Psalm 74 Commentary
Self-inflicted Pain
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KEY THOUGHT: “When I choose the [b]proper time,
I will judge uprightly. [Psalm 74:2 NKJV]
Kindly read your Bible before going through the commentary!
Psalm 74 NKJV
Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do[a] Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
75 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
2 “When I choose the [b]proper time,
I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;
I set up its pillars firmly. Selah
4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’
And to the wicked, ‘Do not [c]lift up the horn.
5 Do not lift up your horn on high;
Do not speak with [d]a stiff neck.’ ”
6 For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
7 But God is the Judge:
He puts down one,
And exalts another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.
9 But I will declare forever,
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 “All the [e]horns of the wicked I will also cut off,
But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”
Footnotes
a. Psalm 75:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
b. Psalm 75:2 appointed
c. Psalm 75:4 Raise the head proudly like a horned animal
d. Psalm 75:5 Insolent pride
e. Psalm 75:10 Strength
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Psalm 74 Commentary
Self-inflicted Pain.
The timing of this psalm is obviously some period after the reign of King Solomon. During the reigns of David and Solomon, Israel was prosperous.
The destruction of the Sanctuary may refer to one of the many times when the Temple was ransacked by Israel’s enemies. It may even refer to the famous exile of 587 BC when the Temple was completely burnt down.
But history speaks louder. The Temple of the LORD suffered many times at the hands of both enemy and friend alike. We know of some of Israel’s kings who desecrated God’s holy dwelling. It’s always heavier when subjects of the Kingdom take the lead in desecrating God’s holy dwelling place.
Saints must look at themselves and see how they have helped desecrate God’s holy dwelling place. There should be less focus on the activities of people who don’t know God, people who have declared themselves opposed to obedience.
In this psalm, we hear the voice of the saints who lived through it all. Of course, this is a godly man’s reaction to the destruction and apparent abandonment of Israel by the LORD God. Standing a little further in time, several prophets would have easily provided the psalmist with sure answers to his questions. Israel is in this state of her own making.
But the psalmist isn’t writing an academic thesis on the destruction of Jerusalem. He is praying.
Back in the day, each community had its own god responsible for protection and prosperity. Like many other communities, Israel’s God was housed within the Temple. The defeat of Israel by her enemies was, in essence, the pagan god’s victory over the God of Israel. He had failed to protect them. There was no end to shame. Things like this shouldn’t happen.
The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. Verse 16. Is the psalmist referring to God’s power over both light and darkness? Probably yes. If the enemy won the battle, it was probably owing to God’s decision. The psalmist is aware of God’s veto power over all and above all.
There is a better version of what the psalmist is saying: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above,” said the LORD Jesus Christ as recorded in John 19 verse 11.
Yet the psalmist prays: “Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.” It’s the audacity of prayer. The LORD leads us to such moments of faith in spite of judgment.
No sinner can be too sinful, and no saint can be too backslidden to pray their way back to compassion. When punishment is deserved, and you know it, this psalm stands as a reminder to all. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” So we can still seek the LORD even from a position of extreme weakness.
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