PSALMS LESSON 80
We will begin this lesson by giving chapter 79 of Psalms in
metre.
THE PSALMS OF DAVID IN METRE
Chapter 79
Verse 1 "Into thy heritage, O God, Have heathen entrance made; Thy
holy place they have defiled, On heaps Jerus'lem laid."
Verse 2 "Thy servants' bodies they have cast To fowls of heaven for
meat; The flesh of thy dear saints they gave To beasts of
earth to eat."
Verse 3 "Their blood about Jerusalem Like water they have shed; And
of their number none remained To bury them when dead."
Verse 4 "And to our neighbors a reproach Most base become are we; A
scorn and laughing-stock to them That round about us be."
Verse 5 "How long, O Lord? for evermore Wilt thou still keep thine
ire? O how long shall thy jealousy Burn like devouring fire?"
Verse 6 "On heathen pour thy fury forth, That never have thee known,
And on those kingdoms which thy name Have never called upon."
Verse 7 "For these are they who have devoured Thy servant Jacob's
race, And they, all waste and desolate Have made his
dwelling-place."
Verse 8 "Against us mind not former sins; Thy tender mercies show;
Let them relieve us speedily, For we're brought very low."
Verse 9 "For thy name's glory help us, Lord, Who hast our Saviour
Been; Deliver us; for thy name's sake, O purge away our sin."
Verse 10 "Why say the heathen, Where's their God? Let him to them be
known; When those who shed thy servants' blood Are in our
sight o'erthrown."
Verse 11 "O let the prisoner's sighs ascend Before thy sight on high:
Preserve those in thy mighty power That are condemned to
die."
Verse 12 "And to our neighbors' bosom cause It seven-fold rendered be,
For that reproach which in their spite, O Lord, they cast on
thee."
Verse 13 "So we, thy people and thy people and thy flock, Will ever
thank thy name; And unto generations all We will thy praise
proclaim."
We will now begin the verse by verse study of the 79th chapter of
Psalms. Psalms 79:1 "{A Psalm of Asaph.} O God, the heathen are come
into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have
laid Jerusalem on heaps."
As we get into this study on the 79th chapter of Psalms, I would
like you to consider that there could be 3 messages in this chapter.
There was a destruction in the time of Asaph, there was a destruction
70 years after Jesus, and there will be a destruction at the end of
the age. Please do not judge me too harshly for seeing this. I am not
trying to force this, but ask that you would consider it.
Asaph speaks for all of us when he cries out against the
destruction of God's hallowed place. It is a terrible thing for the
enemy to destroy our home, but to destroy our place of worship is
unspeakable. Destruction comes so many different ways. Sometimes the
buildings are torn down, burned or looted. Another, just as
devastating way that actually took place in our lifetime, was when
churches all over the world were closed and communism became the state
religion. Some of the old saints had to look at the buildings
everyday, and yet were not allowed to go inside and worship. The most
recent is the destruction of God's house from within. The church is
being used for everything. The holiness of the place of worship is
being lost. Even though this is a more subtle approach, it is just as
devastating.
Psalms 79:2 "The dead bodies of thy servants have they given [to
be] meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto
the beasts of the earth."
In the days of Asaph, the bodies of the dead were left on the
field of battle for every fowl of prey. It was a similar destruction
when the Romans came in and destroyed the temple and the people, as
well. The beasts of this world are not satisfied, they even now are in
the church trying to devour God's children. The saints of the church
today are being attacked and left for dead. The enemy is the same. Old
Satan is at the bottom of all three.
Psalms 79:3 "Their blood have they shed like water round about
Jerusalem; and [there was] none to bury [them]."
The enemy came and destroyed these people, as if they were
nothing. They watched their blood flowing from them, just as if they
had poured out water. Someone else's life meant nothing to them.
Psalms 79:4 "We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn
and derision to them that are round about us."
The Israelites had always been respected before this. They had no
problem with the people around them, because the people feared their
God. Now there is a different story. They feel that they do not have
to fight Israel's God, just Israel. This was true in Asaph's time and,
also, at the battle between Rome and Jerusalem. I really believe there
is a prophetic message for our age, as well. The atheists have come
out of the closet now. If you are a serious Christian now, you are
generally ridiculed by your neighbors and {friends}. It seems they
would do anything they could to get you stopped. You are labeled as a
fanatic, and they avoid you if they can. Even those church people
around you look at you out of the corner of their eye, and many times
say, he has gone off the deep end.
Psalms 79:5 "How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall
thy jealousy burn like fire?"
