Psalm 87 - Zion

Psalm 87:1-4, 7 NIV

He has founded his city on the holy mountain. 

The Lord loves the gates of Zion

 more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. 

Glorious things are said of you, city of God:

 “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—

 Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush —

 and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ” 

As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”

Psalm 87 could easily be titled as "Ode to Jerusalem." This is more poetry than prayer. It's liturgical for temple worship.

Much of the worship conducted at the temple was done by the priests with the assistance of Levites. They would perform services to the Lord without a congregation watching. Only those given the task and privilege of serving in the Lord's temple witness most of the worship there. Perhaps Psalm 87 was part of their writings and used to celebrate the city, the mount upon which God placed His Name and chose as His earthly dwelling.

Think of other songs celebrating towns. Sinatra's New York, New York is the first that comes to mind. Then I think of "Chicago, Chicago that toddling town." And then I remember "Back Home Again in Indiana." The Broadway musical The Music Man contributed the song, "Gary, Indiana." I live not 20 minutes from there.

All these songs celebrate things about the places they sing of. Sinatra sang of the city that never sleeps. He wants to be a part of it. He believes if he can make it in that town he'll make it anywhere.

When Sinatra sang of Chicago he boasted they do things on State Street they never do on Broadway (meaning the Theater District in New York City). He boasts that Chicago is a town Billy Sunday, a famous evangelist, couldn't shut down. Sunday was converted to faith in Christ at a mission on State Street in Chicago. He deplored the kind of life Sinatra celebrates. He preached against boozing and fornication, dancing and smoking. These were sinful, Sunday preached, but Sinatra thinks such behavior gives people the time of their lives!

How different is the heart of the one who celebrates Jerusalem! Sodom and Gomorrah have their shameful infamy, but Jerusalem is known for God. Three major faiths call Jerusalem blessed. It is a spiritual home to billions. Abraham obediently offered Isaac there. The Muslims believe Muhammad ascended to heaven from there. Jesus was crucified, died, and rose again in Jerusalem. It's name means the city of peace. It's the city of God.

After acknowledging that God has established the city, the psalm lifts up a vision of all the neighboring nations honoring the God whose name dwells in Zion. The psalm makes the boast that others will say with esteemed honor, "This one was born in Zion." And even God boasts, "All my fountains are in you."

I think of the Sunday School song, Sunbeam. The idea is to shine for Jesus, to be a witness to His love. To be a fountain for God is also about being a witness, a sign to others that points to the blessed life lived in obedience to God. Fountains were a sign of life and abundance. A well of water gives life in the desert. An oasis is truly salvation for the thirsty. Jerusalem represents God's life giving presence among His people, his fountains. They are to bubble over with His blessings and bless the world with the knowledge of God.

Others may wine and dine, dance and fornicate their lives away. Their sign is the sewer. But the people of God drink from fountains of living water welling up to eternal life. Rather than leading a life of self indulgence, they humbly serve the living God and His love spills out of them over into the lives of their neighbors.

Now that the Spirit of God dwells in those who are in Christ, perhaps the nations will boast, "This one is born of heaven."

Psalm 86 - Undivided Heart

Psalm 86:1-9, 11, 14-17 NIV

Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 

Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; 

save your servant who trusts in you. 

You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord,

 for I call to you all day long. 

Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.

You, Lord, are forgiving and good,

 abounding in love to all who call to you. 

Hear my prayer, Lord ; listen to my cry for mercy. 

When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;

 no deeds can compare with yours. 

All the nations you have made will come

 and worship before you, Lord; 

they will bring glory to your name.

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness;

 give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;

 ruthless people are trying to kill me—

 they have no regard for you. 

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,

 slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Turn to me and have mercy on me;

 show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me,

 because I serve you just as my mother did. 

Give me a sign of your goodness,

 that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,

 for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Psalm 86 is a personal prayer from someone in trouble. The problem is arrogant foes and ruthless people attacking this person. She says they are trying to kill her.

Rarely do we have actual foes trying to kill us unless you're in a life of crime or behind enemy lines. Today I am thinking of the two television reporters in Virginia shot to death by one of their former coworkers. The shooter had been fired from his job with the television station. These two died because he was angry. It appears that the two reporters died only because he wanted to get back at the station who disgraced him.

