Psalm 79: The terrible prison
586 years before Jesus was born, Israel was defeated, Jerusalem destroyed and the people taken as prisoners to Babylon. Many were killed. It was a terrible time. Psalm 79 was written in prison. It cries out to God:
Hear your people groaning, Lord!
See your holy temple, ruined!
Feel our hearts break with grief.
Everyone says, “Where is their God?”
How could you let this happen?
What did we do to deserve this terrible punishment?
How long will we rot here?
Will we die so far from home?
Save us, Lord! Somehow, soon!
Blaze your anger against these terrible people!
Rescue us from this terrible prison
so that we can praise you again.
God did save his people. The Babylonians were themselves defeated, by the Persians, and the people of Israel were allowed to go home to make a new start.
We are your sheep and you are our Good Shepherd.
We give thanks to you from generation to generation.
586 years before Jesus was born, Israel was defeated, Jerusalem destroyed and the people taken as prisoners to Babylon. Many were killed. It was a terrible time. Psalm 79 was written in prison. It cries out to God:
Hear your people groaning, Lord!
See your holy temple, ruined!
Feel our hearts break with grief.
Everyone says, “Where is their God?”
How could you let this happen?
What did we do to deserve this terrible punishment?
How long will we rot here?
Will we die so far from home?
Save us, Lord! Somehow, soon!
Blaze your anger against these terrible people!
Rescue us from this terrible prison
so that we can praise you again.
God did save his people. The Babylonians were themselves defeated, by the Persians, and the people of Israel were allowed to go home to make a new start.
We are your sheep and you are our Good Shepherd.
We give thanks to you from generation to generation.