A National Lament

A National Lament

Psalm 79 is a national lament. It’s very similar to Psalm 74. Both of these Psalms describe the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. We know that Asaph lived hundreds of years before that happened. Therefore, this Psalm was either written by the “Sons of Asaph” or Asaph himself. The Sons of Asaph were a group of Temple singers who ministered in the same spirit as Asaph did. It’s not out of the question that Asaph himself wrote this Psalm, however. Scripture describes Asaph as not only a musician but also a prophet (2 Chr. 29:30). Asaph could have easily penned this Psalm as a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem hundreds of years before it happened.

We’re going to outline the Psalm as follows:

1. A national tragedy (1-4)

2. An appeal for speedy justice (5-7)

3. An appeal for forgiveness (8-10a).

4. An appeal for vengeance (10b-12)

5. A promise of future praise (13).

1. A national tragedy (1-4).

A. The holy City is destroyed (1).

When Babylon invaded Jerusalem the entire city was destroyed. But the defiling of the Temple was the most significant thing that happened. God had warned them in the past that if they broke covenant with Him devastating consequences would follow. In Deut. 28:52 He said

They shall besiege you in all your towns, until your high and fortified walls, in which you trusted, come down throughout all your land. And they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land, which the Lord your God has given you.

I want to read for you the Biblical account of what happened when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem. 2 Kings 25:9-11 says:

“And he burned the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile.”

These pagans had no regard for the inheritance of God at all. They treated the city and the Temple as if they were no different than any other place on earth.

B. Human bodies were exposed (2-3).

The language is vivid.

The bodies of dead Jewish people are spread all over the city. There is no one to bury these people. Most of the survivors have been taken captive. There is no funeral.

Birds begin feeding on the bodies. Again, this is a vivid description. The shame is obvious. We can go back to Deuteronomy again as Deut. 28:26 prophesied these words if Israel broke covenant with God:

“And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away.”

Blood is all over the place. Their blood is poured out like water. This speaks of the ease and abundance of the blood.

C. Humiliation is acknowledged (4).

Their enemies mocked them. We can almost hear them asking “Where is your God?” There was no longer a reason for the surrounding nations to fear or even respect the Jewish people. They had been humiliated by a pagan army and an ungodly king. This implies Israel’s God was no longer fighting for them. It appeared they had been forsaken by God and for this reason they were ridiculed by men.

This was a national tragedy. Its effects were far reaching. There wasn’t a single Jewish person that wasn’t negatively impacted in some way.

2. An appeal for speedy justice (5-7).

A. The impatience of the Psalmist (5).

He asks three questions in verse 5.

How long, LORD? By the way, this implies the Psalmist believes the exile will come to an end. But we can sense in his question he’s ready for it to be over already.

Will you be angry forever? Suffering makes it seem as if time is standing still. It seems to the Psalmist that the anger of the Lord is lasting forever.

Will your jealousy burn like fire? Israel was warned not to worship other gods because the Lord is jealous. Nor jealous in a petty and sinful way. He has a holy jealousy. His jealousy has His own glory and the good of the people in mind.

The Psalmist doesn’t pretend as if the Lord does not have a reason to be angry and discipline His people. But he is anxious to see the discipline come to an end.

B. The prayer for justice (6).

The heathen nations are described in two ways in verse 6.

They do not know God.

They have not called of the name of God.

It’s important for us to understand that these nations could have been saved if they had taken time to learn about Israel’s God and called on His name. But they had not done this and were therefore in danger of the wrath of God.

The Psalmist is reminding God that these nations deserve to be punished as well. In this world it may seem at times that the ungodly get away with their sins. It may especially appear that way when the people of God are experiencing disciple from the Lord or persecution from the world. We can be assured, however, that no matter what amount of discipline we receive it will never match the punishment the ungodly receive.

C. The charge against the enemies (7).

The Psalmist tells God what Babylon has done. “Jacob” refers to the Jewish people as a whole. Jacob had twelve sons that became the twelve tribes of Israel. Therefore, all of Israel was directly related to him.

When Jerusalem was destroyed the Northern Kingdom had already fallen to the Assyrians. With the destruction of Jerusalem all of Israel was now devoured. Jerusalem was the dwelling place of the Jewish people. Both the people and the place where they dwelt had been destroyed by the Babylonians.

God was supposed to be the protector of Israel. The Psalmist lays this charge against Babylon with the hope that the Lord will rise up and execute justice against them.

3. An appeal for forgiveness (8-10a).

A. Forget our past sins (8).

The “former iniquities” probably refers to the sins of previous generations. It is true that no person will be eternally punished for the sins of another person. But Scripture does teach that nations can suffer consequences for the sins of previous generations. The Jews would remain in Babylon for about 70 years. When they were released many of them had never even stepped foot in Jerusalem. They were born in Babylon. Yet they were experiencing the consequences of a sinful generation who forsook God and embraced idolatry.

