Psalm 79 is a community prayer to God for help during national distress. God’s land has been “invaded”… God’s holy temple has been “profaned”… Jerusalem is “a heap of ruins” (v 1).

The enemies of Israel have “handed over the bodies” of God’s servants “as food to feed the birds of heaven … and the flesh” of God’s faithful “to the beasts of the earth” (v 2).

The “land”, the “holy temple”, the “servants”, and the “faithful” belong to God.

Therefore, the people ask God to note what has befallen them – how the enemies have poured blood like water in Jerusalem, leaving no one to bury the dead” (v 3), a great insult and humiliation. Furthermore, God’s servants and faithful have “become the taunt” of their neighbours and “the mockery and scorn” of those surrounding them (v 4).

Will God be “angry forever?” How long will God’s anger “burn like fire” (v 5). Israel acknowledges the sins of their forebears and their own sins (vv 8-9). Counting on God’s “compassion” and “for the sake of the glory of Your name” begs God to hasten to “help” and “rescue” them to resolve the “depths of distress” they are experiencing (vv 8-9).

What do we do in such moments of distress? We must look beyond our distress and look to God – Who alone can pull us out of our distress. Pray!