Psalms 74:1-23 - The Biblical Illustrator

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Bible Comments

O God, why hast Thou cast us off for ever?

why doth Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture?

The wail and prayer of a true patriot

I. The wail (Psalms 74:1-17).

1. Some communities of men are far more favoured of Heaven than others. The Jews were (Psalms 74:1-2). In this diversity of endowment--

(1) There is no just reason for complaining of God. As the Sovereign Author of all life, He has an undoubted right to determine as to whether He should give life to any or not; what kind of life it should be, and to how many; and what kind or measure of power He should give to each.

(2) There is no injury done to any. The man or community least favoured has no right to complain, for he is only responsible for what he has. Obligation is bounded by capacity.

2. The most favoured communities are not exempted from terrible calamities (Psalms 74:7-9).

3. These terrible calamities are often inflicted by wicked men.

4. The wicked men who inflict these calamities are ever under the control of God.

(1) He has power to arrest them (Psalms 74:10).

(2) This power He has sometimes signally displayed (Psalms 74:13-14).

(3) This power is implied in the universality of His dominion.

II. The prayer (Psalms 74:18-23).

1. The enemies of God are the enemies both of themselves and of their country (Psalms 74:18). A bad man cannot be a good citizen, but must be more or less a curse to his country. An ungodly man can never be a true patriot.

2. The interposition of God is necessary to deliver a country from the pernicious influence of wicked men (Psalms 74:22).

(1) The cause of true philanthropy is the cause of God.

(2) The cause of philanthropy is outraged on earth. Men, instead of loving each other as brethren, hate each, oppress each other, murder each other.

(3) The cause of philanthropy is dear to the heart of the good.

Hence the prayer, “Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause.” In this prayer two things are to be noted--
(i.) The anthropomorphic tendency of the soul.
(ii.) A good man’s conscious need of God.
How deeply did this godly patriot feel the necessity of God’s interposition. In the midst of his country’s distress he looked around, but there was help to be found nowhere but in heaven. (Homilist.)

Related Commentaries of Psalms 74:1

Psalms 74:1-23

1 O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the roda of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.

5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

7 They have castb fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.

8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroyc them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.

12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13 Thou didst divided the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mightye rivers.

16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast madef summer and winter.

18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increasethg continually.