The Book of Psalms (30-Day Journey)Sample

A Song in the Ashes

The song "American Pie" by Don McLean memorializes a tragic event—the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly. McLean famously called it "the day the music died." Other songs, such as "When the Levee Breaks" (popularized by Led Zeppelin) and "Louisiana 1927" by Randy Newman, capture the devastation of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the worst in U.S. history, which left hundreds of thousands homeless. These songs, born out of tragedy and loss, channel raw human emotion into music that deeply resonates with listeners.

Psalm 79 is a song like that—only deeper, more desperate, and far more enduring. It depicts one of the most traumatic events in Jewish history: the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and the exile of God’s people into Babylon. This was not just a national tragedy—it was a spiritual crisis, vividly prophesied and then painfully fulfilled. The event itself is recorded in detail throughout the Old Testament: 2 Kings 25, 2 Chronicles 36:11–21, Jeremiah 39:1–14, and Jeremiah 52.

Jerusalem, once thriving, was reduced to rubble. The temple—the heart of Jewish worship—was defiled and stripped bare. Bodies were left unburied, prey for birds and beasts. It was a scene of unimaginable horror and humiliation for all who survived.

This devastation didn’t happen outside of God’s control. Judah had persistently sinned, rejecting God's warnings and continually hardening their hearts against Him. Through prophets like Jeremiah, God had called His people to repentance, but they refused to listen. Eventually, God withdrew His protective hand, and the consequences were catastrophic.
In this context, Asaph, the psalmist, gives voice to the sorrow and confusion of a shattered nation. He doesn’t ask, “Why?” but rather, “How long?” He accepts that judgment was deserved and dealt rightly, but pleads for mercy. His cry echoes the heart of a people who had ignored God's word and now lived in the ruins of their choices.

Even in this place of despair, Asaph’s prayer holds a glimmer of hope. He acknowledges guilt. He intercedes for the prisoners in Babylon. He also remembers how God once heard the groans of Israel in Egypt (Exodus 2:24; 6:5), and he appeals to that same compassion. Asaph asks God to hear their groaning again—and to act on their behalf.

The psalm ends with a shift in tone. Though still grieving, Asaph turns his heart and his words toward gratitude. He remembers who God is: the Shepherd of His people. Even in exile, the people are still His sheep. And they will praise Him again. Despite the sorrow of Psalm 79, it offers a profound hope even to us today: God had not abandoned His people. He would go with them into exile. He would protect a remnant. He would provide them with what they needed. And He would bring them home.

In our own lives, we may face tragedy, grief, or long seasons of suffering. Like Asaph, we may cry, “How long, O Lord?” But even in our lowest moments, we are not forsaken. God’s discipline is never without purpose. His mercy is never far. He hears our groans. He restores the broken. He never leaves us or stops loving us. All of this is our reason to praise—even when we are still in the ashes. We trust in the God who sees, who acts, and who leads His people home.