In Texas a police officer was gunned down while pumping gas in his vehicle. This kind of brutality may cause us all to wonder about the stranger standing in line at the grocery or on the street corner. In such a time as this we may begin to feel everybody is potentially an enemy.

Psalm 86 is a good prayer whether your foes are real or imagined. The psalmist acknowledges who God is to her. God is someone she trusts. She puts her faith in God. She's been faithful to God, serving the Lord since childhood as her mother did before her. God and she have history together. She trusts in God's mercy and ability to save her. She knows God answers the prayers of those who call on Him.

The psalm speaks with confidence in God even though there is anxiety in the petition. She feels threatened by her foes and she feels certain that God will deliver her. She asks for joy, for guidance, and for and undivided heart.

Of all she says in this prayer, the desire for an undivided heart speaks to me the most profoundly. Her heart is being divided by fear and faith. Fear wants to take hold of her. She struggles to allow her heart to be fully trusting in God to exercise His will in her situation.

We can have divided hearts over many things. Our lives are busy with many demands and opportunities. Family, work, household duties, hobbies, church, community service and children's activities; these all claim a piece of our hearts. The cry for an undivided heart is a desire to stay true to God and not to give devotion to lesser things, a subtle form of idolatry.

The psalmist trusts the claim of God's sovereignty. She believes all peoples will bow in worship before the one true God, the God of Israel. There is none like Him.

How might your trust in God change your fears into faith? How might your certainty of God's ability and compassion for you claim your heart for God from all other suitors? Whether fear and doubt court your heart, or family and career ambitions, an undivided heart is a heart fully given to God in service. The servant's heart releases demands on how life is supposed to turn out. The servant whose heart is undivided in her loyalties will always seek to live according to the will of God. For He is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. God can be fully trusted. Pray for an undivided heart.

Psalm 85 - Drought

Psalm 85:1-12 NIV

You, Lord, showed favor to your land; 

 you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 

You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. 

You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger. 

Restore us again, God our Savior,

 and put away your displeasure toward us. 

Will you be angry with us forever? 

Will you prolong your anger through all generations? 

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 

Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.

I will listen to what God the Lord says;

 he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—

 but let them not turn to folly. 

Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,

 that his glory may dwell in our land.

Love and faithfulness meet together;

 righteousness and peace kiss each other. 

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,

 and righteousness looks down from heaven. 

The Lord will indeed give what is good,

 and our land will yield its harvest.

Psalm 85 comes at a time of drought, or some kind of agricultural failure it would seem. The psalm begins by recalling God's mercy and providence in the past. This feels to me to be post-exilic. After the exiled returned to Jerusalem from Babylon they had to rebuild. God was with them and they experienced His blessing and providing. But now they sense God is not blessing.

Both Ezra and Nehemiah cover the restoration period. Both accounts speak of the unfaithfulness of the returning exiles. After recommitting themselves to the covenant of the Lord, Nehemiah discovered that they had shirked on their promises. They weren't paying the Levites their portions. Rather than attending to their duties at the temple, the Levites left Jerusalem and returned to their villages to work the fields. The Sabbath restrictions were being broken as Nehemiah saw trade being conducted and workers treading out the winepresses. Some of the Hebrews had married foreigners, something they promised not to do. Nehemiah 13 covers such transgressions.

Breaking covenant law eventually leads to the holy God removing His blessing. He hands His wayward nation over to the consequences of their sin. Regardless of the timing or nature of this agricultural crisis, the Israelites must acknowledge their sin and confess them. They must repent and return to faithful obedience to the law of God.

The prayer of the psalmist announces good news. God promises peace. Salvation is near. It's beautiful how the psalm turns from anxious petition to powerful praise. Hope in God's mercy and faithfulness wells up verse after verse. Love and faithfulness meet. God's right ways and the peace it brings kiss the people in a warm embrace. The glory of the Lord will return to the land and bless them. The land will produce a harvest so that the people and animals may feast.

