Editor's Note: This post was published originally in May 2017 and revised for repost.
A Prayer For Help
Psalm 102:1-28 (ASV)1 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And let my cry come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress: Incline thine ear unto me; In the day when I call answer me speedily.3 For my days consume away like smoke, And my bones are burned as a firebrand.4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; For I forget to eat my bread.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 become as an owl of the waste places.7 I watch, and am become like a sparrow That is alone upon the house-top.8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; They that are mad against me do curse by me.9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping,10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; And I am withered like grass.12 But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever; And thy memorial name unto all generations.13 Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; For it is time to have pity upon her, Yea, the set time is come.14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, And have pity upon her dust.15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory.16 For Jehovah hath built up Zion; He hath appeared in his glory.17 He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, And hath not despised their prayer.18 This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah.19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner; To loose those that are appointed to death;21 That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem;22 When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.23 He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: Thy years are throughout all generations.25 Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands.26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:27 But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end.28 The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee. (Bold mine)
A Prayer For Help
Psalm 102:1-28 (ASV)1 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And let my cry come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress: Incline thine ear unto me; In the day when I call answer me speedily.3 For my days consume away like smoke, And my bones are burned as a firebrand.4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; For I forget to eat my bread.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 become as an owl of the waste places.7 I watch, and am become like a sparrow That is alone upon the house-top.8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; They that are mad against me do curse by me.9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping,10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; And I am withered like grass.12 But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever; And thy memorial name unto all generations.13 Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; For it is time to have pity upon her, Yea, the set time is come.14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, And have pity upon her dust.15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory.16 For Jehovah hath built up Zion; He hath appeared in his glory.17 He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, And hath not despised their prayer.18 This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah.19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner; To loose those that are appointed to death;21 That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem;22 When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.23 He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: Thy years are throughout all generations.25 Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands.26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:27 But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end.28 The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee. (Bold mine)
In this psalm the writer thinks that the disease that he’s suffering is from God (we know that is not true, but nonetheless this writer believes it), and he is asking for His help and deliverance, and he is asking Him to do it quickly.
He then seems to come to his senses and in verses 23-28, though the psalmist points to his own suffering and weakness, he gains assurance from his nation's hope in the Lord. He realizes that his time on earth is short but that God is eternal. Even when the entire creation has passed away, God will endure. God will not only deliver him but his nation as well. His deliverance will include future generations (that includes us today). The writer of Hebrews make reference to this happening in Jesus .
Hebrews 1:5-12 (ASV)5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee? and again, I will be to him a Father, And he shall be to me a Son?6 And when he again bringeth in the firstborn into the world he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels winds, And his ministers a flame a fire:8 but of the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of thy hands:11 They shall perish; but thou continuest: And they all shall wax old as doth a garment;12 And as a mantle shalt thou roll them up, As a garment, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, And thy years shall not fail. (Bold Mine)
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