. 20:5; Jer. 32:17-18), but God does not hold us guilty for sins that we have not personally committed (Deut. 24:16; Jer. 31:29; Ezek. 18:1-4,20). 1. Exodus 20:5, You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, NIV 2. Jeremiah 32:17, 18, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers' sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, NIV 3. Deuteronomy 24:16, Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. NIV 4. Jeremiah 31:29, "In those days people will no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' NIV 5. Ezekiel 18:1-4, 20, The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who

19 19 will die. The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. (NIV) C. When the cup of iniquity is full, God destroys a people (cf. Job 21:19-21; Gen. 15:16; Matt. 23:29-36; 1 Thess. 2:14-16). 1. Job 21:19-21, It is said, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his sons.' Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it! Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. For what does he care about the family he leaves behind when his allotted months come to an end? NIV 2. Genesis 15:16, In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." NIV 3. Matthew 23:29-36, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of

20 20 righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. NIV 4. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, NIV Note: The word prevent (KJV) is an archaic usage meaning precede (cf. 1 Thess. 4:15, KJV), corresponding to the Hebrew come before or come to meet. A. 1 Thessalonians 4:15, According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. NIV Psalm 79:9, Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. NIV I. The petition for forgiveness is not based in Israel's supposed worth, but on God's compassion (Psalm 79:8b) and God's honor as one who keeps covenant. A. Psalm 79:8, Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. NIV

21 21 Psalm 79:10, Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. NIV I. Where is their God? or something similar, is an expression frequently used by Israel's enemies in her time of shame and defeat (cf. Psalm 42:3, 10; 115:2; Joel 2:17; Mic. 7:10). A. Psalm 42:3, 10, My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" NIV B. Psalm 115:2, Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" NIV C. Joel 2:17, Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' " NIV D. Micah 7:10, Then my enemy will see it and will be covered with shame, she who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets. NIV II. This reaction resulted from Israel's continual boasting in her God (Psalm 44:8). A. Psalm 44:8, In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Selah NIV B. The imprecation in Psalm 79:10b should be understood in light of the emphasis on God's honor.

22 22 C. The New Testament as well as the Old Testament recognizes the fact that God is a God of vengeance (Rom. 12:19-20; 2 Thess. 1:5-10). 1. Romans 12:19, 20, Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." NIV 2. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10, All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. NIV Praise for Deliverance Psalm 79:11-13, May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. NIV

23 23 Psalm 79:11, May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. NIV I. Now the psalmist appeals to God on the basis of his people's suffering. A. The phrase groans of the prisoners is no doubt a poetic device used to describe the mental anguish of shame and disgrace. B. Not all the exiles were executed or even imprisoned; most were allowed a relative amount of freedom, provided they lived peaceable lives (cf. Jer. 29:1-14; Ezek. 11:5-12,14-21). 1. Jeremiah 29:1-14, This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said: This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of

24 24 Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD. This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." NIV 2. Ezekiel 11:5-12, 14-21, Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon me, and he told me to say: "This is what the LORD says: That is what you are saying, O house of Israel, but I know what is going through your mind. You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead. "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will drive you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners and inflict punishment on you. You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the bor-

25 25 ders of Israel. And you will know that I am the LORD, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you." The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, your brothers your brothers who are your blood relatives and the whole house of Israel are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, 'They are far away from the LORD; this land was given to us as our possession.' "Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.' "Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.' "They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD." NIV Psalm 79:12, Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. NIV I. The sevenfold vengeance simply means complete, or full, vengeance (cf. Gen. 4:24).

26 26 A. Genesis 4:24, If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times." NIV Psalm 79:13, Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. NIV I. The promise of thanksgiving following deliverance is an expression of belief in the fact that God will answer His people's petition. A. Israel's post-exilic history is ample testimony to the fact that this faith did not go unrewarded. A deeper religious insight, such as that manifested by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan. 3:16-18), would allow the sufferer to praise God even if deliverance should not come. EXCURSUS Imprecations in the Psalms To the Christian reader, it seems inappropriate for the psalmists to beg for God's mercy for themselves, while at the same time praying for evil to come upon their enemies. Two things need to be understood. (1) We should examine the psalms in light of other scriptures for a fuller understanding of the nature of these imprecations. (2) We should remember that here man is speaking to God rather than God speaking to man; therefore, we are not obligated to agree with everything that the psalmists say. Moses' psalm of rejoicing (Ex. 15:1-18, Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God,

27 27 and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. "Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. "The enemy boasted, 'I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.' But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them. "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; terror and dread will fall upon them. By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone until your people pass by, O LORD, until the people you bought pass by. You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established. The LORD will reign for ever and ever." (NIV) includes praise to God for the discomfiture of the enemy (cf. Psalm 79:4-10, We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. Do not

28 28 hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. NIV) because God's glorious majesty is thus manifested (Psalm 79:11-12, May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. NIV) and because overthrow of the enemy was an essential part of God's working for the salvation of Israel (Psalm 79:13, Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. NIV). Frequently, imprecations in the national psalms of lamentation emphasize either the glory of God (cf. Psalm 9:20; Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah; 10:2,15-18; In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.; 55:9,15,19, Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave, for evil finds lodging among them. God, who is enthroned forever, will hear them and afflict them Selah men who never change their ways and have no fear of God.; 109:6-31, Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering

29 29 beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. He loved to pronounce a curse may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing may it be far from him. He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. May this be the LORD's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt. I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. Help me, O LORD my God; save me in accordance with your love. Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O LORD, have done it. They may curse, but you will bless; when they attack they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice. My accusers will be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng I will praise him. For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.; 139:19-24, If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and

30 30 know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. NIV) or God's compassion manifested toward Israel as fulfillment of His promise to be loyal to His covenant people (cf. Psalm 7:1-17, Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer it does not rise from deceitful lips. May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. As for the deeds of men by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover. Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword. O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. And I in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.; Psalm 69, Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you. May those who hope in you not be disgraced be-

31 31 cause of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel. For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons; for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me. When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn; when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me. Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards. But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes. You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever. Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them. May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents. For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt. Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me. I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs. The poor will see and be glad you who seek God, may your hearts live! The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. Let heaven and earth praise him,