Psalms for Turbulent Times - Part 7
PSALM 79
by Pastor Jim Jester
March 14, 2021
Scripture Reading: Psalm 6:1-10
Through the centuries, the church has regarded Psalm 6 as the first of the seven Penitential Psalms. The psalmist was dreadfully sick and thought he was going to die. It was common in those days to believe that sickness unto death was in punishment for some sin. Now, while this is a possibility, it obviously is not always the case:
“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” – John 9:1-3
However, the psalmist pleads with God to stop his chastisement. He speaks of his bones being troubled because his bones represent the whole man. His reference to flooding the bed with tears is a typical exaggeration made for emphasis. David pleads for deliverance by appealing to God’s steadfast love. He maintains that there is no praise to God while in the grave. His prayer is expressed in the words of Jeremiah, “O Lord, correct me, but with judgment [i.e., tempered judgment]; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.” – Jer. 10:24

WARRIORS FOR THE KINGDOM

