Psalms Reading – 3.10.2022
Psalm 74
A maskil of Asaph.
1 O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember the nation you purchased long ago, the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed— Mount Zion, where you dwelt.
3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
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.
9 We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long will the enemy mock you, God? Will the foe revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
12 But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth.
13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
15 It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.
17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord, how foolish people have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. 20 Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.
This Asaph must be a descendant of the family of Asaph of David’s era since the psalm is written from the perspective of the destruction of Jerusalem, hundreds of years after the original Asaph lived.
Following Psalm 73 where the psalmist finds life’s true meaning in God’s presence at the sanctuary, we are given a horrible picture of what has happened to the magnificent temple of God. It has been completely destroyed, and God has seemingly abandoned His people to their enemies. Judgment has come upon Israel for their wicked rebellion and refusal to wholeheartedly turn to God.
Just as David spoke in Psalm 32 of what happens when we, as individuals, fail to confess our sin and allow guilt to linger and destroy our health, so the psalmist gives us a painful picture of what happens when a nation turns away from God. The psalmist acknowledges God has done many wonders for Israel throughout its history but questions why they seemingly have been rejected and asks how long God will let the enemy mock Him.
In the center of this lament and plea for help, the psalmist declares God is his King who can rescue them. Even in the midst of a very dark place, the psalmist displays he still believes God is the Sovereign King who will respond to his prayers. When we find ourselves in similar situations, may we declare our belief in God’s sovereignty (even if we do not feel it at the moment) and keep on trusting Him in the midst of our questions and passionate pleas for help.
Memory Verse: Psalm 73:25, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Question(s) to Consider: Will you declare your faith in King Jesus in the midst of your trouble?