Desolation of the Nation. Psalm 74:1-23

Transcription

1 1 Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell Desolation of the Nation Psalm 74:1-23

2 2 Text: Psalm 74:1-23, Desolation of the Nation Commentary by Clyde M. Miller 1. Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? 2. Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe 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 miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. 10. How long will the enemy mock you, O 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!

3 But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon 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 him 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, O 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. (NIV) Introduction: I. In this community lament, three things distress the people: 1) the temple has been destroyed (3-8), 2) there is no responsive prophetic activity (9), and 3) the name of God has been dishonored (10). A. Psalm 74:3-10, Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary. our foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs. They behaved like

4 4 men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. hey smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets. hey burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. hey said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. e are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? (NIV) II. Opening complaint and petition (1-3) are followed by a description of the desolation (4-8), a second complaint (9-11), a hymn of faith (12-17) and a final plea (18-23). Complaint and Petition Psalm 74:1-3, Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed Mount Zion, where you dwelt. Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary. (NIV) Psalm 74:1, Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? (NIV) I. Petition usually precedes complaint, but here the order is reversed. A. Forever means for a long time. B. God s anger is smoldering, that is, it is about to erupt. II. God is often described as the shepherd of His people (Pss. 23:1; 28:9; 78:71; 80:1), and Israel is described as His sheep (Pss. 49:14; 79:13; 95:7; 100:3).

5 5 A. Psalm 23:1, The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. (NIV) B. Psalm 28:9, Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. (NIV) C. Psalm 78:71, from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. (NIV) D. Psalm 80:1, Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth (NIV) E. Psalm 49:14, Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. (NIV) F. Psalm 79:13, Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation e will recount your praise. (NIV) G. Psalm 95:7, for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, (NIV) H. Psalm 100:3, Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (NIV) III. God is generally portrayed as one who protects his sheep who trust him.

6 6 A. Here, however, the opposite is true. B. This should serve as a flag to tell us that Israel is unfaithful and is being disciplined. Psalm 74:2, Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed Mount Zion, where you dwelt. (NIV) I. Plaintive questions are familiar in laments, and are usually associated with a call for God to remember his covenant relationship to his redeemed people. II. God is poetically represented as one who has purchased Israel, that is, paid a ransom price for them (Isa. 43:3; 50:2; Jer. 31:11; Hos. 13:14). A. Isaiah 43:3, For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. (NIV) B. Isaiah 50:2, When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst. (NIV) C. Jeremiah 31:11, For the LORD will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. (NIV) D. Hosea 13:14, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are

7 7 your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? "I will have no compassion, (NIV) Psalm 74:3, Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary. (NIV) I. Everlasting ruins are ruins of long duration. A. The sanctuary is the temple in Jerusalem that now is in ruins. 1. This marks the psalm as exilic, written after Nubuchadnezzar had destroyed the temple in 587/6 B.C. (2 Kgs. 25:8-9) and before it was restored in postexilic times in 516 B.C. a. 2 Kings 25:8, 9, On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. (NIV) Description of Desolation Psalm 74:4-8, Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs. They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets. They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. (NIV)

8 8 Note: This paragraph is bracketed by two topic statements, the first portraying the foes as lions that roar over their prey (4), a metaphor of the rapacious appetites of their enemies. The second describes the carrying out of their desires by destroying the sanctuaries in the land (8). The inner core (5-7) vividly describes the destruction of the sanctuary and its fixtures. Psalm 74:4, Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs. (NIV) I. Standards are the cymbals of victory that the enemies raised when they conquered Jerusalem. Psalm 74:5, They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. (NIV) I. Verse 5 is ambiguous, but the Septuagint and Syriac take it to refer to the woodwork in front of the temple. Psalm 74:6, They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets. (NIV) I. Carved paneling probably refers to the figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers (1 Kgs. 6:29). A. 1 Kings 6:29, On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. (NIV) Psalm 74:7, They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. (NIV)

9 9 I. The sanctuary, along with the king s palace and other houses in the royal complex, was burned by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the king s bodyguard. Psalm 74:8, They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. (NIV) I. All the meeting places is the literal reading of 8a. A. These probably do not refer to synagogues (ct. KJV), but to sacred places throughout the land, such as Beersheba (Gen. 21:32-33; 26:23-33), Bethel (Gen. 28:10-22), and Gilgal (Josh. 4:19-24). 1. Genesis 21:32, 33, After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. 2. Genesis 26:23-33, From there he went up to Beersheba. That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham." Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. Isaac asked them, "Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?" They answered, "We saw clearly

10 10 that the LORD was with you; so we said, 'There ought to be a sworn agreement between us'-between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated you well and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD." Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace. That day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, "We've found water!" He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba. (NIV) 3. Genesis 28:10-22, Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place!

