Shalom,

We've mentioned before that in studying Scripture we need to be asking ourselves 2 questions concerning what is written:

1. Who is doing the speaking?
2. Who are they speaking to?

In Psalm 79 we see that the psalmist, living under the Old Covenant, was calling out to God because the nation was in captivity. He lets God know what the heathen nations are doing to His people (God didn't have the time to keep up on the current events you know!). The prayer of the psalmist found in verse 6 is NOT a New Covenant prayer!

6 Pour out Your wrath on the Gentile nations who do not acknowledge You, and upon the kingdoms that do not call on Your Name.

Why do we say that this is not a New Covenant prayer? Because WE know that God has said this concerning the heathen in 2 Peter 3:9:

9 The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what he promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.

There is a certain end waiting for people AND nations that reject the Truth. OUR responsibility is simply to continue to preach the Gospel so that every individual person we come in contact with has an opportunity to receive Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour! Remember when the Samaritans did not receive Jesus in Luke 9:53? James and John asked Jesus if they could call down fire from Heaven of them like Elijah had done. This is His response in verses 55-56:

55 But He turned and rebuked and severely censured them. He said, you do not know what sort of spirit you are, 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them [from the penalty of eternal death].

Keep a New Covenant mind-set as you continue in the Word and you will begin to see many things in a whole new light!

I love what Hebrews 13:5 says in the Amplified Bible:

5 Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not {I will] not [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

And our response to that should be verse 6:

6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

It doesn't make any difference what happens in the world system! We STILL have the promises of God's Word that have never changed! Jesus is our Lord and God is in control! Verse 8:

8 Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages). AMEN!

In the account in 2 Kings of Hezekiah we read what he did concerning the nation from a natural standpoint. In 2 Chronicles 29-30 we see what King Hezekiah, who "did right in the sight of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 29:2), did from a spiritual standpoint! He restored the priesthood, repaired and cleansed the Temple, reinstated the sacrificial offerings, revived the Levites with their instruments for praise and worship and celebrated the Passover again! The result of his obedience to the Word of God? Verse 30:27:

27 The the priests and Levites arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came up to [God's] holy habitation in Heaven.

Doing things God's way ALWAYS gets good and Godly results! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!