Timeless Biblical Truth.
When believers are devastated by the persecution by the wicked, they must pray for forgiveness for their sins as they appeal to God to fulfill His plan and vindicate His name.
- In times of persecution, believers may express their lament to God (1-5).
- The wicked destroyed the holiest place of their faith (1).
- The wicked enemies slaughtered believers (2-3).
- The wicked taunt the faith of believers who have survived (4).
- In such times, believers may pray for God to avenge His enemies and forgive the sins of His people (5-12).
- Believers may hope that God will cease to be angry (5).
- Believers are to plead for God to judge the wicked and forgive them for His name’s sake (6-9). 1. Believers may pray for God to judge those who have afflicted them (6-7). 2. Believers are to pray for forgiveness and help (8-9).
- Believers plead for God to avenge their reproach by the wicked (10-12).
- When believers pray for God to avenge them because of their enemies’ persecution, they should vow to praise the LORD forever (13).
Questions for Second Milers
- What has happened to the people of Jerusalem?
- Describe the battlefield.
- How are the Gentile nations reacting to Jerusalem’s defeat?
- Compare and contrast the Lord’s anger toward His chosen people with that toward the Gentile nations.
- Does God’s temporary withholding of judgment on the Gentile nations mean that He is pleased with them?
- What is the basis of the psalmist’s plea for compassion?
- Why will deliverance be an occasion for praise?
- To what extend do individuals and nations taunt God today?
- Give your own short title to this psalm. “That’s very perceptive for an acknowledged agnostic. Many of us want a word from God, but we don’t want the Word of God. We know enough to own a Bible but not enough for the Bible to own us. We pay the Bible lip service, but we fail to give it ‘life service.’ In a world where the only absolute is that there are not absolutes, there is little room left for the authoritative Word of God as revealed in the Bible.” Howard G. Hendricks: Living by the Book, p. 23.
“After captivating an audience at Yale University, the late novelist Ayn Rand was asked by a reporter, ‘What’s wrong with the modern world?’ “Without a moment’s hesitation she replied, ‘Never before has the world been so desperately asking for answers to crucial questions and never be-fore has the world been so frantically committed to the idea that no answers are possible. To paraphrase the Bible, the modern attitude is, “Father, forgive us, for we know not what we are doing—and please don’t tell us!’
Lanny Tanton is the Pastor at The Bible Church of the Lakes in Horseshoe Bay, Texas – just outside of Marble Falls. Pastor Tanton welcomes you to our website and hopes that you’ll enjoy reading these insightful blog posts. Please contact us if you have further questions!!