11 11 This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." (NIV) 4. Joshua 4:19-24, On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God." (NIV) B. God had put his name in these places of worship and memorial. C. However, the temple where the ark was housed was the place where the tribes were to assemble for the annual sacred festivals (1 Kgs. 8:27-53).

12 Kings 8:27-53, "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. "When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple, then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence. "When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers. "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, lo-

13 13 custs or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple- then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers. "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name- for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm when he comes and prays toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. "When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. "When they sin against you for there is no one who does not sin and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who

14 14 took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. "May your eyes be open to your servant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign LORD, brought our fathers out of Egypt." (NIV) Complaint About Ceaseless Desolation Psalm 74:9-11, We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them! (NIV) Psalm 74:9, We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. (NIV) I. No prophets (9b,c) probably applies only to Jerusalem (Lam. 2:9; Ezek. 7:26), for Jeremiah was in Egypt (Jer. 43:1-8), and Ezekiel was a captive, yet spokesman, in Babylonia (2 Kgs. 24:8-17; Ezek. 1:1-3). A. Lamentations 2:9, Her gates have sunk into the ground; their bars he has broken and destroyed. Her king and her

15 15 princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and her prophets no longer find visions from the LORD. (NIV) B. Ezekiel 7:26, Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor upon rumor. They will try to get a vision from the prophet; the teaching of the law by the priest will be lost, as will the counsel of the elders. (NIV) C. Jeremiah 43:1-8, When Jeremiah finished telling the people all the words of the LORD their God everything the LORD had sent him to tell them- Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'You must not go to Egypt to settle there.' But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon." So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the LORD's command to stay in the land of Judah. Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. They also led away all the men, women and children and the king's daughters whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the LORD and went as far as Tahpanhes. In Tahpanhes the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: (NIV) D. 2 Kings 24:8-17, Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD,

16 16 just as his father had done. At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him. In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed all the treasures from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace, and took away all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the LORD. He carried into exile all Jerusalem: all the officers and fighting men, and all the craftsmen and artisans a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left. Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king's mother, his wives, his officials and the leading men of the land. The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand craftsmen and artisans. He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah. (NIV) E. Ezekiel 1:1-3, In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth of the month it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin- the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him. II. This suggests a time shortly after 582 B.C. for the writing of the psalm.

17 17 A. Jeremiah knew how long (Jer. 25:11-12), but he was not in Jerusalem, so he could not testify. 1. Jeremiah 25:11, 12, This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever. (NIV) Psalm 74:10, How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? (NIV) I. The plaintive cry, How long?, was frequently used to beg God to cease delaying his deliverance of the nation (Pss. 6:3; 13:1,2; 35:17, et al). A. Psalm 6:3, My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? (NIV) B. Psalm 13:1, 2, How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? (NIV) C. Psalm 35:17, O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. (NIV) II. God s interest is at stake as long as Judah lies in ruins. A. Ancient wars were considered contests between the gods of the nations involved.

18 The gods of the victors were considered the stronger, and the gods of the defeated were the weaker. 2. God s name would thus be defiled and mocked by the military victors of pagan nations. Psalm 74:11, Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them! (NIV) I. It is implied that God s right hand, the symbol of His power, could easily route the enemy if God so chose. A. For Him to withhold that power seemed as though he did not care for His people. II. Verse 11b has a textual ambiguity. A. It reads literally, Out of the midst of your bosom, destroy! (NASB, NEB). 1. Does it mean, Take it out of your bosom and destroy! (KJV, NIV, NKJV)? 2. Practically all the English versions emend the text; several emend to make the two lines synonymous. Hymn of Faith Psalm 74:12-17, But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. The

