J1 E c 1,2. Prayer.
d 3-11. Humiliation. "Days cut short".
F 12. Yahaveh everlasting.
G 13-22. Favor to His People.
E d 23. Humiliation. "Days cut short".
c 24-. Prayer.
F -24-27. Yahaveh everlasting.
G 28. Favor to His People.
Psalm 102)
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And let my cry come to You.
2 Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in trouble;
Incline Your ear to me:
In the day when I call answer me speedily. (When you call out to the Father, He hears you instantly. Trust Him enough to know that He will only do what is in your best interest.)
3 For my days are consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned as charred wood. (David is feeling a little low as h3 writes this. He has no appetite.)
4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass;
So that I forget to eat my bread. (put for food in general.)
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning
My bones cleave to my flesh.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness:
I am like an owl of the desert. (Both unclean birds.)
7 I watch, and am
As a sparrow alone upon the house top. (The pelican and owl are both unclean birds. David's day has gone up in smoke, he isn't hungry, and he feels unclean. David is doing this for our benefit. The housetop is for the watchmen. David feels as insignificant as a sparrow as far as getting things done. Be careful when you feel this way. Get out of your rut.)
8 My enemies reproach me all the day;
And they that are mad against me are sworn [together] against me. (See Acts 23:12-21.)
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping. (When you work for the Lord, your enemies will swear lies about you. Don't allow them to sting you. If you are serving God, those that lie about you are God's enemies as well.)
10 From the face of Your indignation and Your wrath:
For You have lifted me up, and cast me down.
11 My days are like a shadow that declines;
And I am withered like grass. (David is having a real "pity party" for himself. When God does chastise you, it is because He loves you. We should count God's chastisement as a blessing and correct that which is wrong about our behavior.)
12 But You (emphasizing the great consolation), O LORD, shall sit (or will sit enthroned) for ever;
And Your remembrance to all generations. (God is in control forever. Have faith in Him to do what is fair and right.)
13 You shall arise, and have compassion upon Zion:
For the time to favor her, yes, the set time, is come. (1st, the end of the 70 years [Dan. 9:2. Neh. 2;17-20; 3:1-32]; the 2nd, the still future set time in God's counsels. All this is prophecy. No need to think it was written after Jerusalem's desolation. David was a prophet [Acts 30,31]. Cp. Isa. 40:2; 61:2]. The last week is the set time you will be delivered up before antichrist. Do we know the time? No. But you can rest assured God does, and He is preparing some of His children to be ready.)
14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And favor the dust thereof. (There will not be one stone left standing upon another in Zion; however, His servants that rebuild the temple will take pleasure in it.)
15 So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory. (Always mentioned in connection with Messiah's sufferings.)
16 When the LORD shall build up Zion,
He shall appear in His glory. (This shows all is prophetic. Cp. Isa. 60:1-3. Every knee shall bow.)
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute,
And not despise their prayer.
18 This shall be written for a generation to come: (I.e. the generation of the fig-tree, the last generation - us now!)
And the people which shall be created shall praise THE LORD. (i.e. the new Israel [Ps. 22:31. Isa. 43:1-7, 18-21; 66:8. Zion will be restored)
19 For He has looked down from His holy height;
From heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner;
To loose the sons of death; (Cp. Rom. 8:36.)
21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the people are gathered together, (Cp. Pss. 22:27; 68:32. Isa. 45:14. Fulfilling Gen. 49:10.)
And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
23 He weakened my strength in the way; (I.e. of His humiliation.)
He shortened my days.
24 I said, "O my GOD (El), take me not away in the midst of my days:
Your years are throughout all generations."
25 Of old have You laid the foundation of the earth:
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They shall perish, but You shall endure:
Yes, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
As a vesture shall You change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But You are the same (or He. Cp. Isa. 41:44; 43;10.),
And Your years shall have no end. (Quoted in Heb. 1:10-12, which shows this Psalm is all prophetic of Messiah.)
28 The sons of Your servants shall dwell [in the Land],
And their seed shall be established before You.