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Senior Sunday School 4 : Psalms Book 4 : Psalm 102 : 7th January 2024

Text: Psalm 102
7 January 2024

SSS 4
Book 4
Psalms 90-106
7 January 2024

PSALM 102

1Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And let my cry come to You.

2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

3 For my days are consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.

4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.

5 Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my skin.

6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.

7 I lie awake,
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

8 My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.

9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,

10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.

11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.

12 But You, O LORD, shall endure forever,
And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favour her,
Yes, the set time, has come.

14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favour to her dust.

15 So the [nations shall fear the name of the LORD,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

16 For the LORD shall build up Zion;
He shall appear in His glory.

17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.

18 This will be written for the generation to come,
That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.

19 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
From heaven the LORD viewed the earth,

20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To release those appointed to death,

21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,

22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

23 He weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.

24 I said, “O my God,
Do not take me away in the midst of my days;
Your years are throughout all generations.

25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

26 They will perish, but You will [d]endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.

27 But You are the same,
And Your years will have no end.

28 The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”

Psalm 102:1-28

IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE

1Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And let my cry come to You.

2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

3 For my days are consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.

4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.

5 Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my skin.

6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.

7 I lie awake,
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

Psalm 102:1-7

1. A Desperate Prayer

a) That God would hear
b) That He would not hide His face
c) That He would answer speedily

2. A Candid Description of the Circumstances of Life

a) Days are consumed like smoke
b) Bones are burned like a hearth
c) Heart is stricken and withered
d) Forgetfulness sets in
e) Groaning
f) Bones cling to the skin
g) Like a pelican in the wilderness
h) Like an owl in the desert
i) Like a sparrow alone on the housetop
j) Unable to sleep and rest

AFFLICTIONS IN LIFE

8 My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.

9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,

10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.

11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.

Psalm 102:8-11

1. Afflictions from enemies

a) They reproach all the day long
b) They deride
c) They swear an oath against the Psalmist

2. Affliction from the LORD

a) God’s indignation
b) His wrath
c) Cast away

3. Consequently

a) Eaten ashes like bread
b) Drink mingled with tears
c) Days are like shadows that lengthen
d) Withering away like grass

HOLDING FAST TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

12 But You, O LORD, shall endure forever,
And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favour her,
Yes, the set time, has come.

14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favour to her dust.

15 So the [nations shall fear the name of the LORD,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

16 For the LORD shall build up Zion;
He shall appear in His glory.

17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.

Psalm 102:12-17

1. The Eternal Nature of God

a) He will endure forever
b) His name would be remembered for all generations

2. God will yet show to Zion

a) His mercy
b) His favour
c) In His set time

3. The name of the LORD

a) He will be feared
b) His glory would be seen
c) He will build up Zion
d) He will not despise the prayers of the destitute
e) His servants would take pleasure in the stones and dust of Zion

THE GENERATIONS TO COME

18 This will be written for the generation to come,
That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.

19 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
From heaven the LORD viewed the earth,

20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To release those appointed to death,

21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,

22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

Psalm 102:18-22

1. The generations that will come after us

a) They may not be created yet
b) May they learn to praise the LORD

2. Things to thank God for

a) God looks upon mankind from heaven above
b) He hears the groaning of the afflicted
c) To release those appointed to death

3. Appropriate things to do

a) To declare the name of the LORD in Zion
b) To offer praise to God in Jerusalem
c) To gather together to serve the LORD

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS AND REQUESTS

23 He weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.

24 I said, “O my God,
Do not take me away in the midst of my days;
Your years are throughout all generations.

25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

26 They will perish, but You will [endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.

27 But You are the same,
And Your years will have no end.

28 The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”

Psalm 102:23-28

1. Reflections on God

a) God as Creator
b) He will always endure
c) He will always be the same

2. Reflections about the things God has created

a) They will perish
b) They will grow old like a garment
c) There will be changes along the way
d) The Psalmist feels great weakness
e) His days seem to have been shortened

3. Requests

a) Not to be taken away in the midst of his days (Not to die “prematurely”)
b) That there would be children/ descendants who would be established