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Commentary on Psalms 79 verses 1–5
We have here a sad complaint exhibited in the court of heaven. The world is full of complaints, and so is the church too, for it suffers, not only with it, but from it, as a lily among thorns. God is complained to; whither should children go with their grievances, but to their father, to such a father as is able and willing to help? The heathen are complained of, who, being themselves aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, were sworn enemies to it. Though they knew not God, nor owned him, yet, God having them in chain, the church very fitly appeals to him against them; for he is King of nations, to overrule them, to judge among the heathen, and King of saints, to favour and protect them.
I. They complain here of the anger of their enemies and the outrageous fury of the oppressor, exerted,
1.Against places, Psa 79:1. They did all the mischief they could, (1.) To the holy land; they invaded that, and made inroads into it: "The heathen have come into thy inheritance, to plunder that, and lay it waste." Canaan was dearer to the pious Israelites as it was God's inheritance than as it was their own, as it was the land in which God was known and his name was great rather than as it was the land in which they were bred and born and which they and their ancestors had been long in possession of. note, Injuries done to religion should grieve us more than even those done to common right, nay, to our own right. We should better bear to see our own inheritance wasted than God's inheritance. This psalmist had mentioned it in the foregoing psalm as an instance of God's great favour to Israel that he had cast out the heathen before them, Psa 78:55. But see what a change sin made; now the heathen are suffered to pour in upon them. (2.) To the holy city: They have laid Jerusalem on heaps, heaps of rubbish, such heaps as are raised over graves, so some. The inhabitants were buried in the ruins of their own houses, and their dwelling places became their sepulchres, their long homes. (3.) To the holy house. That sanctuary which God had built like high palaces, and which was thought to be established as the earth, was now laid level with the ground: They holy temple have they defiled, by entering into it and laying it waste. God's own people had defiled it by their sins, and therefore God suffered their enemies to defile it by their insolence.
2.Against persons, against the bodies of God's people; and further their malice could not reach. (1.) They were prodigal of their blood, and killed them without mercy; their eye did not spare, nor did they give any quarter (Psa 79:3): Their blood have they shed like water, wherever they met with them, round about Jerusalem, in all the avenues to the city; whoever went out or came in was waited for of the sword. Abundance of human blood was shed, so that the channels of water ran with blood. And they shed it with no more reluctancy or regret than if they had spilt so much water, little thinking that every drop of it will be reckoned for in the day when God shall make inquisition for blood. (2.) They were abusive to their dead bodies. When they had killed them they would let none bury them. Nay, those that were buried, even the dead bodies of God's servants, the flesh of his saints, whose names and memories they had a particular spite at, they dug up again, and gave them to be meat to the fowls of the heaven and to the beasts of the earth; or, at least, they left those so exposed whom they slew; they hung them in chains, which was in a particular manner grievous to the Jews to see, because God had given them an express law against this, as a barbarous thing, Deu 21:23. This inhuman usage of Christ's witnesses is foretold (Rev 11:9), and thus even the dead bodies were witnesses against their persecutors. This is mentioned (says Austin, De Civitate Dei, lib. 1 cap. 12) not as an instance of the misery of the persecuted (for the bodies of the saints shall rise in glory, however they became meat to the birds and the fowls), but of the malice of the persecutors.
3.Against their names (Psa 79:4): "We that survive have become a reproach to our neighbours; they all study to abuse us and load us with contempt, and represent us as ridiculous, or odious, or both, upbraiding us with our sins and with our sufferings, or giving the lie to our relation to God and expectations from him; so that we have become a scorn and derision to those that are round about us." If God's professing people degenerate from what themselves and their fathers were, they must expect to be told of it; and it is well if a just reproach will help to bring us to a true repentance. But it has been the lot of the gospel-Israel to be made unjustly a reproach and derision; the apostles themselves were counted as the offscouring of all things.
II. They wonder more at God's anger, Psa 79:5. This they discern in the anger of their neighbours, and this they complain most of: How long, Lord, wilt thou be angry? Shall it be for ever? This intimates that they desired no more than that God would be reconciled to them, that his anger might be turned away, and then the remainder of men's wrath would be restrained. Note, Those who desire God's favour as better than life cannot but dread and deprecate his wrath as worse than death.
If you shut the heavens, who will open them? And if you let loose your torrents, who will restrain them? It is an easy thing in your eyes to make some people poor and others rich, to make some alive and to kill others, to strike some with illness and to heal others. Whatever you do according to your will is perfect. You are angry, and we have sinned, someone said long ago, in making confession. Now it is time for me to say the opposite, “We have sinned, and you are angry”; therefore “we have become a reproach to our neighbors.” You turned your face from us, and we were filled with dishonor. But stay, Lord; cease, Lord; forgive, Lord; deliver us not up forever because of our iniquities, and let not our chastisements be a warning for others, when we might learn wisdom from the trials of others.
