Life-Study of Psalms, by Witness Lee

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I. THE PROBLEM OF DESOLATION

It may be hard for some to believe that the temple, God’s house, was desolated, but it was desolated to such an extent that it was burned, and the city surrounding it was ruined.

A. Due to God’s People’s Negligence
of the Experience of Christ

What was the cause of the desolation of God’s house? Apparently it was because the children of Israel were evil and sinful. However, the intrinsic reason for the desolation was that Christ was not exalted by God’s people; they did not give Him the preeminence, the first place, in everything. Actually their failure to give Christ the preeminence, their failure to honor and exalt Him, was the cause of their becoming sinful and evil.

The principle is the same with us in the church life today. If we do not love Christ with our first love, giving Him the first place in everything that He may have the preeminence among us, the church will become desolate. The desolation of the church as the house of God always issues from the negligence of the experience of Christ.

B. Solved by Christ Properly
Appreciated and Exalted by God’s People

The problem of desolation is solved by Christ being properly appreciated and exalted by God’s people. Recently the church in Anaheim has been praying for revival. If all the saints in Anaheim would give Christ the preeminence, exalting Him to the uttermost and loving Him with the first love, there would be a genuine revival. The real revival in the church depends upon everyone in the church life giving Christ the first place in everything.

If we are clear concerning the problem of desolation and its solution, we may now go on to consider Psalms 73 through 76 one by one.

(Life-Study of Psalms, Chapter 30, by Witness Lee)