Bible Lessons

From: Messages of God's Love: 1931

Psalm 79.

In point of time we have now reached in Book 3 of the Psalms, nearly to the appearance of the Lord Jesus as the long awaited Messiah-King of Israel, Son of David, King of kings and Lord of lords. It will be remembered that the Third Book which includes Psalms 73 to 89, deals with Israel nationally, (the 12 tribes); while the Second Book (Psalms 42 to 72) took up the case of the remnant of the Jews as driven out of Jerusalem, because of their faithfulness to God at the beginning of the last 3 1/2 years, before the Lord comes to the world to set up His earthly kingdom.

Not very long before the Lord will descend in power, He will bring about the attack by the desolator spoken of by Him in Matthew 24:15¹⁵When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15). The “abomination of desolation” is a reference to idolatry which is abomination to God to be begun in the temple at Jerusalem, which God will punish by causing a desolating army, or armies, to overrun the land of Palestine and capture Jerusalem. It is this situation which is the occasion of Psalm 79. (Scriptures which tell of the invasion are Daniel 9:27; 11:40-45²⁷And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)
⁴⁰And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. ⁴¹He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. ⁴²He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. ⁴³But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. ⁴⁴But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. ⁴⁵And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:40‑45); Joel 1 and 2; Zechariah 14:1, 2¹Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. ²For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zechariah 14:1‑2); Ezekiel 38 and 39; Micah 5:5, 6⁵And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. ⁶And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders. (Micah 5:5‑6); Isaiah 10 and 28:2).

This psalm is then an appeal to God on behalf of Israel when the northern and other armies (not part of the to-be-revived Roman Empire) will have ruthlessly attacked Jerusalem and defiled the rebuilt temple, destroyed much of the city, killed many of its inhabitants. Will God allow this to go unnoticed? His people deserve the punishment they are receiving, but will He be angry with them forever? Shall His jealousy burn like fire? (verse 5). In due time, doubtless, He will answer the supplications here found.

As in many other psalms, the language used with regard to enemies (verses 6, 10, 12), entirely suitable for the righteous in the coming dispensation, is wholly unsuited for the Christian who is called to love his enemies, to bless when cursed. Indeed, the language of the psalm while speaking deeply to our hearts of sorely tried saints just before the Millennium, does not express the Christian’s position; we who believe, in this singularly privileged period of grace, know ourselves accepted in the Beloved One, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:6, 7⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. ⁷In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:6‑7)). To apply the language of Psalm 79 to ourselves, is to make Jews of ourselves. We must rightly divide the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15¹⁵Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)).

ML 03/22/1931

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