seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Psalm 74 A maskil[a] 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
a. Psalm 74:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
First thoughts..... I titled this "Battle Cry". I read that this was about God and enemies. I see the destruction of the temple.... I figure this is someone's plea after the destruction of the Temple. OK... there was not "Temple" in Jerusalem until AFTER David. Solomon built the Temple that the Babylonians destroyed. So no one from David's time could have written about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem with first hand knowledge.
This is the commentary from bible-studys.org.
Though the psalm contains no historical superscription, the content reveals that it was written when an enemy had invaded the temple, and burned it. The occasion certainly seems to be the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the beginning of the Babylonian exile. The speaker in the psalm is the nation itself, making it a national lament psalm. There are two distinct parts to the psalm: First, the lament of the present destruction is stated; then, introduced by the word “For”, the hope of the psalmist is voiced. His confidence is based on the Lord’s past interventions, and issues in the psalmist’s current petition.
This community lament expresses the agony of the people in the midst of the most excruciating of circumstances. It was bad enough that Israel’s enemies had destroyed the temple (compare 2 Kings chapter 25). But even worse, it seemed to the psalmist that God had abandoned them. In this prayer, he reminds God of His bond with Israel, His past supernatural deeds in the protection of Israel, and begs God to save His obedient nation now.
Title: “Asaph”. If this psalm reflects the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar (in 586 B.C.), Asaph would have been dead by then. Thus, this title may mean that this psalm was written by or sung by a later Asaph choir.
This poem was not written by David. This poem was not written by anyone who played music with David. This poem was not written by Asaph.... who was a contemporary of David's. This poem is a hymn in the hymnal.... written by someone else. It's like something David or Asaph would have written if they had been around at the time.... that's probably why it's filed in Psalms with the hymns David and Asaph taught to the original temple musicians..... Maybe it was written by a Temple musician from the time of the Babylonian invasion..... that would make sense....I know there are a lot of people who have experienced tragedy in their church..... the churches that have burned all over the south for decades.... the priesthood of the church..... the scandals of the church.... the church shootings..... all of these are horrific reminders.....
Next time someone says "pray for the church"..... don't just say "yes yes".... and then go on about the business of the day..... next time someone says "pray for the church" maybe I will think of this poem and the title "battle cry"..... and maybe I'll pray.... "Get 'em God!"
