May the groans of the prisoners come before you; with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die. – Psalm 79:11

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 17, 2020): Psalm 79

At the beginning of history, after the events of pre-history, the stories of creation, the flood, and the lives of the patriarchs, Israel’s story starts with a nation of slaves. For the past four centuries, Israel had bided their time in Egypt. At first, they existed as welcomed guests. But that was back in pre-history, at the end of the times of patriarchs. But what started as a good thing, ended up being a terrible situation.

The people of Israel lived in fear and pain. And they called out to their God, hoping for an answer. Exodus reminds us that God heard the prayers of his people.

The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them (Exodus 2:23b-25).

The Israelites groaned, and God heard their groaning.

The Psalmist, writing in the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem, picks up the same language in his prayer, “May the groans of the prisoners come before you” once more. We remember when Israel was imprisoned as slaves in Egypt, and now they have become prisoners in Babylon. Lord God, hear their groans and our prayers.

But, more importantly, just as it was back in the days of our slavery in Egypt, some people were not going to live through the current situation. The phrase here is actually “the sons of death,” which brings to my mind the sons of King Zedekiah. As Psalm 79 was composed, Zedekiah’s son’s executions were either in the process or they had recently been executed. Zedekiah would live, but the Babylonian gift of life was intended to be worse than if the King had died. Zedekiah’s eyes would be gouged out after the execution of his sons so that the last sight the King would remember was the death of his sons. Zedekiah would live, but he probably wished that his life had ended with the lives of his sons and officials, making the phrase “sons of death” eerily appropriate.

Of course, there would be many more who would die. The walk was long and hard to Babylon, and their guides were less than compassionate. And so, the Psalmist lifts up those who were suffering in the wake of Jerusalem’s destruction, and asking God, one more time, to hear the groans of the people and respond with concern for his children.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 137