PSALM 102 - Messiah: The Lord of Glory, afflicted but enduring.

102:1 A Prayer of the afflicted,
when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.
  Verse 1 introduces the heavy tone of this psalm.
  the afflicted - The afflicted one is not named. More than one voice can be heard:
  1. The psalmist expresses his profound personal grief
    for the national decline of Israel (ie., which led to the Babylonian captivity of Jerusalem, and the interruption of the Davidic Kingdom). The psalmist despairs of seeing the promised restoration in his lifetime. cp. Psa 89:34-48; Lam 1:1-22
  - The Messiah personally bears the sorrows of His people
      (eg., at Gethsemane & Calvary). Isa 63:9; Psa 22:24
    Verses 25-27 are quoted in Heb 1:8,"10-12" as encouragement, spoken by God the Father, to God the Son in the midst of His sorrows.
      In the first eleven verses of this psalm, the voices of the psalmist and of our suffering Savior are inter-mingled.
      After that, we overhear the deep communion between the Father and His Son.
  1. The Afflicted One laments the days of decline. vs.1-11
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
  Psa 69:1,2; Mark 14:33,34
102:2 Hide not thy face from me in the day [when] I am in trouble;
  Psa 22:19
incline thine ear unto me: in the day [when] I call answer me speedily.
  Psa 40:13
102:3 For my days are consumed like smoke,
and my bones are burned as an hearth.
  Psa 22:14,15; Lam 1:13
102:4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass;
so that I forget to eat my bread.
  Psa 69:20
102:5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
  Psa 22:15-17; Lam 4:8
102:6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness:
I am like an owl of the desert.
  ie., As a wild bird, I live in desolation... devoid of both shelter and storehouse.
    cp. Isa 34:11-14; 38:14
102:7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
  ie., As a small frail bird, I look for the comfort of a companion...
    ...but I remain alone. Psa 69:20
102:8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day;
[and] they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
  sworn against me - ie., bound with an oath against me.
    Luk 6:11; Joh 11:53; cp. Acts 23:12
102:9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
and mingled my drink with weeping,
  Lam 3:14-20
102:10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath:
for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
  Lam 2:1,2; Psa 22:1-3; 147:6
102:11 My days [are] like a shadow that declineth;
and I am withered like grass.
  like a shadow that declineth - ie., The sun is going down upon me.
    My days are rapidly coming to an end.
    1Pet 1:24,25; cp. 2Sam 23:1-5
  2. The Afflicted One glories in the LORD's future Restoration of His people. vs.12-22
    (also: The Father previews the Son's Glory as the Redeemer.)
    As previously mentioned, the Holy Spirit quoted v.25-27 as applying to the Messiah (in the book of Hebrews). Those verses conclude the conversation between God the Father and God the Son, which we overhear in this section.
102:12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure {ie., sit} for ever;
  Or: "Thou, O Jehovah, shalt sit enthroned as King forever." [GWms]
    The LORD is the Great King, though the Davidic Kingdom lacks a king on the throne in Jerusalem. Psa 9:7; Lam 5:19
and thy remembrance unto all generations.
  His Reign will bring, What?
    A. Restoration to Israel, vs.13-14
102:13 Thou shalt arise, [and] have mercy upon Zion {Jerusalem}:
for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
  cp. Dan 9:1-16, 20-27; Acts 1:6,7
102:14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
and favour the dust thereof. {Psa 137:5,6}
    B. Fear of the LORD among the Gentiles.
102:15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD,
  Eze 36:32-38; 37:25-28
    C. Subjection of all kings.
and all the kings of the earth [shall fear] thy glory. {Isa 55:5}
102:16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
  The promised restoration of Jerusalem will come. When?
    When Christ returns in glory.
    Isa 2:1-4; Zech 2:10-13; 8:20-23; Acts 15:15-17
  The Messianic Kingdom will come...
    A. Because the LORD answers the prayer of the afflicted.
    Psa 22:19-24; Dan 9:3-19
102:17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
102:18 This shall be written for the generation to come:
and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.
  Psa 22:30,31; 45:16,17; 2Cor 5:17,18; Eph 2:10
    B. Because He saw the need and acted to deliver the afflicted.
102:19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;
from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; {cp. Psa 14:1-7}
102:20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner;
to loose those that are appointed to death;
  Isa 61:1-3; Eph 2:1-3; Col 1:13,14
102:21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
and his praise in Jerusalem;
  Psa 22:22; 116:17-19
102:22 When the people are gathered together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. {Psa 72:8-11
  3. The Afflicted One appeals the day of His death. vs.23-24
102:23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.
102:24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:
thy years [are] throughout all generations.
  The appeal is addressed to the ever-living One,
    by the Afflicted One, whose life was about to be cut short. Isa 53:7-9; Joh 12:27
  Yet, by His death, the Afflicted One, must bear away the affliction of others.
    Isa 53:4-7; Mat 26:38,39; Heb 5:7
  4. The Father reviews the Son's Eternality and Glory as the Creator. vs.25-28
102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth:
and the heavens [are] the work of thy hands.
  Verses 25-27 are quoted, in Heb 1:8,"10-12", as spoken by God the Father to the God the Son.
    In the context of this Psalm, these words answer the preceding prayer (vs.23-24).
    As Christ was being crushed beneath the burden of our sorrows, sin and death,
    the Father gently reminded the suffering Savior of who He was, is, and ever will be.
    cp. Joh 1:1-3; Col 1:16,17; Rev 1:18
102:26 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:
  Isa 51:6; 2Pet 3:10-13; Rev 20:11; 21:1
102:27 But thou [art] the same, and thy years shall have no end.
  Joh 8:58; Heb 13:8; Rev 1:8,17,18
102:28 The children of thy servants shall continue,
and their seed shall be established before thee.
  Isa 53:10; 59:20,21; 66:22; Psa 90:16,17

This Concludes the study in Psalm 102.
Click here to begin the study in Psalm 110
Return to Psalms of Messiah - Book Notes menu page.
Limited permission is granted to copy & distribute these notes from www.theBookwurm.com

Go to The Book opening page.