Psalm 79
Knowing a
little bit of history when we read Psalm 79 is helpful. It is possible to hear Asaph’s words and
think he is being petty and childish.
After all, it seems like Asaph comes right out and tells God to go be
angry with the rest of the world and stop being angry with the Hebrew
people. If we’re not careful, this psalm
can be read as though Asaph is trying to have a theology that is based on the
thought that “At least we’re better than they are.” We need to be careful to not read Asaph’s
words in this light of trying to exalt his own people by condemning the nations
around him. For that is not at all what
is going on in this psalm.
Asaph was
one of the chief singers and psalm writers during the time of King
Hezekiah. If you remember from our study
of the books of the Kings, Hezekiah was one of those kings that repented and
became faithful to God and God allowed him to live for a bit longer and allowed
Jerusalem to avoid capture for a bit longer.
So at the writing of the psalm, Asaph understands why the Lord has been
angry with His people. He understands
they have rebelled. But he is
participating in a reform movement.
That’s
what makes this psalm really neat. Asaph
understands how the people have rebelled.
And he is seeing the tide turning back to God. As he is watching the people come around, he
now has the opportunity to go to God and to say to Him that the people are
responding! Thus, when Asaph asks how
long the Lord will be angry, it isn’t that Asaph is weary from punishment but
that he understands why the punishment was happening and how long God will
continue to hold them accountable since they are repenting. Essentially, Asaph is really asking when it
is that judgment will end and forgiveness will begin.
That’s a
fair question. We know that God
forgives. We know that God forgives far
more than He should and far more frequently than He should. But I think we all can’t help but wonder how
long the time period for our punishment will be. It’s just the nature of creation.
I think to
my two lovely greyhounds. Most of the
time they are great dogs. Once and a
while one of them does something that they shouldn’t and they get yelled at. You can see in their response as they slink
off that they understand they are in trouble.
They sit just out of reach and look up at me, waiting for me to announce
for them to come and be forgiven. When I
do, they usually spring up and come bounding over, longing for the relationship
to be officially declared “Restored.”
That’s where Asaph is in this psalm.
Asaph is longingly looking to God and wondering when the command will be
given by God to come and be happily welcomed back into the arms of the master.
Psalm 80
Psalm 80
is much in the same line as Psalm 79.
Asaph calls upon the Lord to see the people and see the condition in
which they are forced to live. Asaph
reminds God that they are turning and if God will but look down from heaven
then they will turn all the more! This
is a psalm that cries out for the attention of God.
What makes
this psalm slightly different from the previous one is Asaph’s return to images
of the past promises and covenants.
Asaph not only wants God to see the present reform going on among the Hebrew
people under Hezekiah; he also wants God to remember His promises. He wants God to remember the historical
relationship. Asaph wants God to
remember that it was at His hand that the Hebrew people were brought up out of
Egypt and it was at His hand that the Hebrew people were established in the
Promised Land. Asaph wants the Lord to
remember His promise that if they repent then God will forgive.
In
yesterday’s blog post I spoke much of looking to history so that we can find
God and find hope in God’s continued presence throughout history. We can also look to history and remind God
about His promises. Not that God needs a
reminder, for the record. But sometimes
it does us good to be reminded of God’s promises, too.
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