“How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever?” (v5)

This Psalm comes from a man broken at the desperate plight of Israel. The Psalm moves from complaint (v1) to hope (v13) through the power of prayer (v8–10).

Authorship and Historical Background

Psalm 79 was written shortly after the sacking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon, a catastrophic event recorded throughout Scripture:

“O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.” (v1)

The historical record corroborates this devastation:

“And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem…” (2 Kings 25:9)
“Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword…and all the vessels of the house of God…he brought to Babylon.” (2 Chronicles 36:17–19)

Here, a challenge arises: Asaph, the Psalm’s attributed author, lived centuries before the fall of Jerusalem, playing a leading role in temple worship in the days of Solomon.

“And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea” (1st Chronicles 6:39)

How could he have written about it the Babylonian destruction.

The most likely explanation is that the Psalm was written by a later temple musician from the school of Asaph, a line of poets and musicians who bore his name. These “Sons of Asaph” served in temple worship as late as the reign of Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:15) and were reconstituted after the return from exile (Ezra 3:10).

We can imagine one of these faithful men, amid the ruins of the once-great temple, venting his grief through words:

“How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever?

The Lament of the Psalmist

The Psalmist’s cry is raw and heartfelt. Jerusalem lies in ruins; the temple is defiled. He mourns the destruction of what was sacred and pure. Yet even in his anguish, he turns to God in prayer, recognising that only the Lord can restore hope.

Isaiah foresaw such lament:

“Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation…Wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?” (Isaiah 64:10–12)

And Ezekiel:

“I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30–31)

The prayerlessness of the people called down God’s righteous judgment.

Application for the 21st Century

Defiling the Temple

Today, we must mourn for the spiritual blessings lost in a world that increasingly despises holiness. The defiling of the temple in Psalm 79 speaks to us of false doctrine in the pulpit and sinful lifestyles in the pew. One follows the other.

Christianity in its purest form stands for no competitor. Salvation is through Christ alone. Yet many in our age prefer compromise and pluralism to truth. Terms like “saved” and “unsaved” are softened or dismissed. The Word of God is dissected like any other literature, and the Gospel is sometimes displaced by social and political ideas.

When the Church yields to the spirit of the world, the inheritance of God is invaded. Prayer and devotion decline. Ungodliness grows unchecked. We may wring our hands in despair, but this often fails to translate into increased fervency among the people of God.

Judgment and Warning

Scripture reminds us that judgment begins at the House of God (1 Peter 4:17). The Lord warned the churches of Ephesus and Laodicea that He would remove their candlestick or spew them out for worldliness and spiritual lukewarmness.

Where the temple is neglected, where the world’s spirit enters, God’s righteous judgment follows.

The Value of Prayer and a Passion for God’s Glory

Asaph in his prayers for God to work again reveals a heart that had the glory of God as his chief motivation. He did not pray for Israel’s recovery because they deserved it. His appeal was for the glory of God because these people were the Lord’s – “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake” (v9). Why should the heathen say “Where is their God?” (v10). Asaph had a passion for the glory of the divine name.

We must learn to pray with the glory of God in view. Everything He does is for His glory. Nothing less will satisfy. Let us pray that God will vindicate His honour and work in the hearts of His Church once again.

Grace, Hope, and Remnant

Even in the darkest days, there is hope. The Psalmist concludes with praise:

“So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture, will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.” (Psalm 79:13)

God preserves a faithful remnant. Even when life in the Church seems like life support, it still lives—and that life can be renewed:

“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die…” (Revelation 3:2)

In dark times, God raises up a man who prays, weeps, and cries, “How long, O Lord?” He preserves His people and, in His time, restores them.

Reflection

Psalm 79 challenges us to face spiritual decay honestly, to lament boldly, and to pray fervently. It reminds us that even amid devastation, God’s mercy remains. The cry “How long, Lord?” is not despair—it is the first step toward revival, restoration, and hope.