Seder 12 Sermon: Help in Challenging Times

 "And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar...." begins Genesis 14 in the KJV.  The Hebrew phrase for "and it came to pass in the days of" occurs five times in the Hebrew Scriptures, with this being the first time.  In each case, the phrase introduces a time of trial:  

• Genesis 14:1---kidnapping of Abram's nephew Lot.
• Ruth 1:1---a famine leads Elimelech and Naomi to sojourn in Moab.
• Isa 7:1---Judah faces a combination of foes.
• Jer 1:3---Judah faces destruction of the Temple and exile in Babylon.
• Esther 1:1---Jews in Persia face persecution.

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on January 20, 2024, Kyle Kettering observed that even though life is good, trials surely lie ahead for the people of God.   The Bible offers assurance that in such times, God will be with us.  For example, Isaiah 41:13 states, "For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you. ' "  Psalm 37 carries a similar message, with the refrain, "Fret not." 

In the New Testament, Jesus prepares his disciples for times of trial in passages like Luke 21:12-24 and John 14-16, and Paul gives words of encouragement in Romans 8:31-39.    

Seder 88: Psalm 79---Mourning the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple

 Psalm 79 is a communal lament written after the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar had attacked Jerusalem in 587 or 586 BC, looting and destroying Solomon's Temple and taking captives.  These events were a shock to many in Jerusalem.  Even though the possibility of exile had been prophesied by Moses (e.g., in Deut 28) and others, God had been so merciful for so long.  Surely he wouldn't allow the Temple where he was present in the midst of his people to be destroyed, they reasoned.

Those who survived the Babylonian attack were fortunate, but they then had to face what had happened.    Bodies had not received proper burials, creating ritual impurity that reflected Israel's moral impurity.  Other nations, like their relatives the Edomites, were taunting them (vv 1-4).  

In the tradition of Moses (32, e.g.), the psalm asks God, for the sake of his reputation,  to deal with the pagans who had attacked Jerusalem.  Acknowledging the nation's sin, the psalm asks for mercy.  

"Let the groans of the prisoners come before you," verse 11 says.  This verse reminds us Exodus 2:4; 6:5, where the groans of the Israelites in Egyptian slavery were heard by God.  The psalm asks for a new exodus and looks forward to a time when the people will praise God for more of his wondrous works on their behalf (v 13).

This psalm has been used in liturgy for the 9th of Ab, the annual fast mourning the destruction(s) of Jerusalem.  Language like that of Psalm 79 is used to speak of future judgment (Luke 21:20-24; Rev 11:2,8; 16:6).  

Rev 6:9-10 pictures holy martyrs praying as in Psalm 79.  "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"  

 In the case of Psalm 79, we know an answer to the "how long" question in verse 5.  Seventy years after the destruction of the Temple, in 516 BC, the Second Temple was completed.  For the martyrs, we do not know "how long," but we do know that they have a great reward ahead of them (Rev 20:4).