THE LORD’S ETERNAL RENOWN IS GREAT
Passage: Psalm 102:1~28  
Key verse: 12
Psalm 102[a]A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.
1 Hear my prayer,(A) Lord;
let my cry for help(B) come to you.
2 Do not hide your face(C) from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear(D) to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
3 For my days vanish like smoke;(E)
my bones(F) burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(G)
I forget to eat my food.(H)
5 In my distress I groan aloud(I)
and am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,(J)
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake;(K) I have become
like a bird alone(L) on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies(M) taunt me;(N)
those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(O)
9 For I eat ashes(P) as my food
and mingle my drink with tears(Q)
10 because of your great wrath,(R)
for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;(S)
I wither(T) away like grass.
12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(U)
your renown endures(V) through all generations.(W)
13 You will arise(X) and have compassion(Y) on Zion,
for it is time(Z) to show favor(AA) to her;
the appointed time(AB) has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear(AC) the name of the Lord,
all the kings(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(AE)
and appear in his glory.(AF)
17 He will respond to the prayer(AG) of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written(AH) for a future generation,
that a people not yet created(AI) may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(AK)
and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(AL) in Zion
and his praise(AM) in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship(AN) the Lord.
23 In the course of my life[b] he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.(AO)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on(AP) through all generations.
25 In the beginning(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens(AR) are the work of your hands.(AS)
26 They will perish,(AT) but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,(AU)
and your years will never end.(AV)
28 The children of your servants(AW) will live in your presence;
their descendants(AX) will be established before you.”
1 Hear my prayer,(A) Lord;
let my cry for help(B) come to you.
2 Do not hide your face(C) from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear(D) to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
3 For my days vanish like smoke;(E)
my bones(F) burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(G)
I forget to eat my food.(H)
5 In my distress I groan aloud(I)
and am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,(J)
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake;(K) I have become
like a bird alone(L) on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies(M) taunt me;(N)
those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(O)
9 For I eat ashes(P) as my food
and mingle my drink with tears(Q)
10 because of your great wrath,(R)
for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;(S)
I wither(T) away like grass.
12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(U)
your renown endures(V) through all generations.(W)
13 You will arise(X) and have compassion(Y) on Zion,
for it is time(Z) to show favor(AA) to her;
the appointed time(AB) has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear(AC) the name of the Lord,
all the kings(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(AE)
and appear in his glory.(AF)
17 He will respond to the prayer(AG) of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written(AH) for a future generation,
that a people not yet created(AI) may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(AK)
and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(AL) in Zion
and his praise(AM) in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship(AN) the Lord.
23 In the course of my life[b] he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.(AO)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on(AP) through all generations.
25 In the beginning(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens(AR) are the work of your hands.(AS)
26 They will perish,(AT) but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,(AU)
and your years will never end.(AV)
28 The children of your servants(AW) will live in your presence;
their descendants(AX) will be established before you.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 102:1 In Hebrew texts 102:1-28 is numbered 102:2-29.
- Psalm 102:23 Or By his power
Cross references
- Psalm 102:1 : Ps 4:1
- Psalm 102:1 : S Ex 2:23
- Psalm 102:2 : S Ps 22:24
- Psalm 102:2 : S 2Ki 19:16; Ps 31:2; 88:2
- Psalm 102:3 : S Ps 37:20; S Jas 4:14
- Psalm 102:3 : La 1:13
- Psalm 102:4 : S Ps 37:2; 90:5-6
- Psalm 102:4 : S 1Sa 1:7; S Ezr 10:6; S Job 33:20
- Psalm 102:5 : S Ps 6:6
- Psalm 102:6 : S Dt 14:15-17; Job 30:29; Isa 34:11; Zep 2:14
- Psalm 102:7 : Ps 77:4
- Psalm 102:7 : Ps 38:11
- Psalm 102:8 : S Ps 31:11
- Psalm 102:8 : S Ps 42:10; Lk 22:63-65; 23:35-37
- Psalm 102:8 : S Ex 22:28; Isa 65:15; Jer 24:9; 25:18; 42:18; 44:12; Eze 14:8; Zec 8:13
- Psalm 102:9 : Isa 44:20
- Psalm 102:9 : Ps 6:6; 42:3; 80:5
- Psalm 102:10 : Ps 7:11; 38:3
- Psalm 102:11 : S 1Ch 29:15; S Job 14:2; S Ps 39:6
- Psalm 102:11 : S Job 8:12; Jas 1:10
- Psalm 102:12 : S Ex 15:18
- Psalm 102:12 : Ps 135:13; Isa 55:13; 63:12
- Psalm 102:12 : S Ex 3:15
- Psalm 102:13 : S Ps 44:26
- Psalm 102:13 : S Dt 32:36; S 1Ki 3:26; Isa 54:8; 60:10; Zec 10:6
- Psalm 102:13 : Ps 119:126
- Psalm 102:13 : S Ps 77:7
- Psalm 102:13 : S Ex 13:10; Da 8:19; Ac 1:7
- Psalm 102:15 : 1Ki 8:43; Ps 67:7; Isa 2:2
- Psalm 102:15 : Ps 76:12; 138:4; 148:11
- Psalm 102:16 : S Ps 51:18
- Psalm 102:16 : Ps 8:1; Isa 60:1-2
- Psalm 102:17 : S 1Ki 8:29; Ps 4:1; 6:9
- Psalm 102:18 : S Ro 4:24
- Psalm 102:18 : S Ps 22:31
- Psalm 102:19 : Ps 53:2
- Psalm 102:20 : S Ps 68:6; S Lk 4:19
- Psalm 102:21 : Ps 22:22
- Psalm 102:21 : Ps 9:14
- Psalm 102:22 : S Ps 22:27; Isa 49:22-23; Zec 8:20-23
- Psalm 102:23 : S Ps 39:5
- Psalm 102:24 : S Ge 21:33; Job 36:26; Ps 90:2
- Psalm 102:25 : S Ge 1:1; Heb 1:10-12*
- Psalm 102:25 : S 2Ch 2:12
- Psalm 102:25 : S Ps 8:3
- Psalm 102:26 : Isa 13:10, 13; 34:4; 51:6; Eze 32:8; Joel 2:10; Mt 24:35; 2Pe 3:7-10; Rev 20:11
- Psalm 102:27 : S Nu 23:19; Heb 13:8; Jas 1:17
- Psalm 102:27 : Ps 9:7
- Psalm 102:28 : Ps 69:36
- Psalm 102:28 : Ps 25:13; 89:4
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
The psalm shifts in verses 12-22 when the writer sees God enthroned forever. He speaks of the LORD’s renown, compassion, name and glory. He has faith God will act on behalf of his people and hear their prayer. He prophesies future generations praising the LORD for his deliverance of condemned prisoners. The psalmist again feels his days are being cut short. But he knows God’s years will never end. Heaven and earth will perish, but God remains the same. He finds hope that the children of God’s servants will live in his presence and be established before God.
It’s a beautiful thing to trust in God and to praise him, even in times of affliction. Job did it. Jesus did it. We can do it by God’s Spirit, through Christ who gives us strength.
Prayer: Lord our God, we cry out to you in our times of anguish and distress. Our days are short but you are eternal God. Your renown, compassion, name and glory are great. Thank you for hope and strength you give through Jesus Christ.
One Word: The Lord’s name and renown are great