The final appeal for God to save God's people out of Zion shifts from the visionary announcement of judgment to urgent prayer for deliverance from the oppression currently afflicting the community. The reference to Zion establishes the locale of God's dwelling and the center of covenantal community, from which salvation will emanate. The desire to see the restoration of Jacob's fortunes expresses the hope that God will reverse the current degradation and renew the covenant community in prosperity and peace. The closing verse situates the entire psalm in the context of exile or oppression: the psalm moves from acknowledgment of universal human sinfulness through recognition of God's judgment on evildoers to prayer for the restoration of the covenant people to full participation in God's blessings.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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