Times can be tough. This post-9/11 world continues to count up casualties. Violence in our schools, brutality of police and against police, drug use, public obscenity, and more sinful and malicious behavior seem to be commonplace now. We are growing numb in the face of it.

We are on the midst of an economic drought, but there are hopeful signs of recovery. More than fiscal robustness, we need repentance as a nation. We need a spiritual revival. We need to turn away from folly and turn to the Lord.

I have hope in His unfailing love. Surely His salvation is near those who fear him, that His glory may dwell in our land. (Psalm 85:9) May God bless America and may Americans seek to serve the living God revealed through Israel and His Anointed One, Jesus.

Psalm 84 - Deep Desire

Psalm 84:1-5, 7, 9-12 NIV

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns,

 even faints, for the courts of the Lord;

 my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,

 where she may have her young— a place near your altar,

 Lord Almighty, my King and my God. 

Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. 

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

 whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 

They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;

 I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

 than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

 the Lord bestows favor and honor;

 no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Palm 84 is the inspiration of a favorite praise song of mine, "Better Is One Day" by Matt Redman. It's a psalm of pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem. Three times a year the whole nation of Israel came together in Jerusalem for the festivals required by the covenant with the Lord. They came for Passover, Pentecost and Sukkot, or the Festival of Booths. The psalm expresses a deep yearning to be at the temple, to be near the Lord.

My only experience that might parallel this is perhaps how we gather as an nation for Super Bowl. While maybe 70,000 to 100,000 actually see the contest live, over a million watch together on live broadcast. It's a time of excitement and joy, but also frustration. Our pilgrimage may only be down the block to visit a friend's Super Bowl party, but you feel like you are part of something the whole nation is into.

The psalmist dreams of being near the Lord at His holy temple. He envies the birds who nest in the temple high above the altar where Israel brings their offerings and sacrifices. He fantasizes how blessed it must be to work at the temple all year. He sees places along the way that reminds him he is getting closer. What are the signs along your journey that show you are getting closer to the of your heart's desire?

How often have I said I'd like to have been a fly on the wall at something special? How cool would it be to work security or tech at a rock concert and hang with the band? The psalmist has these fantasies trumped with his desire for the Lord.

I suppose our hope in heaven is like this deep desire expressed in Psalm 84. Our lives are a pilgrimage to the true throne room of God. Our journey is long and filled with many challenges before we reach our destination. The wonderful thing about being a pilgrim is that the very One we journey toward is journeying with us. The throne we hope to see with the countless multitudes, from every tribe, tongue, and nation, is within our hearts. Our hope gives us strength. Our Lord is our strength and shield.

Join the blessed as we journey as pilgrims in this life toward our hearts deepest desire, the presence of the Lord. No good thing does He withhold from those who worship Him.

Psalm 83 - Seek Thy Name

Psalm 83:1-4, 13-16, 18 NIV

O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear,

 do not stand aloof, O God. 

See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. 

With cunning they conspire against your people;

 they plot against those you cherish. 

“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,

 so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”

Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like chaff before the wind. 

As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,

 so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. 

Cover their faces with shame, Lord, so that they will seek your name. 

Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord —

 that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83 is yet another plea for God to defeat the enemies of Israel. One aspect to the psalm is that it reflects the belief that Israel's enemies are God's enemies.

The Israelites thought of Yahweh as a warrior god much like Baal riding upon the storm clouds. They look to God to open up a can of whoop... and disgrace the enemy.

The enemies are named in this psalm. They are the surrounding nations referred to as the sons of Lot. You might remember that after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his two daughters fled to high ground in Zoar. Seeing the burning cities of the Dead Sea plains they assumed they were the only ones left on earth. The daughters wanting sons plotted to get their father drunk on wine and then slept with him. They bore sons which were named Moab and Ammon. These are among the enemy nations mentioned in Psalm 83.

The psalm also refers to previous victories against enemies like Midian which is the story of the judge Deborah. She leads the people in battle against their enemies. She was God ordained to do so.

Psalm 83:11 NIV

Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

These names point to the story of Gideon and God's victory through Him against the hordes of Midian.

