Psalm 74:1 ¶ «Maschil of
Asaph.» O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine
anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? 2
Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the
rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion,
wherein thou hast dwelt. 3 Lift up thy
feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath
done wickedly in the sanctuary. 4 Thine
enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for
signs. 5 A man was famous
according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. 6 But now they break down the carved work
thereof at once with axes and hammers. 7
They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting
down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground. 8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy
them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9 We see not our signs: there is
no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how
long. 10 O God, how long shall the
adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? 11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right
hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
This Psalm has been said by various commentators to have been
written not by the Maschil of David’s time but someone writing at different
times like the future Babylonian captivity or even another time. Others have
noted how this will apply to the end times and we can see events in the time in
which he live now that parallel some of these thoughts.
It seems that they should know why God was angry with His people
due to their disobedience and idolatry so I am more inclined to believe that
this was written during David’s struggles against his son’s rebellion or some
like catastrophe such as the census that was taken out of God’s will that
resulted in such disaster.
In a time of civil war where the kingdom appears to being in
danger of being destroyed it is a likely prayer. We are your people, God, so why are you
destroying us?
Psalm 60:1 ¶ «To the chief
Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with
Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the
valley of salt twelve thousand.» O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast
scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
The Psalmist eloquently reminds God that these are His people,
purchased and redeemed, and this is where He has dwelt with His people.
Psalm 106:40 Therefore was
the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his
own inheritance.
It seems to indicate that there are internal enemies who oppose
God, perhaps idolaters, who participate with the true God’s people in the very
sanctuary, the congregation of God.
This could easily be a prayer in time of rebellion, in the chaos
of civil war, so many of which the details have been left out in the Bible
narrative. The Psalmist laments the
enemies of God, the destruction of the local places of assembly, and what
appears to be God just standing by and doing nothing about it.
Psalm 10:1 ¶ Why standest
thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
Whatever the occasion for which this was written we can understand
this lamentation in places like Western Europe where churches are taken over as
mosques, where priests and preachers are murdered, men are beheaded, where
women are raped, and children are slaughtered, wondering why God appears to be
doing nothing about it. We can see this in places like the Sudan where
Christians are enslaved, tortured, and murdered for their faith. The Psalmist,
like Christians in those places, laments the destruction of God’s people and
the appearance of inaction on the part of God Himself. We hear the battle cry
of a fierce religion on our computers, phones, and televisions and wonder when
God will act as we see the events foretold in Revelation begin to come about,
or so it appears, right in front of us.
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