“O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake! Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes! Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die! Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord! But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” (v1-4,8-13)
This Psalm seems to be written after the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylonian armies. That event was so traumatic, it was chronicled in detail in at least four places in scripture: 2 Kng 24-25, 2 Chr 36:11-21, Jer 39:1-14, and Jer 52. The account differs slightly in each passage, but the gist remains the same: “Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father [Jehoiakim] had done.” (2 Kng 24:8a,9) “Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.” (Jer 52:1a,3) Multiple wicked kings came into power over Judah and performed many evils in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord allowed Babylon to destroy Jerusalem, including the temple of God which Solomon had built. This event was was so tragic it changed the face of Jewish history.
Why would God allow such destruction of His people? Why wouldn’t He prevent such a tragedy from happening when He had the power to intervene? I believe that God will often exercise a “tough love” approach to teaching His children – “You want to play with fire even though I told you not to? Don’t blame me if you get burned, it won’t be my fault if you chose not to listen. I do still love you, so I will be with you through the recovery process if you admit your mistake and return to me.”
I believe that is why this author is praying for God’s intercession, trusting that by confessing the sin of the nation and asking for God’s forgiveness, God will be merciful to them. That doesn’t mean God will make all of the consequences go away (many Jews are still dead and the city is still in ruins) but the forgiveness of their sin would make enduring the consequences more worth-while.
The author prays for God’s intervention with the enemies of Israel/Judah, those who do evil in the sight of the Lord. Unfortunately, that would even include the wicked kings who helped bring this disaster upon the Hebrew people (I didn’t look up the fates of all of the wicked kings, though I happen to know Zedekiah was betrayed and tortured to death, receiving a gruesome punishment for his wickedness).
Finally, the author closes with this curious verse: “But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” (v13) Interesting that he calls God’s people “sheep”. It’s almost as if the author is suggesting God’s people are subservient, humble and willing followers of God, and those who are more self-willed (goats maybe? [Mt 25:31-46]) are not God’s people. The analogy of sheep for God’s people is used throughout scripture (commonly referenced in Mt 25 and Psa 23) because it does seem to fit the persona of Christlikeness that we adopt.
Father God, we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture humbly come before You today. We praise Your holy name for You have made a way for the atonement of our sin. We plead Father that You please save those who taunt and persecute You – would their hearts be turned toward You, renouncing their former ways and choosing to follow You for the remainder of their days. Father only You can change their hearts, though we are willing servants and would gladly share the gospel with them. We are grateful for Your forgiveness of our sin and the sin of those who have yet to meet You.
~Conqueror in Training