The writer of Psalm 102 is unknown. From verse 13, I gather it should be written during the Babylonian Captivity. Zion refers to Jerusalem. Hence, the writer must be one of the Jews living in exile in Babylon longing for deliverance: “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion” (v.13a).
Psalm 102 can be divided into two sections:
1. The Prayer of the Afflicted (v.1-11).
2. The Hope of the Afflicted (v.12-28).
What does it feel like to be living in exile in a foreign land? I don’t know; and I hope I will never have to experience it. But you can ask the thousands of foreign workers working in this country. They will tell you there is no place like home. To them, this place is only a workplace. Because of the poor condition that is in their countries, they are forced to make a living in a foreign land. They have to leave their families behind to work with strangers who will never treat them as equals.
The Psalmist and his people were exiled to Babylon. They didn’t go there as tourists; they were captives, that is, they were prisoners of war. Those were days of afflictions. He poured out his anguish in this psalm: (I am quoting from the English Standard Version, ESV).
No comments:
Post a Comment