02/27/2029 – Day 242 – Psalm – Chapters 102 – 104 / Ch 102 – “Affliction in Light of Eternity”
“I eat ashes like bread and mingle my drinks with tears because of Your indignation and wrath; for you have picked me up and thrown me aside.” (Psalm 102: 9-10)
Let’s look at the commentary for verse #10 from “The Apologetics Study Bible”:
“102:10. The psalmist suffered under divine discipline, which he called God’s ‘indignation and wrath.’ In the NT the wrath of God is the effect of His judgment on sin (Romans 1:18, 1 Thessalonians 1:10). It is this also in the Old Testament, but in this psalm the speaker did not ascribe his suffering to his personal sin. Though he wrote that God had unleashed His anger on him in words that suggest both physical affliction and persecution (vv. 3 – 9), the psalm may have come out of the experience of the exile in Babylon in which it seemed that God had judged Israel harshly.
The writer shared in the punishment due all Israel for its corporate sin against the Lord (see Isaiah 6:5). And yet the writer also knew that God had not rejected His people but had promised a glorious future (Psalm 30:5; Isaiah 50-55). The full revelation of the NT reassures believers of their secure relationship with Lord. But the NT also affirms that God’s wrath is poured out on sin, and that divine chastening even of the believer (Hebrews 12:7) comes from that same attribute of God.”
Comment:
So, if this writer suffered due to punishment due Israel for corporate sin, yet remained faithful and proclaimed God’s sovereignty and unfathomable love through that punishment, would not that be praising God to the point that angels would rise up and cheer in heaven !?!
Questions for fellowship generation, the lifelong sanctification process:
- What does the text reveal about God’s character?
- How has this reading generated prayer for you and/or us?
- What themes stand out to you in this bible study?
- How does our reading fit into the bigger picture (creation, the fall, restoration, etc.)?
- What verse(s) jumped out at you like never before? Is it explainable at this point?
- Do you have any questions you would like to put before the group as to how to interpret any particular verse(s) in our reading. Let scripture testify to scripture: Share with us where you sense contradiction between passages elsewhere.
- What did you find convicting and inspiring at the same time? Share with us how the Spirit of God is working within you as a messenger, both within and outside of our fellowship group.