Exegetical note: This passage is a typical introduction for a psalm of intercession in that it prefaces the lamentation and accompanying petition with a thanksgiving that recapitulates God's past saving acts. In this case the reference is to the Exodus and to God's "loving kindness" (or "steadfast love") and the "great goodness" that has come to Israel as a result. Notable here is the claim that they have been saved by "the angel of God's presence" (literally "face"), which is probably a reverential circumlocution for the immediate presence of Jahweh.
Call to Worship