Over the title of this Psalm, being so short and so simple, I think we need not tarry. But the prophecy which here we read sent before, we know to be evidently fulfilled. For when these things were being sung in the times of King David, nothing of such sort, by the hostility of the Gentiles, as yet had befallen the city Jerusalem, nor the Temple of God, which as yet was not even built. For that after the death of David his son Salomon made a temple to God, who is ignorant? That is spoken of therefore as though past, which in the Spirit was seen to be future.
"O God, the Gentiles have come into Your inheritance" [Psalm 79:1]. Under which form of expression other things which were to come to pass, are spoken of as having been done. Nor must this be wondered at, that these words are being spoken to God. For they are not being represented to Him not knowing, by whose revelation they are foreknown; but the soul is speaking with God with that affection of godliness, of which God knows. For even the things which Angels proclaim to men, they proclaim to them that know them not; but the things which they proclaim to God, they proclaim to Him knowing, when they offer our prayers, and in ineffable manner consult the eternal Truth respecting their actions, as an immutable law. And therefore this man of God is saying to God that which he is to learn of God, like a scholar to a master, not ignorant but judging; and so either approving what he has taught, or censuring what he has not taught: especially because under the appearance of one praying, the Prophet is transforming into himself those who should be at the time when these things were to come to pass. But in praying it is customary to declare those things to God which He has done in taking vengeance, and for a petition to be added, that henceforth He should pity and spare. In this way here also by him the judgments are spoken of by whom they are foretold, as if they were being spoken of by those whom they befell, and the very lamentation and prayer is a prophecy.
Further still, we are reminded that in such a carnage as then occurred, the bodies could not even be buried. But godly confidence is not appalled by so ill-omened a circumstance; for the faithful bear in mind that assurance has been given that not a hair of their head shall perish, and that, therefore, though they even be devoured by beasts, their blessed resurrection will not hereby be hindered. The Truth would nowise have said, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul,” if anything whatever that an enemy could do to the body of the slain could be detrimental to the future life. Or will some one perhaps take so absurd a position as to contend that those who kill the body are not to be feared before death, and lest they kill the body, but after death, lest they deprive it of burial? If this be so, then that is false which Christ says, “Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do;” for it seems they can do great injury to the dead body. Far be it from us to suppose that the Truth can be thus false. They who kill the body are said “to do something,” because the deathblow is felt, the body still having sensation; but after that, they have no more that they can do, for in the slain body there is no sensation.And so there are indeed many bodies of Christians lying unburied; but no one has separated them from heaven, nor from that earth which is all filled with the presence of him who knows whence he will raise again what he created. It is said, indeed, in the Psalm: “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. Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.” But this was said rather to exhibit the cruelty of those who did these things, than the misery of those who suffered them. To the eyes of men this appears a harsh and doleful lot, yet “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Wherefore all these last offices and ceremonies that concern the dead, the careful funeral arrangements, and the equipment of the tomb, and the pomp of obsequies, are rather the solace of the living than the comfort of the dead. If a costly burial does any good to a wicked man, a squalid burial, or none at all, may harm the godly. His crowd of domestics furnished the purple-clad Dives with a funeral gorgeous in the eye of man; but in the sight of God that was a more sumptuous funeral which the ulcerous pauper received at the hands of the angels, who did not carry him out to a marble tomb, but bore him aloft to Abraham’s bosom.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 79:1 initiates a profound communal lament, attributed to Asaph, immediately plunging the reader into a scene of overwhelming devastation. It articulates the deep anguish of a people witnessing the desecration of God's sacred dwelling and the utter destruction of their holy city, Jerusalem, by foreign invaders. This verse masterfully sets the tone for a desperate cry to God, questioning His justice and pleading for divine intervention in the face of national humiliation and a profound spiritual affront.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 79:1 powerfully employs several literary devices to convey its message of desolation, lament, and urgent appeal. The most prominent is Apostrophe, the direct and impassioned address to "O God," which immediately establishes the psalm as a desperate plea and lament directed towards the divine. This direct appeal underscores the urgency of the situation and the profoundly theological nature of the crisis. The verse also relies heavily on Vivid Imagery to paint a stark and emotionally charged picture of destruction: "heathen are come into thine inheritance," "thy holy temple have they defiled," and "laid Jerusalem on heaps." These concrete, harrowing images evoke a strong emotional response of shock, grief, and righteous outrage. While not strict Parallelism in the traditional sense, the clauses build upon each other in an escalating fashion, moving from the invasion of the land to the desecration of the temple and finally to the complete destruction of the city, thereby creating a powerful sense of cumulative catastrophe and intensifying the lament. The entire psalm, initiated by this verse, is a quintessential example of a Communal Lament, a genre of psalm characterized by expressions of collective suffering, fervent appeals to God's justice, and often petitions for divine deliverance or vengeance.