Do Not Forget Us Forever

1 O god, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

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.

3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.

8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.

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.

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.

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;

12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

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.
--Psalm 79 KJV Bible

Like Psalm 74, this song describes the fall of the kingdom of Judah, the fall of the city of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple, and Babylonian captivity of God’s unfaithful people. These events were accomplished in 586 BC by the armies of Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:17-20; 2 Kings 25:1-21; Jeremiah 52:12-24). In the song, the psalmist laments the desecration of Jerusalem and pleads for God to destroy Israel's enemies.

This is described as one of the imprecatory psalms. An imprecation is the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil. The imprecatory psalms contain an invocation of judgment, calamity, or curse against one's enemies who are viewed as enemies of God. The Major Imprecatory Psalms include psalms 69 and 109. Others are psalms 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 109, 137, and 139 (some include in this list psalms 5, 6, 11, 12, 35, 37, 40, 52, 54, 56, 83, and 143). It is thought that the purposes of these imprecations are, depending on the psalm, to do one or more of the following: (1) to demonstrate God's just and righteous judgment toward the wicked, (2) to show the authority of God over the wicked, (3) to lead the wicked to seek the Lord, or (4) to cause the righteous to praise God. In the New Testament, Jesus quoted from them in John 15:25 (Psalms 35 and 69), the Apostle John references Psalm 69 in John 2:17, and the Apostle Paul quoted from Psalm 69 in his Letter to the Romans (Romans 11:9-10; Romans 15:3).

The psalm description says it is a song of Asaph. Asaph was an outstanding musician who lived in the time of King David (Nehemiah 12:46). Asaph's father was Berechiah (1 Chronicles 6:39). David had appointed Asaph as a minister of music for the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 15:16-19) and Asaph's descendants were also official temple musicians (Ezra 2:41). Asaph was sometimes described as a "seer," or a prophet (2 Chronicles 29:30). Psalms 50 and 73 through 83 are attributed to Asaph, or perhaps written for Asaph to perform. The beautiful psalms of Asaph describe the world round us in a clear way, remind us that God cares for us, cause us to learn from events, and remind us of the greatness of God. Since the Asaph of David's time was long dead, the psalm may have been written by or for Asaph's descendants in his honor, or it may have been written by or for a contemporary who was also named Asaph.

In verses 1 through 5, the psalmist laments the desecration of Jerusalem by the armies of Babylon. He describes the destruction of buildings and the temple. He also recalls the strewn bodies of the dead that were left for the scavengers. The psalmist realizes that God is angry with His people, but He prays that God's anger will not burn against them forever.

In verses 6 through 13, the psalmist pleads for God to destroy Israel's enemies. In verses 8 and 9, the psalmist appeals to God's mercy. In verse 10, the psalmist appeals to God's honor. In verses 11 through 13, the psalmist appeals to God’s righteousness, asking God to destroy the wicked so that the righteous who remain can praise God’s authority over the wicked.

In verses 6 through 13, the psalmist pleads for God to destroy the ungodly nation of Babylon because they brought down Judah, Jerusalem and the temple. In verses 8 and 9, the psalmist appeals to God's mercy, asking God to not hold against this generation the sins of their ancestors. In verse 10, the psalmist appeals to God's honor, asking God to not allow the ungodly nations to disrespect the authority of God. In verses 11 through 13, the psalmist appeals to God’s righteousness, asking God to destroy the wicked so that the righteous who remain can praise God’s judgment over the wicked.

Father, when I mess up, remind me that it not only reflects badly on me, but also on You. Please forgive me and help me to better so that You are glorified.

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