19 19 day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. (NIV) Psalm 74:12, But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. (NIV) I. Verse 9 employs plural pronouns but verse 12 uses the singular. A. Community solidarity is under consideration. 1. He considers his and the nation s fortunes to be intertwined. a. Perhaps he wants others to join him in his hymn of praise. 2. God s rule extends to the whole earth; therefore, he is able to rescue Judah. B. An effort is being made to motivate God to come to His people s aid in the present crisis. Psalm 74:13, It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. (NIV) I. Verse 13 recounts the splitting of the Red Sea in Moses day to allow the Israelites to pass through in their flight from Egypt. A. The monster is further described in verse 14. Psalm 74:14, It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. (NIV)

20 20 I. Leviathan was believed to be a seven-headed mythological monster used here as a symbol of Egypt. A. Mythological language is employed, but not the mythological theology. Psalm 74:15-17, It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. (NIV) I. God s creation of and control over nature are set forth to demonstrate His unlimited power over pagan nations. Closing Plea Psalm 74:18-23, Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name. Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name. Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long. Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually. (NIV) Psalm 74:18, Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name. (NIV) I. Remember means to become active in granting deliverance. A. At least ten motives are offered in this paragraph for God to deliver.

21 First, the enemy mocks and reviles God s name (18a,b). Psalm 74:19, Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. (NIV) 2. Second, God s people are His dove, that is, his dependent afflicted ones (19a). a. God should deliver the defenseless (19b). Psalm 74:20, Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. (NIV) 3. Third, God should have regard for his covenant (20a). 4. Fourth, He should route the violence from His holy land (20b). Psalm 74:21, Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name. (NIV) 5. Fifth, God s people are oppressed and disgraced (21a). 6. Sixth, Israel will praise God s name when deliverance comes (21b). Psalm 74:22, Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long. (NIV) 7. Seventh, this is God s cause, not merely Judah s (22a). 8. Eighth, the enemies mock God constantly (22b).

22 22 Psalm 74:23, Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually. (NIV) Application: 9. Ninth, the enemy clamors over her victory (23a). 10. Tenth, the enemies are God s adversaries (23b). I. In times of desolation when it seems that God has forgotten us, it is good to analyze the situation. A. Paul exhorts us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5) Corinthians 13:5, Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you unless, of course, you fail the test? (NIV) 2. This means that we should first examine our own faithfulness to see if we are the failing ones, not God. 3. Second, if we recognize our faithfulness, we should understand God s discipline that is intended to strengthen our faith (Heb. 12:4-13). a. Hebrews 12:4-13, In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines

23 23 those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. (NIV) 4. Third, we should examine our motives to see if our worship is in truth or is vain (John 4:23-24; Mt. 15:8-9). a. John 4:23, 24, Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (NIV) b. Matthew 15:8, 9, "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"(niv)

24 24 II. This process should cause the sincere seeker to recognize God s infinitude and our finiteness. A. God is great and God is good. B. This is a constant theme in the psalms.

25 25 Questions Psalm 14:1-23 (Questions based on NIV text.) 1. In this community lament what three things were said to have distressed the people? 2. Outline Psalm What do the psalms say about God s role as the shepherd of his people? 4. Define forever and everlasting as used in Psalm 74.

26 When was Psalm 74 written? 6. Summarize verses 4-8 and tell how it is structured? 7. To what does All the meeting places refer in verse 8? 8. To what does carved paneling refer in verse 6? 9. What happened to the sanctuary mentioned in verse 6?

27 Explain the meaning of No prophets in verse 9. At that time where were Jeremiah and Ezekiel and what were they doing? 11. Explain the use and meaning of the expression How long? in Psalm 74:10 and elsewhere. 12. To the ancients what did victory and defeat in war connote theologically? 13. Define Leviathan and speak to its use in Scripture. 14. How and to what extent does God continue to be involved in day to day events in human affairs?

28 List ten reasons the psalmist gave for God to become active in granting deliverance. 16. What lessons does Psalm 74 teach which are applicable to our lives today? 17. Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

29 With what did God purchase Israel? With what did he redeem them? 19. What is the historical background of verses 3-8? Give details. 20. We are given no ; no are left, and none of us how this will be. 21. Why did God hold back his right hand from delivering Israel? 22. What, according to verses 12-15, had God done with Israel in the past? Give historical details and biblical references.

30 What boundaries of the earth did God set? 24. Did the psalmist s faith waver or was he simply confused by events? 25. How have you reacted to the vicissitudes of life?