Introduction: Yesterday I re-wrote Asaph’s Psalm 79 in ‘modern’ English. I’ve copied it here because the last 3 verses of the Psalm, which I didn’t include in yesterday’s reading, say things which I think that we, as Christians, have to think deeply about. My transliteration of the Psalm read – Dear God, we are Yours, You have claimed us for Yourself. But we are taken captive. Your temple and in fact Your capital city have both been made unfit for Your worship! Many of us have been thrown out, dead, into the open fields to be pecked at by birds and eaten by hyenas. Our blood has flowed down the streets like wastewater – decent burial has not been possible. Our captors and our surrounding nations are throwing our state in our faces! I know why You are angry, but is it going to be like this for ever? Your holiness has made You angry because of our sin, but please take your anger and pour it over our captors, they are so evil. They have different gods and don’t even recognize You!
We are destroyed! Our whole nation! Please don’t hold our past against us for ever. We are sorry and beg for your compassion. For Your own Glory, please forgive us. We call on You to please provide atonement!
Please stop them being able to say “Where is your God” by avenging our deaths and spilt blood! Your victory, for which we as Your people are pleading, will prove You the God who we know you to be!
Your Servant Asaph, leader of the temple choir.
11. Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
12. Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbours
the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
13. But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Comment: Verse 11 ‘Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!‘ This almost seems to include an accusation that God is deaf to or indifferent to the sufferings of His people. I know that God is not dismissive of His people’s troubles, but I sometimes wonder why God doesn’t do something about the way His followers are treated – martyred (so frequently in Africa and other countries), Imprisoned and given unfair trials then hung or beheaded, sacked from their jobs, which they are well qualified to hold, just because they speak God’s truth, ridiculed. But also a plea for compassion, for hearing to turn into action! Do you ever feel like that? I do.
Verse 12 “Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbours the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!” seems vindictive! But is it vindictive? What does vindictive mean? ‘A person or action characterized by a strong, unreasonable desire for revenge or spiteful retaliation against someone who has caused them harm or annoyance.’ Is Asaph’s cry unreasonable? Even if Asaph’s cry was because the enemy had taunted the people of God. The taunters were nasty and cruel.. However Asaph claims that they were really taunting God! And that should make us, in our situations distressed when people blaspheme our Holy God! Vindictive, vindicate and vengeance all come from the same Latin root word. And God, through Paul, has something to say about these words in Romans 12 – ‘Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.‘
Verse 13 ‘But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.‘ is a very positive response! And what are sheep supposed to produce? – Good wool, good meat and good lambs! Does this challenge you? It does me, to remember that I am created to do good works, called to be healthy in spirit even if our physical bodies are doomed to decay, and to seek to be leading others to become part of God’s family!
Ephesians 2: 10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Prayer: Please help me to leave thoughts of revenge in the past and to press onto maturity in Jesus, please.