You can read of these stories in the book of Judges. Deborah is found in Judges 4-5 and Gideon in Judges 6-8.

The reflection on these victories is a way of reminding both God and Israel of their history together. God has aroused against the enemies of Israel before. They hope that by reminding God, He will be roused to battle once more.

But now their prayers seem to go unanswered and so they wait on the Lord. The psalm begins praying that God would not be silent, quiet or still. They beg God to see His enemies and hear their wicked plans to destroy God's chosen people.

While the prayer overwhelmingly seeks their enemies destruction through a divine act of God, there is one verse I find hope filled.

Psalm 83:16 NIV

Cover their faces with shame, Lord, so that they will seek your name.

The hope mentioned here is that the enemies would repent after their defeat in the battle against God and the angel armies of heaven. In repentance the enemy might turn from hostilities against Israel and turn toward obedience to their God. Then these neighboring enemy nations would become allies who love the Lord. Isn't that the great hope that all people would come together as brothers and sisters in loving service to God?

The early church sang about such hope in what has been called The Christ Hymn in Philippians 2.

Philippians 2:9-11 NIV

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Keep praying and hoping for God to bring about this day as your life witnesses to Him. Keep hope alive.

Psalm 82 - You Are Gods

Psalm 82:1-8 NIV

God presides in the great assembly;

 he renders judgment among the “gods”:

“How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? 

Defend the weak and the fatherless;

 uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. 

Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. 

They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

“I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ 

But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.”

Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

Wow! Psalm 82 is radical! It depicts a courtroom scene with God ruling over all the other so called gods. The gods are the false gods of the nations. God's people, the Israelites, are in attendance. Israel is called to worship and serve the one true God.

God speaks to the court issuing the order to defend the weak and care for the helpless. Stop favoring the wealthy and the wicked who oppress the poor and needy. Do justly. This word is meant for Israel and especially the rulers of Israel, however the word applies to gentile nations and their gods and rulers as well.

God blasts the pagan gods. They are blind, God says. They know nothing. It reminds me of God speaking through the prophet Habakkuk.

Habakkuk 2:18-19 NIV

“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one 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.”

Then in an even more startling turn God addresses the worshipers. (It could be that God is addressing the false gods like Baal, Molech, Dagon and Chemosh, but I am reading it as addressed to Israel.) He says to His people, "You are gods." The Hebrews are gods because they are sons of the Most High God. That's amazing!

Should this be taken literally? I don't think so. I think the poetic device is to shame Israel for their idolatry. They have the divine potential to be sons of God, and therefore beholding divine status to be considered god-like. Their choice to follow stone and wood idols has made them mere mortals who will die.

Consider Adam and Eve. They were made to live forever in paradise with God. They broke the one command God gave them, so they were driven from paradise and suffered life outside. They toiled and they mourned in the cruelty of a fallen world. Still Adam lived 930 years. (Genesis 5:5) This is the bible's way of making the point that sin diminishes life. The length of life shortened over time until we were limited to 120 years. (Genesis 6:3)

The message of Psalm 82, if I am correct in who God is addressing, is that Israel will fall with the shaking of the earth when God comes on His day of judgement. This psalm is meant to be a prophetic warning to Israel to turn from idols and receive life. If this message is addressed to the false gods of the nations, then it is an indictment of the gentiles surrounding Israel and still a reminder to Israel to stay true to their one and only God.

God is the sovereign ruler of man and gods. He is Lord of heaven and earth, the maker of all things seen and unseen. God's will prevails in the spiritual world and the earthly realm. There is no space, whether inward or outward, that God does not have authority.

When the foundations of your world are shaken, who will you turn to? You are a child of the Most High. You are filled with divine potential. Get in the habit of turning to God now and serve Him faithfully. For all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:32)

Psalm 81 - Unknown Voice

Psalm 81:1-14 NIV

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! 

Begin the music, strike the timbrel, play the melodious harp and lyre. 

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full,

 on the day of our festival; this is a decree for Israel,

 an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 

When God went out against Egypt,

 he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say: “I removed the burden from their shoulders;

 their hands were set free from the basket. 

