Psa 79:2 | KingComments | STEP | Beginning with this psalm, we find another series of psalms that prophetically determines the time when the LORD will use Assyria, which in the future is the king of the North, as a disciplinary rod ( ) over Israel, which is in unbelief under the government of the antichrist. The king of the North will kill two-thirds of the people ( ) and destroy Jerusalem and the third temple ( ). These are labor pains necessary for the birth of the remnant or new Israel ( ). The destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC is a foreshadowing of this. Also the attack in 168 BC by king Antiochus Epiphanes – a type of the king of the North – is a foreshadowing. The Jews use this psalm along with the lamentations at the fast during the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 AD. This psalm is about the invasion of Israel by the nations who destroy Jerusalem and the temple. The emphasis here is not so much on the judgment on God’s people because of their sins, but on the means God uses. See further the Introduction to Psalm 74, a psalm that also deals with the destruction of the temple. The structure of the psalm can be presented as follows: 1. contain a complaint about the destruction. 2. contain the prayer for restoration. 1. The center of the first section is , where they say that they have become a reproach to their neighbors. That is the substance of their complaint. 2. The center of the second section is , where they ask God to make the shed blood of His servants known before their eyes among the nations. That is the essence of their plea. For “a Psalm of Asaph” ( ) see at Psalm 50:1. The God-fearing, or believing remnant in the end time, complains to God that “the nations” have invaded His inheritance ( ). These nations do not care about God’s ownership of His land. They have boldly invaded the land. Then they have broken through to God’s “holy temple”. ‘Temple’ in Hebrew is literally ‘palace’, a reference to the temple as the dwelling place of God. The nations have “defiled” it by entering as heathen and causing havoc. Finally, “they have laid Jerusalem in ruins” (cf. ). We can hardly imagine what all this must have meant for the God-fearing Jew. In his book of Lamentations, Jeremiah expresses the feelings that the faithful remnant will have about this in the future. Jerusalem is the city that God has chosen for His Name to dwell. In that city He has His dwelling place, where He dwells in the midst of His people and receives them. There He has His throne, from which He rules over His people to their blessing. All this has disappeared. It seems as if God has suffered defeat and His people are doomed to extinct. Those who served God in Jerusalem were mercilessly killed ( ). “The dead bodies of Your servants” were not buried by the enemies, but given “for food to the birds of the heavens” (cf. ; ). The libel of defeat is greatly increased by the fact that the bodies are not buried. The invaders gave “the flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth”. The remnant speaks of themselves as ‘Your servants’ and ‘Your godly ones’. “Godly ones” in Hebrew is chasid , which are those who are faithful to the covenant of God. They want to remind God, as it were, who they are to Him. After all, they have served Him, they are in His favor, and He loves them, right? How then can He, seemingly, stand idly by while they are slaughtered and given as food to the birds and the beasts? After all, the prophecies speak of the peace of Jerusalem and the subjugation of the nations, as Isaiah does in Isaiah 2, for example ( ). Certainly the prophets also spoke of the destruction of Jerusalem in case the people would not keep the covenant ( ). Indeed the people as a whole did not keep the covenant. Therefore it is written of Jerusalem that in the end time it will be “mystically … called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified” ( ). The question comes from the faithful remnant, from those who do have the desire to serve the LORD. The nations “have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem” ( ; cf. ). The slaughter was great, but “there was no one to bury them”. The enemies did not allow the bodies of those who are killed to be buried (cf. ). They viewed their victims as inferior beings not worthy of burial ( ). Added to all the reproach is the reproach of the neighboring peoples ( ). They watched with gloating the destruction of Jerusalem and the slaughter of its people (cf. ). We can think of the Moabites, Ammonites, Philistines and Edomites, peoples who will not only be spectators, but will also attack Israel together with the king of the North ( ). Their attitude toward Israel is an additional reason for judging them in the end time. Those judgments are described, for example, in Ezekiel 25 and 36. Because of everything that has happened to God’s people, they are “a scoffing and derision to those around” them. This mockery and derision is deeply felt by the believing remnant. This is also what the Lord Jesus experienced in abundance ( ), not only from the nations, but also from the unbelieving mass of God’s people.

‏ Psalms 79:2

Introduction

Beginning with this psalm, we find another series of psalms that prophetically determines the time when the LORD will use Assyria, which in the future is the king of the North, as a disciplinary rod (Isa 10:5) over Israel, which is in unbelief under the government of the antichrist. The king of the North will kill two-thirds of the people (Zec 13:8) and destroy Jerusalem and the third temple (Zec 14:2). These are labor pains necessary for the birth of the remnant or new Israel (Isa 66:8).

The destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC is a foreshadowing of this. Also the attack in 168 BC by king Antiochus Epiphanes – a type of the king of the North – is a foreshadowing.

The Jews use this psalm along with the lamentations at the fast during the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 AD.

This psalm is about the invasion of Israel by the nations who destroy Jerusalem and the temple. The emphasis here is not so much on the judgment on God’s people because of their sins, but on the means God uses. See further the Introduction to Psalm 74, a psalm that also deals with the destruction of the temple.

The structure of the psalm can be presented as follows:

1. Psa 79:1-7 contain a complaint about the destruction.

2. Psa 79:8-13 contain the prayer for restoration.

1. The center of the first section is Psa 79:4, where they say that they have become a reproach to their neighbors. That is the substance of their complaint.

2. The center of the second section is Psa 79:10b, where they ask God to make the shed blood of His servants known before their eyes among the nations. That is the essence of their plea.

Jerusalem Laid in Ruins

For “a Psalm of Asaph” (Psa 79:1a) see at Psalm 50:1.

The God-fearing, or believing remnant in the end time, complains to God that “the nations” have invaded His inheritance (Psa 79:1b). These nations do not care about God’s ownership of His land. They have boldly invaded the land. Then they have broken through to God’s “holy temple”. ‘Temple’ in Hebrew is literally ‘palace’, a reference to the temple as the dwelling place of God. The nations have “defiled” it by entering as heathen and causing havoc. Finally, “they have laid Jerusalem in ruins” (cf. 2Chr 36:17-18).

We can hardly imagine what all this must have meant for the God-fearing Jew. In his book of Lamentations, Jeremiah expresses the feelings that the faithful remnant will have about this in the future. Jerusalem is the city that God has chosen for His Name to dwell. In that city He has His dwelling place, where He dwells in the midst of His people and receives them. There He has His throne, from which He rules over His people to their blessing. All this has disappeared. It seems as if God has suffered defeat and His people are doomed to extinct.

Those who served God in Jerusalem were mercilessly killed (Psa 79:2). “The dead bodies of Your servants” were not buried by the enemies, but given “for food to the birds of the heavens” (cf. Jer 34:20; Rev 11:7-9). The libel of defeat is greatly increased by the fact that the bodies are not buried. The invaders gave “the flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth”.

The remnant speaks of themselves as ‘Your servants’ and ‘Your godly ones’. “Godly ones” in Hebrew is chasid, which are those who are faithful to the covenant of God. They want to remind God, as it were, who they are to Him. After all, they have served Him, they are in His favor, and He loves them, right? How then can He, seemingly, stand idly by while they are slaughtered and given as food to the birds and the beasts?

After all, the prophecies speak of the peace of Jerusalem and the subjugation of the nations, as Isaiah does in Isaiah 2, for example (Isa 2:1-5). Certainly the prophets also spoke of the destruction of Jerusalem in case the people would not keep the covenant (Mic 3:12). Indeed the people as a whole did not keep the covenant. Therefore it is written of Jerusalem that in the end time it will be “mystically … called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified” (Rev 11:8). The question comes from the faithful remnant, from those who do have the desire to serve the LORD.

The nations “have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem” (Psa 79:3; cf. Rev 14:17-20). The slaughter was great, but “there was no one to bury them”. The enemies did not allow the bodies of those who are killed to be buried (cf. Rev 11:7-9). They viewed their victims as inferior beings not worthy of burial (Jer 14:16).

Added to all the reproach is the reproach of the neighboring peoples (Psa 79:4). They watched with gloating the destruction of Jerusalem and the slaughter of its people (cf. Oba 1:12-14). We can think of the Moabites, Ammonites, Philistines and Edomites, peoples who will not only be spectators, but will also attack Israel together with the king of the North (Psa 83:4-8). Their attitude toward Israel is an additional reason for judging them in the end time. Those judgments are described, for example, in Ezekiel 25 and 36.

Because of everything that has happened to God’s people, they are “a scoffing and derision to those around” them. This mockery and derision is deeply felt by the believing remnant. This is also what the Lord Jesus experienced in abundance (Psa 69:8 ; 11 ; 20-21), not only from the nations, but also from the unbelieving mass of God’s people.