Posts
This psalm is a national lament after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 A.D. It does not appear to have been written personally by Asaph, but for his choir that continued in the temple long after his death. New generations of Levites were recruited and trained to provide music in the temple. It appears that this author was one that was allowed to stay in the land and was not deported with the leaders and merchants.
I. Lamentation over Jerusalem’s destruction (vs. 1–4)
A. Pagans have destroyed the city and the temple
B. Pagans have annihilated the covenant people of God
C. Even though the people’s idolatry caused God to send the Babylonians in His sovereignty, they are still fully responsible for their cruelty, desecration, and theft
D. When the people are faithful to Yahveh and their covenant commitment to Him, He blesses them beyond measure (Lev 26:1–13)
E. When the people rebel, are disloyal and unbelieving and give their hearts to false gods, Yahveh sends chastisements so they will repent (Lev 26:14–39)
F. One of the covenantal curses is to not be buried after death, a final humiliation to be unloved and insignificant (like a deer carcass along a highway)
NKJV Deuteronomy 28:26 Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away.
ESV Jeremiah 16:4 They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth.
(See also Jer 34:20; Lam 4:14–20)
G. The siege and the exile kept their relatives from being able to treat them as image bearer’s of God with dignity and value
H. Some of the righteous died, but blood flowed like water at the cruelty of the pagans
I. Those remaining are starving and being ridiculed by foreign peoples
J. The curses of the covenant are not pleasant (Deut. 28:15–68; 1 Kings 9:6–9)
II. Question: How long will the discipline last? (vs. 5)
A. The author acknowledges that God kept His promise to send chastisement
B. They know why God’s judgment fell on the wicked, He is holy and hates sin
C. They know they got exactly what they asked for by their national rebellion
D. The question is, how much longer will we be in exile and Jerusalem in ruins?
NAU Zechariah 8:2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.'"
ESV Jeremiah 25:11–12 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.
III. Prayer for vindication and forgiveness (vs. 6–9)
A. Bring justice to the pagans that have denied Yahveh’s existence and power
B. They have used the exile to dishonor God
C. Why would God judge His own people and delay the judgment of Babylon?
NIV Amos 3:2 You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your sins.
D. The pagans have destroyed God’s land, temple, and people and appear to be getting away with it to others. God’s glory is at stake
E. The remnant in exile prays for themselves for forgiveness
F. Yahveh has spared them for a reason, so they call on Him for deliverance, salvation (See Dan. 9:1–19)
G. Even in chastisement, hope remains for God will never abandon His plan of redemption
IV. Question: How long will the pagans be able to deny God exists? (vs. 10a)
A. The pagans have asked, “Where is the God of the Jews? Why is He not powerful enough to protect them?
B. The remnant calls on God to glorify His name by judging the pagans for their war crimes
C. They want God to step in soon rather than later
ESV Joel 2:17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"
V. Prayer for vindication and restoration (vs. 10b–13)
A. A needy a suffering slave in a foreign land full of idols calls on God to judge justly
B. Their hope is that those who saw the blood shed will also see justice rendered
C. Like the Jews in Egypt their prayers are coming before God for salvation
D. The sevenfold fold restitution is requesting God’s full justice
E. Leviticus 26 show the Jews had reached the fifth level of God’s seven-fold punishment
F. The judgment needs to be equal to the blasphemy of God’s name
G. The prayer looks in hope to restoration and worship
H. Yahveh is still the remnant, the real believer’s shepherd, they are his sheep
I. The national lament ends in hope because it is a prayer to the Creator God who sustains the universe, is sovereign, powerful, loving, and answers His people's prayer
Lessons to live by:
• It always pays to obey God, once we have a relationship with Him. We don’t have the power to obey in ourselves, so we must be born from above first.
• Sin is not worth it for the believer. It costs too much.
• God’s spanking when we sin is not proof that we have lost our salvation, it is proof we were saved to start with, and God is bringing us to repentance (Heb 12:3–14)
• What is it about human nature to never be satisfied with God’s timing? Confess this as sin and wait on the LORD
• God hears our prays when we are suffering. He is still our Shepherd when He allows us to suffer
• Hope in God! Have faith in God. Believe Him, trust Him, love Him, repent and obey Him
No comments:
Post a Comment