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Psalm 79 | King James Audio Bible
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Psalm 79 expresses anguish of the psalmist as he contemplates the desolation of Jerusalem, the defilement of the holy temple, and the persecution of God’s people by heathen nations. The psalm unfolds as a fervent plea for God’s intervention, justice, and mercy in the face of profound suffering and reproach. As the psalmist wrestles with a depth of despair, the overarching theme is a desperate cry for restoration and deliverance.
The psalm begins with a stark depiction of the dire situation—the heathen have invaded God’s inheritance, defiled the holy temple, and left Jerusalem in ruins. The cruelty extends to the dead bodies of God’s servants, left as food for birds and beasts, and their blood spilled without proper burial, adding to the reproach endured by the people.
In the midst of this desolation, the psalmist cries out to God, questioning the duration of His anger and the intensity of His jealousy. There’s a plea for divine wrath to be poured out on the heathen who have not known God, particularly those who have devoured Jacob and laid waste to his dwelling place.
The psalmist acknowledges the collective guilt of the people, appealing to God’s mercy to intervene and forgive. The plea is not merely for personal deliverance but for the glory of God’s name and the reputation of God’s people.
The psalmist anticipates the question of the heathen, challenging the apparent absence of God’s intervention. There’s a specific plea for the avenging of the shed blood of God’s servants to make God’s presence known among the nations.
Amidst the sorrow, the psalmist intercedes for those who are suffering, asking for the preservation of those appointed to die and the sighs of the prisoners to reach God’s ears.
The psalm concludes with a resolution to give thanks and praise to God for His deliverance. The commitment to thanksgiving extends beyond the immediate crisis, echoing a faith that endures through generations.
Psalm 78 | King James Audio Bible KJV | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.
We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
How long, Lord? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place.
O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.
Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
Key Themes Of The Psalm For Reflection | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
- Desolation And Defilement: The psalm vividly portrays the desolation of Jerusalem and the defilement of the holy temple by heathen nations.
- Persecution And Reproach: God’s people face persecution and reproach from their neighbors, becoming a scorn and derision.
- Desperate Plea For Intervention: An overarching theme is a desperate cry for God’s intervention, justice, and mercy in the face of profound suffering.
- Duration Of God’s Anger: The psalmist questions the duration of God’s anger and the burning intensity of His jealousy.
- Divine Wrath And Justice: There is a plea for divine wrath to be poured out on the heathen who have invaded and laid waste to the land.
- Collective Guilt And Mercy: The psalmist acknowledges the collective guilt of the people, pleading for God’s mercy and forgiveness.
- Glory Of God’s Name: The plea for deliverance is not just for personal reasons but for the glory of God’s name.
- Question Of God’s Presence: Anticipation of the question by the heathen regarding the apparent absence of God’s intervention.
- Avenging Of Shed Blood: A specific plea for the avenging of the shed blood of God’s servants to make His presence known among the nations.
- Intercession For The Suffering: The psalmist intercedes for those suffering, asking for the preservation of those appointed to die and the attention to the sighs of prisoners.
- Commitment To Thanksgiving: Despite the current crisis, the psalm concludes with a commitment to giving thanks and praise to God for His deliverance, extending beyond the immediate circumstances.
