Picture the scene in Psalm 79:1-9. God has been told that the Gentiles have invaded Israel. The temple has been destroyed. The bodies of his followers are lying in the open, exposed to birds and beasts. This is especially offensive because burial of the dead is a godly duty. Even the priests, who normally could not touch dead bodies, are allowed to touch the bodies of their relatives in order to ensure a proper burial. Jerusalem was drenched in blood like water. This image came true in AD 70 when the Roman army under the command of general Titus invaded Israel and destroyed the temple.

After the severe blow of the sacking of the temple, the people did not ask why they had to suffer, but how long they had to suffer. This question serves as a transition from lament in verses 1-4 to prayer in verses 6-9.

A defeat of a nation was believed to be a defeat of its god. A mark of spiritual maturity is one’s concern for the reputation of God. Israel’s neighbours mocked her and claimed that God had abandoned His people, but the psalmist surveyed the landscape and concluded that God’s hand was there. It was a hand of judgment. The psalmist saw Israel’s destruction as the consequence of God’s eternal kingdom and God’s enduring moral order and authority.  God was angry with Israel, and His wrath was upon her. The covenant between God and Israel was broken, likely because the people went after other gods.

It is a similar to the wrath God had when the people made and worshipped the golden calf. Like Moses, the psalmist urged God to not remember the past sins of the people, even though they suffered the consequences of past rebellion. In addition, after God forgot Israel’s sin, the psalmist asked God to restore His relationship with the people because they were brought very low. In other words, the psalmist asked God to forgive His people.

The psalmist prayed for divine vindication for his people not in a spirit of vengeance but in a spirit of justice. Without any regard for God, the heathen had desecrated God’s land and left His people desperate. When God acts, He will vindicate His name before those who blaspheme Him. He will be glorified before the whole world. That is why the psalmist asked why the nations of the world should get away with assuming that God is absent. He cried out for God to avenge those who died when Jerusalem was destroyed.

Today’s society can own this psalm as its own. Stress helps us realize how much we need God to steady our lives. We also need God’s forgiveness, because we have also turned our backs on God. We worship things like money, power and sex. Chaos and sin are running wild in this world. If you don’t believe me, look as what has been happening in the United States since Donald Trump returned to the White House. We need to atone for our sins and those of our ancestors. We need God to hear the cries of the prisoners, the oppressed, those bound in Satan’s darkness and the darkness of their own compromised theology. We need God to glorify His name and vindicate Himself against those false idols who blaspheme Him and reproach Him and His Son. When we pray about something for the sake of God’s name, we urge Him to act in order to defend His reputation, to make His glory known, to honour Him, and to let others see His majesty and greatness.

Forgiveness is not deserved. While the Bible does tell us to forgive us as we have been forgiven, it’s not a right that we are entitled to. Since Jesus made a decision to go to the cross and set us free from the weight of our sins, we can make a choice to forgive in a similar manner. Forgiveness is a process. It takes time. As we embark on this journey, one of the most liberating things we can do is pray for those who have wronged us. When we do, God guides us on the road to surrender and begins the task of healing our hearts.

(An audio version of this post can be found at https://www.spreaker.com/episode/psalm-79-verses-1-9-the-wrath-of-god–67830894)

Bibliography

1. Williams, D., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 14: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 68-72)
2. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bibie: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 779-780)
5. Bobby Schuller, “The Process of Forgiving.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
6. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 759)