Psa 102:13 | KingComments | STEP | The Messiah, after describing the affliction in which He finds Himself and the suffering He bears, turns to the “LORD” ( ). The word “but” with which this verse begins indicates that a contrast with the preceding follows. The Messiah suffers, but not forever because He knows that the LORD abides forever and with it His faithfulness to what He has promised. The name “LORD”, Yahweh, by which He addresses God, already indicates this. After all, LORD is the name of God as the God of the covenant. The remembrance of that Name goes “to all generations” (cf. ). In the emphasis is on the fact that the faithfulness of the LORD is everlasting. He is LORD, the I AM, or the eternal Being, He is the same yesterday and today and forever. Therefore, His lovingkindness toward His people is unchanging. But … how is this compatible with the condition of the psalmist in ? We find the answer in . Now the LORD “will arise” and “have compassion on Zion”. He will arise and go and act, and that for the sake of the remembrance of His Name. In all affliction, this is the assurance of faith in the LORD. He will intervene on behalf of His people and His city. He will do so when His judgments have the result He desires. The LORD has set a time to bring Israel back, a time to restore Israel and Zion ( ). The latter begins with the command to restore (the walls of) Jerusalem ( ; ). When God’s time has come, He will have compassion on Zion. The people have deserved total judgment, but He preserves a remnant according to the election of His grace. At the appointed time, He will accept His people again. Faith sees that ahead. God will do a work in His servants. He will give love in their hearts for “her stones”, indicating that Zion is broken down ( ). He will fill them with feeling pity “for her dust”, indicating how much Zion is in ruins. The word for “feel pity” in is the same as “have compassion” in . As the LORD is gracious to Zion, so the remnant is to the dust and stones of Zion. We see a foreshadowing of this in people like Ezra and Nehemiah who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon full of love and compassion for Zion. In the end time, it will happen through the faithful remnant. We may well ask ourselves about our love and compassion for the church of God which is also a mess. Do we long to rebuild what lies in ruins? We can do that by helping everywhere with God’s Word where people long to be a local church as God has made known in His Word. To the remnant, as well as to us, it is said: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” ( ), which is the dwelling place of God in the midst of His earthly people. We may pray that for what is now God’s dwelling place on earth, God’s heavenly people, His church. When Zion is rebuilt, the nations surrounding Israel will “fear the name of the LORD” ( ). The rebuilding of Zion is proof that God is not against His people, but for them. The nations have spoken against God’s people defamatory of Him as a powerless God ( ; ). At the time appointed by God, they will see that He is for His people and therefore be in awe of Him. The LORD is building Zion, though He uses His servants to do so ( ; cf. ). When He has rebuilt Zion, which now lies in ruins, He will appear “in His glory”. He will dwell in Zion in the midst of His people. From there, His glory will be seen all over the earth. He will do His restorative work in response to “the prayer of the destitute”, showing that He has “not despised their prayer” ( ). “The destitute” or “naked” are those who have lost all their dignity and have a very low opinion of themselves. They are “the poor in spirit” ( ) and therefore the opposite of the spirit of Laodicea ( ). The Lord Jesus is the true “poor in spirit” (cf. ). He never sought His own glory, but always that of His God. The believing remnant exhibits His attributes. How much has been prayed for the restoration of Zion throughout the ages. This applies above all to the Messiah. Following Him, it is also true of the faithful remnant – whom God has always kept to Himself throughout the ages