4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.
6 They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.
8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!” They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. Psalm 74:4-8
According to Wikipedia, “During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.” It’s difficult to know which time Asaph is referring to here but throughout its history, Jerusalem has been through a lot!
You can hear the pain and agony as Asaph goes through a list of shameful things done against the city and its inhabitants. Still, though, God did not forsake the people, nor will He. Cities can be rebuilt and people can recover from the devastation. So it has been with the people of Israel.
In modern history, Israel has “been through the ringer” too. They are hated by Muslims and many Western nations. The United Nations leadership regularly criticizes them for their defensive actions. Many nations surrounding Israel have stated publicly that the world would be a better place with Israel completely off the map.
But if you look at how small Israel is compared to those who hate her, you have to think there’s something else going on than just animosity towards another people group. I tend to think there’s a spiritual dynamic that is rarely if ever factored into the equation. Based on the stated wishes of its enemies, the nation of Israel should not exist today. But God has His hand on that tiny nation. I firmly believe that as long as a nation is allied with Israel, He will have His hand on that nation as well. Is that set in stone? Absolutely not; it’s an opinion. The only proof I offer is what the United States has been experiencing these last two centuries, and in particular these last 70 years.
Pray for that tiny nation of Israel, but also pray for leadership in the country you live in.