I have been studying the Psalms the last few years and I am amazed how the Lord communicates His love for Israel. The Psalmist in Ps.102 faces a personal and national struggle. He is a patriot who loves his nation and his personal problems are worsened because of what is happening to the nation. Today, our nation is in a civil war. As I mentioned in my book, there is a battle between those who want America to be a communist nation and those who want it to continue to live under the Judeo/Christian ethic and worldview. Many can care less and are clueless of the battle. Judge Roy Moore is running for the Senate in Alabama and he represents those who still see the Lord as the God of this nation. The people in Charlottesville Virginia, who rioted and fought each other represent those who want to take down this nation for a dictatorship or communism. I hope this Bible study will give you hope today that the Lord and His promises are still true. He can take us through the struggle of the nation!
Psalm 102: Personal Problem of a Patriot in light of Bible Prophecy
Intro: The historical background is not given in this Psalm but we know that the nation of Israel has experienced a tragedy. The personal tragedy is bound up in the national tragedy. Spurgeon wrote of this Psalm, “it is the patriots lament over his countries distress.” The Holy Spirit gave us a wonderful commentary of this Psalm in vs.18+22. This was written for future generations that would see the fight and the victory that Jesus would have over all of the nations of the world.
102:1-11: Sickness
The prayer in vs.1-2 focuses on the distress that he is feeling. Distress can be translated as enemy or adversary. Although the passage focuses on his personal struggle, the issue is where is the Lord? Read vs.10, what is the Lord doing? Each Christian needs to face the fact that the Lord of heaven and earth brings wrath to the earth and we get caught up in the turmoil.
102:12-17: Security in Faith
This guy turns from his grief and proclaims his faith! The day is coming when the Lord is turning everything around. This guy does not lose faith in what he was taught. Read Psalm 137:1-6? In vs.13 the Psalmist rehearses the promises of God, God has chosen Zion for His habitation and He will come back to her. All of the nations will serve the Lord in Jerusalem. Read Dan.9:16, what do you think of Daniels prayer? Also read I Kings 9:3, what did the Lord say of this city and temple? Has God kept His promise?
102:18-22: Security in Prophecy
This Psalm has been written for our generation. We are the generation that is seeing the reestablishment of Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple. We are those like in vs.20 now because we see the nations resisting the will of the Lord. The persecution of Christians and Jews over the trust in the sovereignty of God for our day is spreading. In the midst of the persecution, people are operating out of faith; Faith that the nations will be gathered someday to praise the Lord in Jerusalem. In vs.12-22, Zion is mentioned three times and the nations of the world are mentioned four times. The nations will be gathered to Zion to worship and serve the Lord. The Lord gazed at the earth, which means that He regarded or paid attention. (Look up Ps.33:13, 80:14, 119:15, 18)
102:23-28: Servants who Trust
In vss.23-24 the Psalmist is back to lamenting his circumstances but the Holy Spirit was pleased to give us great hope. In vss.25-27 the Lord mentions the sovereignty of God over the creation. This passage is quoted in Hebrews 1:10-12 and reaffirms that Jesus is the creator. What do you learn from this passage? The earth mirrors the servant of God, we may wear out and die, but the Lord never wears out. Our hope is wrapped up in vs.28, we who are the children of the Lord will live on eternally with the Lord!
