I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
The verse is a plea not to be taken away in the midst of one's days before life is complete, contrasting the speaker's limited, vulnerable and mortal life with God's years that continue through every generation, for God is not bound by mortal time. Its setting belongs to the sorrow and affliction of the Hebrew captives in the Babylonian captivity, especially the latter portion under Belshazzar when persecution and distress were severe, yet amid encouragement, assurance of divine help, and hope of final deliverance. In its larger psalm context it is connected with God's future appearance in glory to show mercy to Zion and rebuild it, when Jerusalem will become a secure dwelling where the people will live.
The one asking not to be taken away in the midst of his days is Christ addressing God, while affirming that God's years extend through every generation. The address to the One whose years are throughout all generations is applied to Christ in his very exalted position as Creator, joined to the declaration that of old he laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of his hands. He made all created things in the universe, material and spiritual, worlds, men and angels, not as the absolute and independent Creator, but as the One to whom God gave the power and who did the work. In the context of 102:22-28 the description of the LORD is connected with Christ as evidence that the name Jehovah belongs to the Son as well as to the Father.
The declaration of God's years throughout all generations in 102:12-28 establishes his everlasting memorial and name, fitting its chanting in Sabbath worship immediately after teaching on God's memorial. The verse gives words that every person and every true believer may adopt as his own plea for mercy not to be taken away before his days are complete.
The verse is a plea not to be taken away in the midst of one's days before life is complete, contrasting the speaker's limited, vulnerable and mortal life with God's years that continue through every generation, for God is not bound by mortal time. Its setting belongs to the sorrow and affliction of the Hebrew captives in the Babylonian captivity, especially the latter portion under Belshazzar when persecution and distress were severe, yet amid encouragement, assurance of divine help, and hope of final deliverance. In its larger psalm context it is connected with God's future appearance in glory to show mercy to Zion and rebuild it, when Jerusalem will become a secure dwelling where the people will live.
The one asking not to be taken away in the midst of his days is Christ addressing God, while affirming that God's years extend through every generation. The address to the One whose years are throughout all generations is applied to Christ in his very exalted position as Creator, joined to the declaration that of old he laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of his hands. He made all created things in the universe, material and spiritual, worlds, men and angels, not as the absolute and independent Creator, but as the One to whom God gave the power and who did the work. In the context of 102:22-28 the description of the LORD is connected with Christ as evidence that the name Jehovah belongs to the Son as well as to the Father.
The declaration of God's years throughout all generations in 102:12-28 establishes his everlasting memorial and name, fitting its chanting in Sabbath worship immediately after teaching on God's memorial. The verse gives words that every person and every true believer may adopt as his own plea for mercy not to be taken away before his days are complete.