In your distress you called and I rescued you,

 I answered you out of a thundercloud;

 I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 

Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—

 if you would only listen to me, Israel! 

You shall have no foreign god among you;

 you shall not worship any god other than me. 

I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. 

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

“But my people would not listen to me; 

Israel would not submit to me. 

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. 

“If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways,

 how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!

Psalm 81 gives is a chance to hear God's perspective during the exile in Babylon. The material we now possess in the Old Testament was complied during our immediately after this period of exile. This national crisis appears in the texts routinely. Psalm 81 is written like some passages you will find in the prophets' writings.

First the psalmist speaks calling the people to worship as commanded in the law of Moses. Then he claims he heard an unknown voice. The unknown voice is from God.

That's a curious and almost creepy phrase. The unknown usually causes excitement as we discover something we've never seen or known before. The unknown can also cause fear as we imagine danger in the revealing. The unknown voice of God speaks.

Perhaps the voice of God is unknown because the people haven't been listening. Again and again God says the people do not listen. They do not follow His ways. God pleas with them, " Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel!" (Psalm 81:8)

Because of Israel's lack of obedience God let them walk the path of their own choosing and suffer the consequences. Other psalms during the exile cry out to God asking, "Why have you forgotten us? How long will you ignore our prayers? Will you be angry forever?" Psalm 81 gives an answer to such questions. It is their idolatry, their unfaithfulness to the Lord which has brought about their suffering in exile.

God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. He led them out with a mighty hand and brought them to the promised land. He will deliver them again, if they would only listen to the voice of God recorded in the scriptures. If they would train their hearts to heed God's written word they might be able to hear and know the unknown voice. By hearing they will be fed. By heeding they will be led out of bondage and returned safely to home in peace and plenty.

When you are feeling exiled, out of place, seek the Lord. Listen for His voice. Search the scriptures. Pray and be guided by His wisdom.

Psalm 80 - The Vine

Psalm 80:1-9, 12, 14-15, 17-18 NIV

Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. 

You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, 

 shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. 

Awaken your might; come and save us. Restore us, O God;

 make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. 

How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder

 against the prayers of your people? 

You have fed them with the bread of tears;

 you have made them drink tears by the bowlful. 

You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors,

 and our enemies mock us.

Restore us, God Almighty;

 make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. 

You transplanted a vine from Egypt;

 you drove out the nations and planted it. 

You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. 

Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes?

Return to us, God Almighty! 

Look down from heaven and see! 

Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted,

 the son you have raised up for yourself. 

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,

 the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 

Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.

Psalm 80 is difficult to know the date and circumstance in which it was written. It's simple enough to understand that the psalm is about seeking God's help at a time when enemies have the upper hand. It may even be a time of exile, likely the exile of Northern Israel after the Assyrian invasion.

The psalm lifts intercession for the sons of Rachel, Israel's favorite wife. She bore Jacob two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. Joseph, because of his ability to interpret dreams and to administer wisely, became Pharaoh's right hand man. He married an Egyptian who bore him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Joseph's two sons became tribes within the nation of Israel, representing his double portion inheritance as the favoured son, and Benjamin became the tribe which produced Israel's first king, Saul son of Kish.

There's a rivalry between Benjamin and Judah. Saul of Benjamin tried to kill David of Judah out of jealousy. This conflict continued long after these men were dead. Two generations after ten tribes beholding to the sons of Rachel seceded from the authority of Judah and the sons of David.

This psalm may be a prayer preserved by the ten tribes in the north, somehow surviving the exile under Assyria. It may be a prayer written by the Judeans in shock over the destruction wrought upon their estranged family to the north. Some scholars suggest that the mention of Benjamin, Manasseh, and Ephraim could be symbolic of the whole nation of Israel, both north and south. The reference points to the destruction under the Assyrian invasion as a way of commenting on the current circumstance of exile under the Babylonians. No one knows.

How can I pray this prayer? I think of the dream of the early Americans for a land blessed by God and a people free of tyranny. For a time we enjoyed the dream. Now life is a bit more complicated. We are slaves to credit as we spend more than we have. Our laws sometimes reflect the will of large insurance companies and other big money monoliths. Don't get me wrong. America still enjoys great freedom and abundance, but are we the people God intended when our forebears came to North America?

