Slices
Prepare
Pray: ‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth’ (Psalm 121:1,2).
Bible passage
A maskil of Asaph.
1 O God, why have you rejected us for ever?
Why does your anger smoulder against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember the nation you purchased long ago,
the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed –
Mount Zion, where you dwelt.
3 Turn your steps towards these everlasting ruins,
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standards as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.
6 They smashed all the carved panelling
with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled the dwelling-place of your Name.
8 They said in their hearts, ‘We will crush them completely!’
They burned every place where God was worshipped in the land.
9 We are given no signs from God;
no prophets are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long will the enemy mock you, God?
Will the foe revile your name for ever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
12 But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth.
13 It was you who split open the sea by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
15 It was you who opened up springs and streams;
you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted people for ever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,
because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamour of your adversaries,
the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.
Explore
I’m often forgetful. Alarms, sticky notes and a kind husband help me remember what I need to do. Thank goodness God isn’t like me! Yet today’s psalmist felt compelled to cry out to God to remember his covenant (v 2) and act accordingly on behalf of his people (v 20). From reading Jeremiah, we know why Jerusalem was given over to destruction. This is therefore a bold stance for the author to take! He must have known of God’s grace and forgiveness for those who seek it.
Of course, God doesn’t forget anything. But in a period where he is silent, and his works are unseen (v 9), it can feel like that, can’t it? Particularly hurting the psalmist is the destruction of Jerusalem and the sanctuary – the place where God met with his people (vs 3–8).
But the psalm takes an upward turn from verse 12, as the author reminds himself that, despite appearances, God has not given up his throne. He urges God to act again, for the sake of his name (vs 20–23). We can look up to the throne, back to what he’s done and forward in confidence.
Respond
Read verses 13 to 17 and add your own testimony of God’s action in your life with, ‘It was you who…’ Ask him to remember his covenant to you through Jesus, and to act for you and for the oppressed (v 21).
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Exodus 15,16; Psalms 15,16
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for the recruitment of a new national director for SU Chad. Pray that God will lead and guide this process, raising up the right person in his timing – someone with wisdom, vision and a servant heart to lead the ministry faithfully.
