Psalm 74 (NET)
A well-written song by Asaph.
74:1 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us?
Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?
74:2 Remember your people whom you acquired in ancient times,
whom you rescued so they could be your very own nation,
as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell!
74:3 Hurry and look at the permanent ruins,
and all the damage the enemy has done to the temple!
74:4 Your enemies roar in the middle of your sanctuary;
they set up their battle flags.
74:5 They invade like lumberjacks
swinging their axes in a thick forest.
74:6 And now they are tearing down all its engravings
with axes and crowbars.
74:7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground.
74:8 They say to themselves,
“We will oppress all of them.”
They burn down all the places where people worship God in the land.
74:9 We do not see any signs of God’s presence;
there are no longer any prophets
and we have no one to tell us how long this will last.
74:10 How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults?
Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
74:11 Why do you remain inactive?
Intervene and destroy him!
74:12 But God has been my king from ancient times,
performing acts of deliverance on the earth.
74:13 You destroyed the sea by your strength;
you shattered the heads of the sea monster in the water.
74:14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
you fed him to the people who live along the coast.
74:15 You broke open the spring and the stream;
you dried up perpetually flowing rivers.
74:16 You established the cycle of day and night;
you put the moon and sun in place.
74:17 You set up all the boundaries of the earth;
you created the cycle of summer and winter.
74:18 Remember how41 the enemy hurls insults, O Lord,
and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name!
74:19 Do not hand the life of your dove over to a wild animal!
Do not continue to disregard the lives of your oppressed people!
74:20 Remember your covenant promises,
for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules.
74:21 Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame!
Let the oppressed and poor praise your name!
74:22 Rise up, O God! Defend your honor!
Remember how fools insult you all day long!
74:23 Do not disregard what your enemies say,
or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you.
Outline/Stanza
1-11 Plea for God to rise against His enemies
12-17 Remembering God's awesome power
18-21 Plea for God for the needy and afflicted to be saved and against those who oppress them
22-23 Plea for God to rise and defend His Honor
Main Point:
God is all-powerful to save the afflicted and fight against his enemies.
Response:
Lord, thank you for you salvataion and redemption from the enemy.
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