The language of the vine planted by God is of course a poetic way of talking about God taking the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt and bringing them to the Promised Land. Just as a gardener clears the soil of rocks and weeds, God drove out the nations occupying the land to make way for His vine, Israel. Israel prospered. But now they are in peril. The walls of the vineyard are broken down. The vine is trampled under foot. Israel is no longer thriving under God's protection.

As a nation we might pray Psalm 80 at a time of national crisis. As individuals we might pray these words when we feel abandoned, no longer cared for. When life seems brutal and cruel we might turn to God remembering how God's goodness has blessed us. We might ask why we suffer now. We might need to learn difficult lessons as God answers. But know that God remains faithful to His mission to bless the world with the knowledge of God and His son at His right hand, King Jesus the son of David, Son of Man, and Son of God.

May we all choose to join God is His sacred mission and be at peace, no matter our circumstance, knowing we are in His capable hands. May the Lord revive us that we might in one voice praise His name.

Psalm 79 - Past Generations

Psalm 79:1-2, 5-6, 8-9, 12-13 NIV

O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;

 they have defiled your holy temple,

 they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. 

They have left the dead bodies of your servants

 as food for the birds of the sky,

 the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild. 

How long, 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;

Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;

 may your mercy come quickly to meet us,

 for we are in desperate need. 

Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name;

 deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. 

Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times

 the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord. 

Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,

 will praise you forever;

 from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise.

Psalm 79 is another prayer from an exiled people. The southern kingdom of Judah is decimated. The temple in Jerusalem lies in ruins. The bodies of the dead line the streets. There is no one to bury them. Israel has become a sign to other nations as to what happens when you defy the power of Babylon.

The psalm depicts the tragedy and then calls to God, asking if He will be angry forever. The prayer asks for God's wrath to turn away from Israel and toward their enemy. They call upon God to act for His own reputation, for His chosen people are in disgrace. They seek forgiveness.

I find interesting the phrase, "Do not hold against us the sins of past generations." Have you considered how your life is affected by the actions of past generations?

I think of war and national debt. The Great Depression and World War 2 in many ways shadows over this nation even today. Though the war ended in 1945, the effects of the war can be seen in each following generation. The boomers rebelled against a generation that wanted to give them the things they couldn't have. The boomers went off to find themselves and tried to create a new world founded on their own values. The Gen-Xers were raised by Boomer parents who were still trying to find themselves. Economic shifts, inflation, social revolutions, all point to the Boomer response to the previous generation. The Gen-Xers grew up as the first set of latch key kids. Disenchanted with the world they were receiving, a depression and cynicism drove them. Their children, the Millennials, are also responding to the cynicism of their forebears by trying to create a better world for their children.

There  is a succession of events one can see like falling dominoes. You may not agree with my simplistic interpretation, and that is to be expected, but surely you'll find that succeeding generations inherit problems handed down from previous generations. The alcoholic family remains sick in dysfunction until someone has the courage to stop the cycle.

The Bible says the sins of the fathers visit their children up to the fourth generation. (Exodus 34:7) Sin has communal consequences. The failure of Israel is connected to the sins of the king and the citizens who followed his lead. They worshiped false gods and followed the customs of neighboring peoples. They did not keep the holy commands of the One who delivered them from slavery and gave them the land promised to Abraham and his descendants. The following generations live in ruin and exile.

The good news is that God hears true repentance. God is moved in His heart by our cries for mercy. When a new generation of Hebrews was refined in exile, the Lord brought them out of exile and back to Judea to rebuild. The Lord sent Persia to defeat Babylonia. He certainly paid them back for their violence against the Hebrews.

I seek mercy for my sins and I seek release from the burden of the sins of my forebears. I know our God hears every prayer from a repentant heart. May we all be set free to join the everlasting praise God deserves.

Psalm 78 - History Lesson

Psalm 78:1-8 (NIV)

My people, hear my teaching;
    listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable;
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,
    and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget his deeds
    but would keep his commands.
They would not be like their ancestors—
    a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
    whose spirits were not faithful to him.


