Psalm 74 was likely written by a descendant of Asaph who ministered before the ark of the covenant in King David's court. Asaph and his descendants were Levites who sang songs of thanksgiving to the Lord.
In Psalm 74, Asaph is crying out to the Lord because Jerusalem and the temple of God had been destroyed by Babylon. The Israelites had been taken captive into Babylon.
Asaph's cry to God demonstrates his deep concern that God had cast them off forever because of His anger against the wicked kings of Judah. Asaph pleads with God to remember His people and the covenant that He made with them.
He describes how Babylon had damaged, desecrated, and destroyed God's temple, burning it to the ground. They destroyed all of the meeting places of God throughout Judah.
Asaph cries that there is no sign from God; no prophets speaking for God. God is silent.
Asaph asks God how long will He be silent and allow His enemies to blaspheme His name. He asks how long will God withdraw His hand and pleads with God to destroy Babylon because He is the ancient King, working salvation throughout the earth.
Asaph describes God's power and concern for His people and for the poor. How He has provided for them. He pleads with God to remember that, and to not forget the life of the poor and the oppressed. May they praise His name.
He pleads with God to remember the covenant and to plead His cause with the foolish man who reproaches Him daily. Remember how the foolish man reproaches Him daily, therefore do not forget the voice of His enemies and that those who rise up against Him increases continually.
God cast Judah from His sight as Asaph mentioned, when God sent raiders from several nations against Judah to destroy it, according to His word which He had spoken by the prophets. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jerusalem and took Judah captive. 2 Kings says that God did this because Judah did not keep His commandments but sinned against Him and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. Their sins were such an abomination to God that He would not forgive them (2 Kings 17:19-20; 23:27; 24:1-4).
God answered Asaph's prayer and remembered His covenant and what Judah's enemies had done. He sent King Cyrus of Persia to conquer Babylon, release Judah from captivity, and rebuild the temple.The remnant of Israel returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the city and the temple, fulfilling prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophets, that scattered Israel would return to their land.
God hears His people, and remembers those who He has a covenant with, and though He uses other people or nations to discipline and test us, He repays them for what they do to us because they are His people and He is their God. His people are His special treasure, and chosen people. He will never leave them or forsake them.
[1] O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
[2] Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed— This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
[3] Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
[4] Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs.
[5] They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees.
[6] And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers.
[7] They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
[8] They said in their hearts, “Let us destroy them altogether.” They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
[9] We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
[10] O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
[11] Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
[12] For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
[13] You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
[14] You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
[15] You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.
[16] The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.
[17] You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
[18] Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
[19] Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
[20] Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.
[21] Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
[22] Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
[23] Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
2 Kings 17:20
2 Kings 17:19–20 (NKJV): 19 Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight.
2 Kings 23:27 (NKJV): 27 And the Lord said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’ ”
2 Kings 24:1–4 (NKJV): Judah Overrun by Enemies
24 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And the Lord sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servants the prophets. 3 Surely at the commandment of the Lord this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon.
No comments:
Post a Comment