C H 1-11. Prayer. The enemy in the Sanctuary.
J 12. Plea. Former merciful deliverances.
J 13-17. Plea. Former merciful deliverances.
H 18-23. Prayer. The enemy in the sanctuary.
The 2nd Psalm of each book has to do specially with the enemy.
H K 1. Expostulation.
L 2. Prayer. Memory. "Of old'.
M 3. Enemies.
M 4-6. Enemies.
L 9. Prayer. Inquiry. "How long".
K 10,11. Expostulation.
(Not David's Asaph, but a successor bearing the same name.)
Psalm 74)
1 O God, why have You cast us off for ever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? (God has emotions. He becomes angry with His children that disobey Him, and He chastises those He loves.)
2 Remember Your assembly (the subject of Book II), which You have squired as a possession (cp. 78:54. Ex. 15:16. Ruth 4:10) aforetime;
The scepter of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed; (See Ex. 6:6.)
This (shows that the writer wrote while the scenes described were enacted. Cp. 79 and Lam. 2:1-9) mount Zion, wherein You have dwelt.
3 Hasten to [and see] the perpetual desolations;
Even all that the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary. (What is being done wickedly in the churches? Satan utilizes many pulpits. Turn your television on next Sunday morning, if you don't believe me.)
4 Your adversaries roar in the midst of Your assembly;
They set up their signs as signs [for us].
5 A man used to be [considered] (the contrast is with "now" in the next line) famous according as he had lifted up
Axes (cp. Jer. 46:22,23) upon the thick trees. (There was a time men were famous for building the sanctuary and making it grow.)
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers. (Instead of building the sanctuary, they are tearing it down. We are talking about the many membered body as well.)
7 They have cast Your holy place into the fire,
They have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, "Let us destroy them together (or, at once):"
They have burned up all the meeting-places of GOD (El) in the land. (A church that doesn't teach the Word of God is not pleasing to God.)
9 We see not our signs (i.e. the signs of God's presence and power or miraculous signs. Cp. "their" of v.4 with "our", v.9): there is no more any prophet: (Put for prophetic utterances.)
Neither is there among us any that knows how long. (Oh there isn't? Remember, the people are saying this, not God. God gives signs to those that are watching every day.)
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?
Shall the enemy blaspheme Your name for ever? (The adversary will blaspheme God's name, until he goes into the lake of fire.)
11 Why withdraw You Your hand, even Your right hand?
Pluck it out of Your bosom. (The Sept. adds "Selah" connecting the conclusion of the prayer with the wonderful ground of the plea based upon it; which constitute the central members and subjects of the Psalm. This is a Hebraism meaning, "Why aren't You doing anything God?". The people just don't know.)
12 For God is my King of old,
Working great deliverances in the midst of the earth.
J N c 13-. Dividing the sea.
d -13. The breaking of Egypt.
d 14. The breaking of Egypt.
c 15. Dividing the Jordan.
N e 16-. Day and night.
f -16. Heavens.
f 17-. Earth.
e -17. Summer and winter.
13 You did cleave the sea (cp. Ex. 14:21, describing a sudden vehement act) by Your strength:
You broke the heads of the crocodiles (symbolical of Egypt) in the waters.
14 You broke the heads of leviathan in pieces,
And gave him to be meat to the inhabits the wilderness. (I.e. the wild beasts. God delivers the people that love Him.)
15 You did open a passage to the fountain (cp. Ex. 17:6. Num. 20:11. Put for the rock from which the water flowed) and the flood: (Cp. Josh. 3:13,&c.)
You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours:
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,
19 O deliver not the life of Your turtledove to the multitude (or host) of the wicked:
20 Have respect to the covenant: (Cp. Gen. 15:18; 17:7,8.)
21 O let not an oppressed one return ashamed:
22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause:
Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
23 Forget not the voice of Your enemies:
H O 18. Remember the enemies reproach.
P g 19. Deprecation. The oppressed.
h 20. Prayer. "Your covenant".
P g 21. Deprecation.
h 22,23. Prayer. "Your cause".
O -22. Remember the enemies reproach
And that the foolish people have blasphemed You. (The enemy scoffs at God, and foolish people make fun of His very name. Don't worry, God knows.)
Forget not the congregation of Your oppressed for ever. (The turtledoves are His loved ones. The poor are the humble. Father won't forget either.)
For the dark places of the earth (or land) are full of the habitations of cruelty. (Those that are aware of God's covenant signs have no reason to fear dark places. When Satan rears his ugly head, we know were to tell him to go In the name of Jesus Christ.)
Let a poor one, and a needy one praise You.
The tumult of those that rise up against You increases continually.