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 79:1 represents a theological earthquake for ancient Israel, challenging the very foundations of their understanding of God's covenant, His presence, and His protective power. It forces a raw confrontation with the reality of divine judgment and the devastating consequences of national sin, yet simultaneously serves as a desperate appeal to God's inherent character and honor. The defilement of the temple and the utter destruction of Jerusalem raise profound questions about God's sovereignty and faithfulness, especially when His "inheritance" is overrun by "heathen." This lament, therefore, transcends mere sorrow; it becomes a theological wrestling match, where the suffering community appeals to God not based on their own merit, but solely on His reputation and glory among the nations. It highlights the deep, inextricable connection between God's holy name, His sacred dwelling place, and the ultimate destiny of His people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 79:1 offers a profound and enduring lens through which to view moments of deep crisis, both communal and intensely personal. It serves as a powerful reminder that even when all seems irrevocably lost, when the sacred is desecrated, and hope appears to crumble into dust, the first and most vital response for the believer is to cry out to God. This psalm valiantly validates the raw, honest expression of grief, anger, confusion, and even despair in the face of overwhelming suffering, demonstrating unequivocally that lament is a legitimate, necessary, and spiritually nourishing form of prayer. For believers today, it challenges us to deeply consider what we hold "holy" – be it our personal spiritual integrity, the purity and witness of the Church, the sanctity of truth, or the holiness of God's name – and how we respond when these are attacked, compromised, or defiled by the "heathen" of secularism, false doctrines, moral decay, or spiritual apathy. It underscores the profound pain of seeing God's name dishonored in the world and calls us to a zealous, passionate concern for His glory, even as we humbly acknowledge the potential for our own corporate or individual failures to contribute to such desecration. Ultimately, this verse invites us to cling tenaciously to God's sovereignty and unchanging character, even when His ways are inscrutable and His presence seems distant amidst the ruins of our hopes or the "heaps" of our brokenness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What specific historical event is Psalms 79:1 likely referring to?
Answer: Psalms 79:1 is widely understood by biblical scholars to be a lament written in direct response to the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple by the Babylonian Empire in 586 BC. This devastating event, orchestrated by King Nebuchadnezzar, is meticulously detailed in historical accounts such as 2 Kings 25 and vividly lamented in prophetic books such as Jeremiah 52 and Lamentations 1. The psalm's vivid descriptions of the temple being "defiled" and Jerusalem "laid on heaps" align perfectly with the historical accounts of this devastating siege and its tragic aftermath.
Why is the destruction of the temple considered such a profound "defilement"?
Answer: For ancient Israel, the Temple was far more than a mere physical structure; it was considered the sacred dwelling place of God's manifest presence on earth, the absolute center of their worship, and the tangible focal point of their covenant relationship with Yahweh. Its sanctity was paramount, and its purity was meticulously guarded through a complex system of ritual laws and practices. The invasion by pagan nations and the physical destruction of the Temple were therefore perceived as the ultimate act of sacrilege, a direct and blasphemous attack on God's holiness, honor, and very reputation among the nations. It precipitated a profound theological crisis that challenged Israel's understanding of God's protective power and His unwavering commitment to His people, as the very symbol of His presence was desecrated and laid waste.
Who was Asaph, and what is his significance in the Psalms?
Answer: Asaph was a prominent Levitical choirmaster, musician, and prophet who served during the reign of King David, as explicitly mentioned in passages such as 1 Chronicles 16:4-5. He was one of the three chief musicians appointed by David, alongside Heman and Jeduthun, tasked with leading worship and composing sacred songs. The "Sons of Asaph" or the Asaphite guild continued his legacy, composing and performing psalms that often reflected national crises, historical reflections on God's dealings with Israel, and communal laments. These psalms, including Psalm 79, are typically characterized by their strong theological insights, prophetic tone, and often direct, fervent appeals to God's justice, mercy, and faithfulness in times of national distress and spiritual anguish.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 79:1, with its poignant lament over the defiled temple and the ruined city of Jerusalem, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in several transformative ways. While the physical temple was indeed destroyed, Jesus Himself declared that He was the true Temple, boldly stating, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). His resurrected body became the ultimate dwelling place of God, a perfect sanctuary that could not be permanently defiled or destroyed by human hands, but was triumphantly raised to new, eternal life. Furthermore, the suffering of Jerusalem and the desecration of God's "inheritance" powerfully foreshadow the ultimate rejection and suffering of Jesus, the true Israel and God's beloved Son, who was despised, scourged, and crucified outside the city gates (Hebrews 13:12). Yet, through His perfect sacrifice on the cross, Jesus established a new and everlasting covenant, making believers themselves a "spiritual house" and a "holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5), a temple not made with human hands, which cannot be defiled by earthly enemies or transient circumstances. The ultimate victory over the "heathen" and the glorious restoration of God's true inheritance are fully realized in Christ's decisive triumph over sin, death, and all spiritual powers, securing an eternal and incorruptible inheritance for all who place their faith in Him (Ephesians 1:11).