THE LORD’S ETERNAL RENOWN IS GREAT

Passage: Psalms 102:1-28

Key verse: 12

NIV

Psalm 102[a]
A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.

1 Hear my prayer,(A) Lord;
    let my cry for help(B) come to you.
2 Do not hide your face(C) from me
    when I am in distress.
Turn your ear(D) to me;
    when I call, answer me quickly.

3 For my days vanish like smoke;(E)
    my bones(F) burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(G)
    I forget to eat my food.(H)
5 In my distress I groan aloud(I)
    and am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,(J)
    like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake;(K) I have become
    like a bird alone(L) on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies(M) taunt me;(N)
    those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(O)
9 For I eat ashes(P) as my food
    and mingle my drink with tears(Q)
10 because of your great wrath,(R)
    for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;(S)
    I wither(T) away like grass.

12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(U)
    your renown endures(V) through all generations.(W)
13 You will arise(X) and have compassion(Y) on Zion,
    for it is time(Z) to show favor(AA) to her;
    the appointed time(AB) has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
    her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear(AC) the name of the Lord,
    all the kings(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(AE)
    and appear in his glory.(AF)
17 He will respond to the prayer(AG) of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.

18 Let this be written(AH) for a future generation,
    that a people not yet created(AI) may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
    from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(AK)
    and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(AL) in Zion
    and his praise(AM) in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
    assemble to worship(AN) the Lord.

23 In the course of my life[b] he broke my strength;
    he cut short my days.(AO)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
    your years go on(AP) through all generations.
25 In the beginning(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens(AR) are the work of your hands.(AS)
26 They will perish,(AT) but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,(AU)
    and your years will never end.(AV)
28 The children of your servants(AW) will live in your presence;
    their descendants(AX) will be established before you.”

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Psalm 102:1 In Hebrew texts 102:1-28 is numbered 102:2-29.
  2. Psalm 102:23 Or By his power
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is (A)faint and (B)pours out his complaint before the Lord.

102 (C)Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry (D)come to you!
2 (E)Do not hide your face from me
    in (F)the day of my distress!
(G)Incline your ear to me;
    (H)answer me speedily (I)in the day when I call!

3 For my days (J)pass away like smoke,
    and my (K)bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is (L)struck down like grass and (M)has withered;
    I (N)forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning
    my (O)bones cling to my flesh.
6 I am like (P)a desert owl of the wilderness,
    like an owl[a] of the waste places;
7 I (Q)lie awake;
    I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies taunt me;
    those who (R)deride me (S)use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread
    and (T)mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger;
    for you have (U)taken me up and (V)thrown me down.
11 My days are like (W)an evening shadow;
    I (X)wither away like grass.

12 But you, O Lord, are (Y)enthroned forever;
    you (Z)are remembered throughout all generations.
13 You will (AA)arise and have (AB)pity on Zion;
    it is the time to favor her;
    (AC)the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold her (AD)stones dear
    and have pity on her dust.
15 Nations will (AE)fear the name of the Lord,
    and all (AF)the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16 For the Lord (AG)builds up Zion;
    he (AH)appears in his glory;
17 he (AI)regards the prayer of the destitute
    and does not despise their prayer.

18 Let this be (AJ)recorded for (AK)a generation to come,
    so that (AL)a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
19 that he (AM)looked down from his holy height;
    from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20 to hear (AN)the groans of the prisoners,
    to set free (AO)those who were doomed to die,
21 that they may (AP)declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
    and in Jerusalem his praise,
22 when (AQ)peoples gather together,
    and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

23 He has broken my strength in midcourse;
    he (AR)has shortened my days.
24 “O my God,” (AS)I say, “take me not away
    in the midst of my days—
(AT)you whose years endure
    throughout all generations!”

25 (AU)Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
    and (AV)the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 (AW)They will perish, but (AX)you will remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27     but (AY)you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 (AZ)The children of your servants (BA)shall dwell secure;
    (BB)their offspring shall be established before you.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Psalm 102:6 The precise identity of these birds is uncertain
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

This psalm is the cry of an afflicted person who has grown weak and is pouring out a lament before the LORD. It’s a prayer and cry for help in their distress. Verses 3-11 describe their suffering in body and spirit, and their feeling of aloneness. They feel thrown aside by God.

The psalm shifts in verses 12-22 when the writer sees God enthroned forever. He speaks of the LORD’s renown, compassion, name and glory. He has faith God will act on behalf of his people and hear their prayer. He prophesies future generations praising the LORD for his deliverance of condemned prisoners. The psalmist again feels his days are being cut short. But he knows God’s years will never end. Heaven and earth will perish, but God remains the same. He finds hope that the children of God’s servants will live in his presence and be established before God.

It’s a beautiful thing to trust in God and to praise him, even in times of affliction. Job did it. Jesus did it. We can do it by God’s Spirit, through Christ who gives us strength.

Prayer: Lord our God, we cry out to you in our times of anguish and distress. Our days are short but you are eternal God. Your renown, compassion, name and glory are great. Thank you for hope and strength you give through Jesus Christ.

One Word: The Lord’s name and renown are great