1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.
4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.
10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.
12 But thou, O LORD, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.
15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.
19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.
24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.
Psalm 102 is a prayer of an afflicted person who is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord. It is part of the fifth and final book of the Psalms in the Bible. This Psalm is a lament, a genre of psalm that is characterized by a deep expression of sorrow or grief. The Psalmist, in the midst of his affliction, turns to God as his only source of hope and strength. The Psalm conveys themes of suffering, hope, the transcendence and immanence of God, and the eternal nature of God's reign.
The opening verses of Psalm 102 depict a person in a state of deep distress. The Psalmist's suffering is both physical and emotional. He describes himself as being consumed by grief, his heart stricken and withered like grass. His days are described as passing away like smoke, and his bones burn like a furnace. This vivid description serves to underscore the depth of the Psalmist's suffering. His pain is so intense that he forgets to eat, and he is reduced to skin and bones. His isolation is further emphasized by the depiction of him as a lonely bird on a housetop, surrounded by enemies who reproach him.
The Psalmist's lament is not just a venting of personal grief and despair. It is also a plea to God for deliverance. He cries out to God to hear his prayer and to not hide His face from him in the day of his distress. The Psalmist's plea is urgent and desperate, reflecting his dire circumstances.
Despite his intense suffering, the Psalmist expresses a profound hope and trust in God. He acknowledges that his days are like a shadow that lengthens and he withers away like grass, but he also affirms that God sits enthroned forever and His name endures to all generations. The Psalmist's hope is rooted in the understanding that God is eternal and unchanging, and that His reign is everlasting.
The Psalmist's hope is not just for himself, but also for the future generations. He expresses the belief that God will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to favor her. He speaks of a time when the nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will fear His glory. This hope for the future restoration of Zion reflects the Psalmist's trust in God's faithfulness and His promises.
Psalm 102 also conveys the theme of God's transcendence and immanence. Transcendence refers to God's greatness and supremacy over His creation, and immanence refers to His presence and involvement in the world. The Psalmist acknowledges God's transcendence when he speaks of God as being enthroned forever, and His years as having no end. He also acknowledges God's immanence when he speaks of God hearing the groaning of the prisoner and regarding the prayer of the destitute.
The Psalmist's understanding of God's transcendence and immanence is crucial to his hope and trust in God. He knows that God is not only able to deliver him from his suffering but also willing to do so. This understanding of God's nature provides the Psalmist with the comfort and assurance he needs in the midst of his affliction.
The final theme in Psalm 102 is the eternal nature of God's reign. The Psalmist affirms that God's years never end, and that He remains the same throughout all generations. He contrasts this with the fleeting nature of human life, which he describes as passing away like a shadow. This contrast serves to highlight the eternal nature of God's reign and the transient nature of human existence.
The eternal nature of God's reign provides the Psalmist with a sense of perspective and hope. Despite the brevity of human life and the transience of human suffering, God's reign endures forever. This understanding of God's eternal reign provides the Psalmist with a sense of security and stability in the midst of his affliction.
In conclusion, Psalm 102 is a profound expression of human suffering and a powerful affirmation of hope and trust in God. The Psalmist, in the midst of his affliction, turns to God as his only source of hope and strength. He acknowledges the depth of his suffering, but also affirms the eternal nature of God's reign and His faithfulness to His promises. This Psalm provides comfort and assurance to those who are suffering, reminding them that God is not only able to deliver them from their affliction but also willing to do so. It also serves as a reminder of the transient nature of human life and the eternal nature of God's reign, providing a sense of perspective and hope in the midst of suffering.
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