May 16th — Psalm 76

“In Judah God is known, his name is great in Israel. His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Glorious are you, more majestic than the everlasting mountains. The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; none of the troops was able to lift a hand. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. But you indeed are awesome! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still when God rose up to establish judgment, to save all the oppressed of the earth. Human wrath serves only to praise you, when you bind the last bit of your wrath around you. Make vows to the LORD your God, and perform them; let all who are around him bring gifts to the one who is awesome, who cuts off the spirit of princes, who inspires fear in the kings of the earth.” Psalm 76

Sennacherib was the King of Assyria. Assyria was a very strong country to the north and east of Judah. In 721 BCE, the Assyrian army, led by Sennacherib’s father, captured the Israelite capital at Samaria and carried away the citizens of the northern Kingdom of Israel into captivity. The virtual destruction of Israel left the southern kingdom, Judah, to fend for itself among warring Near-Eastern kingdoms. Sennacherib attacked Judah in 701, but his army was unable to defeat Judah.

Psalm 76 (just like Psalms 46, 47, 48 and 75) is about what happened in this war. It tells us that G-d did not let the enemy destroy Jerusalem. In the psalm, there are two other names for Jerusalem: Salem and Zion, verse 2. “Salem” means “peace”; Zion is the name of the hill where the Israelites built their temple. The Psalmist believes that G-d will save those who are oppressed, especially the people of G-d. We also believe in a G-d who fights for the oppressed and saves those who cannot save themselves.

The Psalmist writes: “Make vows to the LORD your God…who inspires fear in the kings of the earth.” We are called to live in this world with a trust and faith that G-d will inspire fear in the leaders of the earth — so they will practice justice in all the earth.

PRAYER

Mighty God, awesome in power and splendid in holiness, in your presence the earth both trembles and stands still, for you shattered death’s power by the cross. Rise to help your people; give the light of your salvation to the oppressed of the earth, that they may praise your name now and always; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

May 17th — Psalm 77

“I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old and remember the years of long ago I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit: “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.” Psalm 77:1-10

These are days of trouble — we are all living in troubling times, both locally and globally. But it is in these kinds of challenges that we must be immersed in prayer and G-d’s word. We can be tricked into thinking that G-d does not always appear to be paying attention to our needs and concerns, but that does not mean that G-d has forsaken us. Instead, we need to redouble our efforts to seek G-d until we find him. In this Psalm, the writer has been experiencing his own trouble, but that did not mean he gave up on G-d, or decided to seek someone else for consolation. Instead, he sought G-d, and G-d’s favor and grace.

The author of this Psalm pondered upon his trouble, and for a time it affected his faith. When he thought about G-d, all he could focus on was justice and wrath. But even when we are in troubling times, we cannot forget the good that is still all around us. The Devil will use these times to increase our doubts and fears — and if we wallow too much in fear, then we may suffer a weakness of faith. Despondency and distrust, fear and sadness, loneliness and suffering, these are the things all believers will encounter at some point in our lives. When unbelief is working in us, we must pray for the strength to suppress these feelings and live into the goodness of G-d.

PRAYER

God of the ages, by signs and wonders you established your ancient covenant, and through the sacrifice of your Son you confirmed the new covenant yet more wondrously. Guide your church to the land of promise, that there we may celebrate your name with lasting praise through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.