Saint Clement’s letter to the Corinthians, written in the late first century, is among the earliest post-apostolic Christian documents. Addressing a community divided by internal strife, he presents the created order as both mirror and lesson. In creation, Clement finds an image of obedience, regularity, and peace. What human discord disrupts, divine order maintains [ … ]
Christian Art | Our Lord Jesus On The Cross | God The Father | God The Son Office Of Readings | Advent December 23rd | A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Hippolytus Against The Heresy Of Noetus | The Hidden Sacrament Is Revealed ‘The hidden sacrament is revealed.’ In this reading, Saint Hippolytus writes against the Noetic heresy, which denied the real distinction between the Father and the Son by treating them as the same person acting under different names. The purpose of Saint Hippolytus is to defend the Church’s confession of one God who is not solitary, but who exists with his Word and Spirit. Hippolytus begins by setting a principle: knowledge of God comes from the Holy Scriptures, not from speculation or private reasoning. Faith is not shaped by human preference but by what God has chosen to reveal. The Father determines how He is believed, the Son how He is glorified, and the Spirit how He is received. This establishes Scripture as the rule of faith and guards against theological invention. Hippolytus then affirms that God existed alone before creation, with nothing co-eternal alongside Him. At the same time, God was not without reason, wisdom, or power. Hippolytus insists that plurality within God does not compromise divine unity. God contains within himself Word, wisdom, and counsel. Creation begins when God wills and manifests His Word. The Word is not created from nothing but proceeds from God and acts as the agent of creation. The Word is first invisible to the created world, though known to God. When God chooses, He makes the Word visible, described as ‘Light of Light’. This language safeguards both distinction and unity: the Word comes from God and reveals God, without being separate from Him. The manifestation of the Word is ordered towards salvation, so that the world may see and be saved. Hippolytus identifies this Word clearly with the Son of God. Through him all things were made, and he alone comes forth from the Father. The Law and the prophets belong to the same saving plan. God speaks through them by the Holy Spirit, so that they proclaim not their own ideas but the Father’s will. Revelation is therefore coherent: creation, prophecy, and incarnation belong to one divine purpose. Hippolytus appeals to the Gospel of John to show continuity between prophecy and fulfilment. The Word spoken of by the prophets is the Word made flesh. Though the world was made through him, it failed to recognise him. This failure does not negate God’s plan but reveals the depth of the mystery now disclosed. A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Hippolytus Against The Heresy Of Noetus | The Hidden Sacrament Is Revealed There is, brethren, one God, the knowledge of whom we gain from the Holy Scriptures and from no other source. Whatever things the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let us look; and whatever they teach, let us learn it; and as the Father wills our belief to be, let us believe; and as he wills the Son to be glorified, let us glorify him; and as he wills the Holy Spirit to be bestowed, let us receive him. Not according to our own will, nor according to our own mind, nor yet storming by force the things which are given by God, but even as he has chosen to teach them by the Holy Scriptures, so let us discern them. God, subsisting alone, and having nothing coeval with himself, chose to create the world. And conceiving the world in mind, and willing and uttering the Word, he made it; and at once it appeared, formed it in the way he desired. For us it is sufficient simply to know that nothing was coeval with God. Outside him there was nothing; but he, while existing alone, yet existed in plurality. For he did not lack reason, or wisdom, or power, or counsel. All things were in him, and he was the All. At a time and in a manner chosen by him he made his Word manifest, and through his Word he made all things. He bears this Word in himself, as yet invisible to the created world. He makes him visible, uttering the voice first, and begetting him as Light of Light. He presents him to the world as its Lord; and whereas the Word was visible formerly to God alone, and invisible to the world which is made, God makes the Word visible in order that the world might see him and be able to be saved. This is the mind which came forth into the world and was manifested as the Son of God. All things came into being through him, and he alone comes from the Father. He gave us the Law and the prophets; and in giving them, he made them speak by the Holy Ghost, in order that, receiving the inspiration of the Father’s power, they might declare the Father’s counsel and will. Thus, then, was the Word made manifest, even as the blessed John says. For he sums up the things that were said by the prophets, and shows that this is the Word, by whom all things were made. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him nothing was made. And later, The world was made by him, and the world did not know him; he came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Christian Prayer With Jesus Lord God,You are one, and from You come the Word and the Spirit.You have chosen to make Yourself known, not by human effort,but by what You have revealed in the scriptures. You spoke Your Word, and all things were made.You made that Word visible, so that the world might see and be saved.Grant that we may receive what You give,believe what You teach,and worship You as You have shown Yourself to be. Keep us […]
This passage from Athanasius of Alexandria presents a tightly argued account of how God is known, drawing together themes of creation, incarnation, and revelation. Written in the context of doctrinal controversy, particularly against Arian interpretations of Christ, the text aims to clarify the identity of the Son as true Wisdom and not a created intermediary in any diminished sense [ … ]
