Psalms 79:1-13 NIV
[1] O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
[2] They have left the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.
[3] They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.
[4] We are objects of contempt to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.
[5] How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?
[6] Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;
[7] for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland.
[8] Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.
[9] Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.
[10] Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.
[11] May the groans of the prisoners come before you; with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
[12] Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
[13] Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise.
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Psalm 79 was probably written by an Asaphite during the Babylonian exile. The psalmist provides graphic details of the destruction of the city, the defiling of the temple and the horrible suffering that was taking place in Jerusalem, indicating that he was among those who were left in Jerusalem.
The psalmist's complaint to God in verse 4 of being "objects of contempt to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us", confirms that God did exactly what He said He would do to Judah because of her wickedness, "adultery", and overall unfaithfulness. See Jeremiah's prophecy to Judah below:
Jeremiah 29:15-19 NIV
[15] You may say, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” [16] but this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile— [17] yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. [18] I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. [19] For they have not listened to my words,” declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord.
God is faithful and keeps His promises, even when His promises do not seem good to us. Though the psalmist cried out for God to help and deliver them, He had warned Judah through His prophets that He was going to pour out His wrath against them because of the sins of King Manasseh. See 2 Kings 21:9-16 below:
2 Kings 21:9-16 NIV
[9] But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.
[10] The Lord said through his servants the prophets: [11] “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. [12] Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. [13] I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. [14] I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; [15] they have done evil in my eyes and have aroused my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.” [16] Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
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Many people have a hard time imagining that God is the one responsible for bad things happening, such as the destruction of Jerusalem as described in the above passages. Modern Christianity has taught one of two things. 1) that God is good and all loving, and therefore one can only expect blessings and good things from God, or 2) that the God of the Old Testament is not the same God as the God of the New Testament.
The Bible teaches however, that the God of the Old and New Testaments judges the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are rewarded for their faithfulness, but He pours out His wrath on His disobedient people as well as on those who bring harm to His people, just as the passages above illustrate. Israel's disobedience is an example for God's people today to learn about God's character and how to please God, which will help us to avoid bringing God's judgement against us.
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