Psalm 79:8-13

Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight, vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed. Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die. And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom the reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord. So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture will give thanks to You forever; to all generations we will tell of Your praise.^[1]

In the first seven verses of the psalm the writer chronicles the atrocities committed against the people of God. The temple was defiled, Jerusalem was laid in ruins, and the bodies of the servants of the Lord were left exposed to the elements with no one to bury them. Their misfortune caused them to be mocked and reviled by their enemies who openly cast doubt on the existence of their God. The plea of the psalmist then becomes one of vindication imploring God to pour out His vengeance upon the nations because of how they have treated His people.

But then comes the sobering admission of the writer that their plight must be laid, in part, at the feet of their forefathers because of their defection from the Lord. Jesus taught that the enemy of our souls has a three-fold job, to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), but everything negative we encounter cannot be laid at his feet. Some, perhaps even much, of what negative we experience has come as a result of not just our sin but of that of those who went before us as well. Perhaps the plea and the admission of the psalmist should be ours as well. As much as we bemoan the condition of our world around us and plead with God to intervene on our behalf, we must accept much of the responsibility for that condition. God will always do His part, but we are the salt of the earth, we are the light of the world. How have we lived before non-believers? How have we guarded our talk and walk in order to protect our testimony? Sure, like the psalmist we will tell of our God’s praise to all generations but why expect anything from God if we are not willing to do our part?

Lord, You know well the situation in which we find ourselves. You know the derision we suffer from those who do not know You. Forgive us for blaming everybody and everyone around us for our condition but ourselves. Forgive us for wanting to walk in authority without being willing to take responsibility. Hear us as we cry out to You for Your help and come quickly to our aid. Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to walk in the strength of our calling as we work to see Your Kingdom come here on earth just as it is in Heaven. This we ask in the name of Your Son and our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 79:8–13.