“Lord God of Hosts,
how long will You be angry
with Your people’s prayers?
You fed them the bread of tears
and gave them a full measure
of tears to drink.
You make us quarrel with our neighbors;
our enemies make fun of us.
Restore us, God of Hosts;
look on us with favor, and we will be saved.”
Psalm 80:4-7 HCSB
Israel was in a national crisis. God’s chosen people who had known what it was to feast on bread from heaven, manna, were now being fed tears. They had become a source of jokes for neighboring enemies.
Of this situation theologian and preacher Charles Spurgeon said,
“They find mirth in our misery, comedy in our tragedy, salt for their wit in the brine of our tears, amusement in our amazement. It is devilish to sport with another’s griefs; but it is the constant habit of the world which lieth in the wicked one to make merry with the saints’ tribulations; the seed of the serpent follow their progenitor and rejoice in evil.”
God was angry with Israel. These rebellious people should have been recounting all the ways God had been faithful to them and pressing on obediently in that hope. Instead, they were unfaithful and disobedient.
But God was not done with them, had not washed his hands of them. When Israel turned their hearts back to Him, He was “faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (John 1:9 HCSB)
In what ways have you in the past or are currently rebelling against God? Are you trying to go it alone, do things your way? Has He gotten your attention?
Stoplight Devotionals 