The Psalmist reasons with God. He asks Him to forget the sins of the previous generations. Again, we sense his anxiousness as he asks for the tender mercy of God to come to him speedily.

Notice what he says at the end of verse 8. He says, “We are brought very low”. It is as if he is saying “We’ve had enough, Lord.”

B. Forgive our present sins (9).

The Psalmist doesn’t pretend the present generation is sinless. He says “our sins” in verse 9. There are a few things I want us to notice about the forgiveness asked for in verse 9.

First, God is identified as the source of salvation. We cannot save ourselves. No amount of sacrifice or good works can atone for our sins.

Second, the forgiveness of sin brings glory to God. He says that twice in verse 9. When God saves sinners is says much about Him.

It says He is loving.

It says He is kind.

It says He is merciful.

It says He is powerful.

It says He is faithful.

When God saves a sinner, it declares His character. When a sinner is saved God is glorified.

Third, sometimes salvation includes deliverance from circumstances. The deliverance asked for in verse 9 refers to deliverance from the Babylonian captivity. God is not obligated to deliver us from difficult circumstances in this world, but by His grace He often does.

C. For the fear of God (10a).

The Psalmist asks another question. He asks, “Why should the heathen say Where is their God?”

In saving the Jewish people from captivity, God would be declaring to all the other nations that He is powerful. He did just that when the Jews traveled the 1000-mile journey from Babylon to Jerusalem without losing a single person or a single thing they were carrying. They didn’t even have the presence of an army to protect them.

God’s forgiveness brought restoration to the Jewish people. The favor of God rested upon them and nations were amazed.

4. An appeal for vengeance (10b-12).

A. Justice against the enemies of God (10b).

It’s true that God allowed the Babylonians to invade Israel. However, the Babylonians were still accountable for the sins they committed against the people of God. That may be difficult to understand but I will try to give a contemporary example that may help.

Many of you remember 9-11. It was an awful time for us as Americans. In the aftermath many believers recognized that America had gotten far away from God and that we should not expect the blessing and protection of God if our country continued down a path of sinfulness. However, no one excused the terrorists who attacked our country. Even believers wanted justice inflicted upon the mastermind of those attacks. The Babylonians who murdered the Jewish people could expect the justice of God to find them.

B. Justice for the people of God (11).

The language here reminds us of the prayers of the Jewish people during the Egyptian captivity (Ex. 2:23-24). They groaned, they prayed, God heard them. The Psalmist prays the God will preserve the people who are doomed to die in exile. God would hear their prayers. He would raise up another King named Cyrus who ruled over Persia. This King would overthrow Babylon, inherit the Jewish people held captive by the Babylonians and release them, even assisting them in rebuilding the temple.

The fact that the Jewish people have not been exterminated is a miracle in itself. They have been hated and persecuted throughout history. But God has preserved them. So it is with all the people of God. We should pray, knowing that we have the promise “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” God’s justice ensures that His enemies are punished, and His people are rewarded.

C. Justice for God (12).

The Psalmist says the enemies of God have taunted Him. Ultimately all sin is against God. Some sin is against God and man. But all sin is against God. The Psalmist asks for a greater punishment because of sin against God. He asks that those who sin against God be paid back sevenfold.

There are those who have difficulty with this type of language. They can’t think of someone being punished because of their sins. They think that’s out of bounds. If that’s the way you think it’s because you think more of sinners than you do of God. In this world God has been denied, insulted, mocked, and challenged and all of this has been done by sinners.

Justice will be measured out in a proper dose for the sins committed against God and that should not bother the child of God one bit.

5. A promise of future praise (13).

It’s interesting to note that Psalms 77, 78 and 79 all end with a reference to God as our shepherd.

In Psalm 77:20 He is shepherding His people by Moses and Aaron.

In Psalm 78::70-72 He is shepherding His people by David.

In Psalm 79:13 He is shepherding His people Himself.

These three Psalms end by reminding us that God is guiding, guarding, and feeding His people.

The Psalmist promises that the people who are shepherded by God will give Him thanks forever. From generation to generation, they will praise God.

I can’t praise God forever on this earth, but I can raise children who will praise Him on this earth when I am gone. And hopefully they will raise children who will do the same. We should make it a goal to leave a perpetual praise for God on this earth.

What I do know for sure is that those who are truly God’s people will praise Him forever. When the Good Shepherd leads us through the valley of the shadow of death, we will enter green pastures and give Him eternal praise. We can trust the Jesus Christ will forgive our sins, defeat our enemies, and reward our service. He has given us His word. We will give Him our praise.