Psalm 102:18-22, Antiphon, Psalm 102:13 – You will
arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time
has come. The antiphon is the
centerpiece of the entire psalm. The psalmist’s distress was occasioned by the
Babylonian exile. Yet, he sees an appointed time – a time set by God for
judgment and deliverance to come. As we pray this prayer, we too look for a
time of deliverance to come. We pray that deliverance might come to us now and
ultimately on the last great day, that day when we shall live beyond time and
space.
The Theme for Psalm 102 is Afflicted But full of Trust
The title of this psalm is A Prayer of the afflicted,
when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD. This
afflicted one borrowed his tone and some of his phrasing from Job, who is the
Old Testament’s greatest example of affliction. Many phrases also match others
in the psalms.
This psalm describes Jerusalem (Zion) in a state of
ruin. If this is taken as literal ruin, the psalm may have been written by
those in exile who mourned over both their personal and national affliction.
Adam Clarke followed this thinking and suggested the author could be Daniel,
Jeremiah, or Nehemiah. However, it may be that the ruin of Zion described is
more poetic in nature and the psalm is pre-exilic.
In traditional Christian liturgy, this has been
regarded as one of the seven penitential psalms (along with Psalms 6, 32, 38,
51, 130, and 143).
You will
arise and have mercy on Zion. Though
in deep affliction, the psalmist had steadfast confidence that God would act
and show mercy to Jerusalem once again.
Yes, the set time, has come. At God’s appointed time, Jerusalem would be the object of God’s favor. He had a set time for their restoration and would not forever leave them in ruin.
If this psalm describes the time in exile, the set
time points to the 70 years set by God for Israel’s captivity (Jeremiah
25:11-13 and 29:10).[2]
The Theme for Epiphany 3 is “The Purpose of Your Life.” In the Old Testament lesson (Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10) Ezra the scribe reads the Book of the Law in the presence of the people. Reading from the Book of the Law brought tears to the people. Their purpose was to be directed by the Word of the Lord. In the Epistle lesson (1 Corinthians 12:12-31a) Paul reminds us that by the Spirit Christians are members of one body. In the Gospel lesson, (Luke 4:16-30) Jesus finds His purpose in Isaiah’s words. The Hymn of the Day ( Let us Ever Walk with Jesus 685 LSB) is a prayer asking the Christian to ever walk near to the Lord.
Collect for Psalm 102: LORD, while our days vanish like shadows and our lives wear out like a garment, you remain undisturbed by change. Although our earthly lives come to an end, help us to live in Christ’s endless life and at length attain our home, the heavenly Jerusalem, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.[3]- 17 January 2022[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-102/
[3] Collect for Psalm 102, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. 1 © 1994 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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