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Illustration for Psalm 79: Restore Us, LORD

Psalm 79

Restore Us, LORD

When AfraidComfort

This sad psalm was written when enemies destroyed Jerusalem. The people cry out asking God how long He will stay angry. They ask God to help them not for their own sake but for His name's sake — so all nations will know how great God is.

  1. 1O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
  2. 2They have left the dead bodies of Your servants as food for the birds of the sky and the flesh of Your faithful as food for the wild animals.
  3. 3They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, with no one to bury the dead.
  4. 4We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a mockery to those around us.
  5. 5How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
  6. 6Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name;
  7. 7for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland.
  8. 8Do not hold us accountable for the sins of our forefathers; may Your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are brought very low.
  9. 9Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for the sake of Your name.
  10. 10Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that You avenge the outpoured blood of Your servants.
  11. 11May the groans of the prisoners come before You; with Your great power, preserve those condemned to die.
  12. 12Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at You, O Lord.
  13. 13Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim Your praise.

What it means

Everything the people loved had been wrecked, and they asked God for help — but notice their reason. They asked for His name's sake, so that everyone would see how great God is. Even at their lowest, they wanted God to be known.

A little prayer

God, when things are broken and I do not know how to fix them, please help. Not just so I feel better, but so people can see how good You are. Amen.

Memory verse

“Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for the sake of Your name.”

Psalm 79:9 (BSB)

It asks for help on the strength of who God is, not on the strength of who they have been.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. The city and the temple have been destroyed. What would you find hardest to lose?
  2. The people ask 'how long will You be angry?'. Do you think God was angry, or did it just feel that way?
  3. The psalm asks God to help 'for the glory of Your name' rather than because they deserve it. Why that argument?
  4. What do you say when there is nothing good to say?

Try this

Rebuild

Build something from blocks, knock it down, and rebuild it differently. Talk about what you kept from the first version and what you changed.

You will need: Blocks or boxes.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)