A whopping 72 verses fill Psalm 78. It is a retelling of Israel's history from the Exodus from slavery in Egypt to the Assyrian invasion of Northern Israel, the ten tribes that seceded from Jerusalem's authority. It covers the Exodus and the plagues of Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the gift of the law at Sinai, the wilderness wanderings, the confederated tribal period when Israel had no king, and the Assyrian invasion. The psalm is told from the perspective of the people of Judah, those who remained faithful to the kingly dynasty of David.

What is the purpose of such a retelling in poetic phrase? It's kind of like the song the battle of New Orleans by Johnnie Horton, popular from my childhood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50_iRIcxsz0

It sticks with you. You remember. And it's important to know history and learn from it. The purpose of Psalm 78 is instruction of children that they might learn the history of God and His chosen. The history includes great failure. The people of the northern tribes were unfaithful. God was patient and delivered them when they cried out, but time and time again they tested God by worshiping false gods. The interesting thing is that Judah was not innocent of unfaithfulness either, but when you are the winner you get to write the history.

The history also celebrates God's choosing of the tribe Judah as chief among the sons of Jacob. It celebrates Jerusalem as the place of God's temple. After all the ups and downs of God's complicated relationship with His chosen people, the psalm ends celebrating, like all is well.

Psalm 78:67-72 (NIV)

Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
but he chose the tribe of Judah,
    Mount Zion, which he loved.
He built his sanctuary like the heights,
    like the earth that he established forever.
He chose David his servant
    and took him from the sheep pens;
from tending the sheep he brought him
    to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
    of Israel his inheritance.
And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
    with skillful hands he led them.


Of course the history doesn't end here. The kings of Judah were not entirely faithful. God and the southern kingdom had their ups and downs too. Through it all God remained faithful to His covenant with the people. When they grew wealthy they trusted in their wealth and weapons and lost. When they repented, God came to the rescue. God used both good and hard times to shape His people. Even Judah was taken into exile and it seemed God was sleeping. God was not sleeping. God was using the exile to refine a people who would keep His holy commands and shine with His light.

So what's your history with God? Is it like God's faithful journey with the Jews? If you're like me you'll recognize that there's been ups and downs and twists and turns. You've been faithful and you've been unfaithful. But through it all God remains true. That'as a history to celebrate and tell your children and grandchildren that they might benefit.

Psalm 77 - Sleepless

Psalm 77:1-4, 7-15 NIV

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 

When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

 at night I stretched out untiring hands,

 and I would not be comforted. 

I remembered you, God, and I groaned;

 I meditated, and my spirit grew faint. 

You kept my eyes from closing;

 I was too troubled to speak. 

“Will the Lord reject forever? 

Will he never show his favor again? 

Has his unfailing love vanished forever? 

Has his promise failed for all time? 

Has God forgotten to be merciful? 

Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:

 the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. 

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

 yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 

I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” 

Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? 

You are the God who performs miracles;

 you display your power among the peoples. 

With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,

 the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

Psalm 77 is an excellent guide for sleepless nights caused by a troubled mind or restless heart. The prayer recounts calling upon God for help, but help doesn't seem to come.

Have you ever had nights like this when you are too troubled to speak? I surely have. That is why I love the psalms. They give me words for the inexpressible feelings in my heart. Like the psalmist on such nights I too lay it all out before the Lord. I cry for help and my feelings sometimes get in the way of feeling God and hearing His consultations.

And so, as the psalm expresses, we can wonder if God has forgotten us. But what does the prayer lead us to do in such times? We are reminded of God's faithfulness in former days. We remember the story from scripture. We remember our own story with God.

The Psalm celebrates God's deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. God brought miraculous plagues to lead Pharaoh to let His people go. God split the Red Sea so that His people could escape Pharaoh's chariots. The psalm remembers how God faithfully led them through the wilderness for forty years, bringing them to the promised land.

The next time you are troubled and restless, remember who God is. Remember the witness of scripture. Remember your own history with God. Trust that God will lead you through the wilderness and bring you to peace and plenty. This is His promise.

John 10:10b NIV

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.