The two times that the place of worship in Jerusalem was
destroyed was, possibly, because God allowed it to happen. We know
that Asaph is speaking of God being angry, because the people had
mixed idolatry up with worship of God. I believe that God allowed the
destruction of the temple in Jerusalem after the resurrection of
Jesus, because the Jewesh believers would not stop sacrificing in the
temple. To sacrifice after Jesus died on the cross, would be to say
that His sacrifice was not sufficient to wash away the sin of the
whole world for all time. They were treating His sacrifice as if it
had been no more than the sacrifice of a natural lamb. You can see why
this is in error, and you can see why God allowed the destruction of
the temple then. Now to look at the church today. What have we come
to? Are the services we conduct pleasing unto God, or are they
pleasing unto man? Perhaps, God is allowing the falling away now to
make us realize that His house is holy. Remember, judgement begins at
the house of God. Just as the temple was built after Asaph's day
again, perhaps, God will allow us to rebuild the church now, based on
holiness and righteousness.
Psalms 79:6 "Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not
known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name."
The wrath of God is reserved for those who are not His children.
Ephesians 5:6 "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of
these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of
disobedience." Those who have called upon His name, then or now, are
God's children.
Psalms 79:7 "For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his
dwelling place."
I Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
God protected Daniel in the lions den, and He will protect us, if we
are as faithful as Daniel was. The holy city, Jerusalem, was destroyed
twice. The spiritual holy city is the church, are we going to stand
idly by and let Satan destroy the church?
Psalms 79:8 "O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy
tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low."
This is a prayer for God to forgive and start them all over
again. We need to try that same prayer. Hurry and help us Lord, for
our nation and our world have sinned against you. Be merciful once
again, and save us.
Psalms 79:9 "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of
thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's
sake."
Who is the God of our salvation? It is Jesus Christ our Lord.
What a prayer this is! We cannot help ourselves Lord, You help us and
glorify Thy name in the doing. We see in the Scripture above an
earnest prayer for God to intervene in our behalf. This next Scripture
shows what we must do for that to happen. II Chronicles 7:14 "If my
people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and
pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I
hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their
land."
Psalms 79:10 "Wherefore should the heathen say, Where [is] their
God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight [by] the
revenging of the blood of thy servants [which is] shed."
You have said Lord, in Romans 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not
yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written,
Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." The world even
now, is making fun of Christianity. They do not see the power of our
God in action. Show them, God, who you are; God Almighty.
Psalms 79:11 "Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee;
according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are
appointed to die;"
Jesus not only destroyed sin on the cross, but he destroyed the
sting of death when He arose from the grave. Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego were saved in the fiery furnace, Daniel was saved in the
Lions den. Save us, as you did them, O Lord.
Psalms 79:12 "And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their
bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord."
They denied your existence even though they were told over and
over. They refused the very Son of God as their Saviour. Seven means
spiritually complete. God, your punishment for them will be perfect
and complete. I leave them to you.
Psalms 79:13 "So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give
thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all
generations."
The people who have been grafted into the family of God will
never stop thanking Him for His goodness and His mercy. We are the
sheep of the pasture. Jesus is the Great Shepherd. He will lead me to
green pastures, and give me pure water to drink, and I will dwell in
the house of the Lord forever.
Questions 80
1. In verse 1, who has come into the temple and defiled it?
2. Name 2 of the three destructions in chapter 79.
3. What is even worse than the enemy destroying our home?
4. What are some of the ways of destruction?
5. In verse 2, the dead bodies had been what?
6. What are the beasts in the church today trying to do?
7. Who has always been the enemy of God's people?
8. Their blood have they shed like _____.
9. We are become a ________ to our neighbors.
10. Why had the people always respected the Israelites up until this
was written?
11. Who have come out of the closet now and are openly opposing
Christianity?
12. What are you labeled as now, if you are a serious Christian?
13. Why was the church destroyed in Asaph's time?
14. What is the possible reason the temple was destroyed after the
resurrection of Jesus?
15. Why is God allowing the falling away today?
16. Who does Asaph ask God to pour out His wrath upon?
17. Quote Ephesians chapter 5 verse 6.
18. Who does 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 8 say is our adversary?
19. He will protect us, if we are as faithful as _______ was.
20. Are we going to sit idly by and let Satan destroy the church?
21. What is verse 8?
22. Who is the God of our salvation?
23. Quote 2 Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14.
24. What does Romans chapter 12 verse 19 teach us?
25. Jesus destroyed ___ on the cross and _____ by His resurrection.
26. Who were the three that were saved in the fiery furnace?
27. Who are the sheep of His pasture?
28. Who is the Great Shepherd?
29. He will lead me to green ________.
30. I will dwell in the house of the Lord _______.
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