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Psalm 102

This is the prayer-song of one of the righteous kings of Israel, possibly Jehoshaphat or Hezekiah. It's a song of mournful complaint about the existing situation followed by an expression of confidence in the help of the Covenant God.  It may very well have arisen from a time of siege, a time when enemy armies were just outside the walls of Jerusalem, waiting for the people's food to run out and surrender to come.

The king feels very much alone at this time, even though all the people of the city are there.  He feels alone because his is the decision not to surrender, and because, in all likelihood, many disagree with him, thinking it would be better to give up than to die of famine or in fighting against overwhelming odds.

Time does not go by slowly for the king.  In fact he has to say, "For my days are consumed like smoke."  In other words - "How long can we hold out?  The days go by too quickly!"  And they are not easy days.  He says, ". . . my bones are burned like a hearth, my heart is stricken and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread."  He's just saying that the emotional distress brought on by the rattling of armor outside the gates and the complaining from within brings real physical pain upon him.  And being nearly alone in that pain, he feels "like a pelican of the wilderness . . . like an owl of the desert . . . I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop."

Counting the complainers, there were probably as many enemies within Jerusalem as there were outside.  So the king has to say, "My enemies reproach me all day long; those who deride me swear an oath against me."  These are people who should be glad he is king, people who have sworn allegiance to him, people who should be his friends.  It's not surprising that he wonders whether God Himself is against him, and he says, ". . . I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, because of Your indignation and Your wrath, for You have lifted me up and cast me away."

In such circumstances there was only one relieving thought - the remembrance of previous experiences with the steadfast faithfulness of God.  The God that he knows - and the love of that God – could and would outlast his enemies, both the ones within and the ones without.  He says, "But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your Name to all generations.  You will arise and have mercy on Zion."  

In other words, the king is trusting not in visible things, but in the invisible power of God.  Why? Why would he have such a seemingly hopeless trust?  He had it because he knew that God would indeed act in a timely manner – just at the most critical moment, He would come. He says,"For the time to favor her (Israel), yes, the set time, has come."  He reminds God of His promises to be Zion's defense - therefore, at this last hour, in these last moments before apparent defeat, he believes that God WILL come to save her.  His promise is sure, so He WILL come, and the result WILL be that "the nations shall fear the Name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.  He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer!"

If there were newspapers in those days, they'd very soon have a huge, blazing headline: "GOD RESCUES PEOPLE BY MIRACLE AT LAST MOMENT!" Because of the faithfulness of God and the faith of the king this prayer would have wonderful results!  Looking back on what happened next, the songwriter says, "This will be written for the generations to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord, for He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven the Lord viewed the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death, to declare the Name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem, when the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord!"

The remaining words of the psalm plainly state the lesson to be learned from the dramatic experience of God's salvation.  They tell us that though all else fails, the Lord - and therefore His beloved people - shall endure forever.  It's what we need to remember, because nothing's changed - He's STILL faithful.  He will still hear our desperate prayers.  He will still come at the right time to save His people.  And that steadfast love will outlast all His and our enemies!