Psalms Of Asaph That Acknowledge His Help And Judgement, Psalms 74:1-23;75:1-10

Psalm 74 is a maschil of Asaph. Asaph was a musician in David’s day (I Chronicles 15:17). After expressing his perplexity in Psalm 73, Asaph now writes about how the sanctuary is being profaned by Israel’s enemies. In fact, in verses 1-2, Asaph appeals to God to remember His people and to withhold His wrath against them. He states in those verses, “O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.” He is asking God to remember His people in Mout Zion.

Asaph calls upon God to aid His people, for the enemy had devastated the temple and the city of Jerusalem (v. 3). The psalmist described the devastating manner in which the enemy had destroyed the temple (vv. 4-8). The vivid picture of the destruction is seen in verses 6 and 7 – “But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers. They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.” To compound the problem, there was no prophet to tell how long this devastation might last (v. 9). Since there was no prophet, Asaph assumed the position of asking God how long the enemy would continue to ridicule and blaspheme God’s name.

Because of God’s past help, Asaph wanted God to act in the present (vv. 10-17). By reminding God of His past actions, Asaph was promoting God to act right now! He recalls God’s might by stating, “For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters” (vv. 12-13).

In our quest for God’s help, we often relate to God what he has done in the past in an effort to promote Him to act in our present crisis situation. In verses 18-23, the psalmist closes with an appeal for the Lord to remember the nation as He delivers them from their enemies – “Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name” (v. 18); “Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually” (v. 23).

In Psalm 75:1-10, the psalmist acknowledges that God will judge the earth and the psalmist is determined to praise God. He begins verse 1 by stating “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.” He acknowledges the justice of God as he states, “But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another” (v. 7). In the midst of acknowledging God’s judgment the psalmist vows to praise God in verse 9 – “But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.”

May God Bless!