- There are 12 Psalms attributed to Asaph - Psalm 50 and 73 – 83.
o We know Asaph was a Levite who led the choirs during the days of David. Cf.
1Ch 16:37
o We are not aware of the exact time when Aspah wrote this psalm.
? May be even some one wrote for Asaph, so that a choir in his name could sing…
• In spite of the obscurity in connection with the historical background…
o The contents are very much relevant the time we are in …
Here we see the prayers of a godly man for His people.
Asaph begins with a petition … and concludes with a petition..cf. vs 1, 2a, 22, 23a
Psa 74:1 O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? 2a Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old..”
Psa 74:22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily. 23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
• Begins and ends up with prayer…
• In between we see:
- The reasons why Asaph makes such an appeal / prayers.
- And the truths that encourages him to trust the Lord in prayer.
- Thus three main parts / sections in this psalm.
(a). The Agony of a Godly man – pain
(b). The Appeal of a Godly man – prayer
(c). The Assurance of a Godly man – ponderings / reflections
I. The Agony / anguish of a Godly man.
- Asaph is worried…troubled….distressed…
- His heart is troubled.....
• Ob: The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled” John 14:1
• But He knew the possibility…
• Saints will face such situations…of worry, anguish…cf.
Psa 34:19a Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
John 16:33 – ‘In this world you will have tribulations’
• Even the Lord Jesus faced it…cf. Matt 26:38
"My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."
- Isaiah says, ‘He was a man of sorrows’
• So…its natural state…possible….His followers too…face…
• Today…many of us…trouble....all the saints faced…
• Let us see why…Asaph in trouble:
• Four reasons:
a. God’s house is under attack. Vs. 3 - 6
Psa 74:3. Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations.The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary. 4 Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs. 5 They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees. 6 And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers. 8 They said in their hearts, "Let us destroy them altogether." They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
- Enemy attacked their temple and the city of Jerusalem.
- Prayer halls – synagogues – assembly halls… burnt down…
- Banners referring to God and His people…replaced with of the enemy.
o Psalmist is anguished over the sad, terrible state of the house of God.
? The sanctuary…the place where God dwelt…used to meet them…
• Today, we know the church…is the temple...the sanctuary….cf. 1Cor 3:16
1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
o Don’t we see similar satanic attack against the local assemblies today.
? Yes, the Lord said, “gates of hades will never prevail”
• That means…’satanic forces will try their best to
o Destroy…deform…the assembly…
Notice what the enemy did…
- Same in the local churches today”:
o V. 3b ‘damaged everything in the sanctuary’ – same…
? …much damage…deterioration…declension…spoiled…among the saints..
o V. 4b. ‘set up their banners for signs’. Cf. v.9a ‘we do not see any signs’
? ‘banner’ / ‘sign’ – may be anything that was an evidence / proof / mark
• Of the ownership of the temple…
o By which to identify…temple / saints belongs to whom……
• The distinguishing features…marks…
o Same always Satan wants to do……
? He wants to remove our marks…signs…features…
• Set up their signs…symbol…banner
o Change our name, our taste, our style…cf. Dan 1
o Illust: Daniel friends in Babylon…1:7
Dan 1:7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
? How they reacted to their efforts…to
o Accepted the change of name…but
? Objected to change of food style…
• And worship style…
• Do not forget the enemy wants us to be conformed to the world…
o We may exhibit the features / mark of the world…
o Same again…look at the assemblies…today
? Sad many not careful…Saints live like the worldly..
• Imitate…follow....finds excuse / logic
o V. 6. ‘They breakdown its curved works’ ….special art works…
? That gave beauty / splendor to the temple…
• Work of skilled men in the past…..destroyed…at once…
o Same….work of the great men of God in the past….
? That gave beauty and shape to the local assemblies…
• Destroyed…broken down…disappeared…
o All these are happening….even today..
o Name, shape, marks…distinguishing features…….of the assemblies
? Disappearing…
• Psalmist…godly man troubled over these matters…..
o What about us…
? are we concerned about the destruction taking place in the house of God.
• Are we concerned about the churches of God. Cf.
o 2Cor 11:28
2Co 11:28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
• Paul listing his troubles in life…most serious…concern for the churches..
- Why is it so serious?
o Why should we feel pain at such circumstances? Cf. 2, 7
Psa 74:2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
Psa 74:7 They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
Psa 74:18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
o God’s name defiled…blasphemed…
? Failure….lose….destruction of Saints…
• Lose…shame….bad…for God’s name…
o His congregation….His sheep….His inheritance….
o Psalmist understood the value…greatness…privilege….of saints…
? So, disturbed / pained…feeling sad at the attack of the enemy…
b. God’s people are ignorant. V. 9b
Psa 74:9 We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
o Another reason for his worries…
? No prophet to communicate God’s word for the time….
• There could be somebody…but psalmist finds none…
o General condition of God’s people….ignorance…indifference…
? There are such occasions…in the history of Israel…
• No revelation…No fresh word from God..
o No one knows...the truth...cf.
o 1Sam 3:1b; Jer 5: 4, 5 (Amos 8:11)
1Sa 3:1b And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
- Day of Eli….no revelation…
Jer 5:4 Therefore I said, "Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God.
- Days of Jeremiah…common man…no understanding of the things of God…cf. v. 5
5 I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God." But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds.
- Jeremiah went to the princes…great men....experts…they too…no idea…cf…
Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge
o Time to time…it was the state of Israel…
? They refused to get knowledge of God…
• NT also similar thing found…in Reve 3: 17
Rev 3:17 because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
o Do not know…how sad is their state…
o Again…same…consider the present state among many Christians…
? Even the so-called evangelical born again Christians…
• No idea…what is right, what is wrong…
o So many experts….so many preachers…
? But …the moment a confusion…question…
• No one to say …this is the way…this right path…result…
o Normal believers in trouble…confused
o Godly men like Asaph should feel disturbed…troubled…pain…
? God’s people are ignorant…
• No revelation…no prophet…no leaders…
c. God keeps quiet. Vs. 1, 10, 11
Psa 74:1 O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
Psa 74:10 O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
Psa 74:11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
- More than anything else…
- He is disturbed at the silence of God…
o Ob: He is aware of the anger of God…v.1 “your anger’
? God disciplines His people…when they go against His way..
• God will allow the adversary to deal with His own people…
o to chastise them…
? To teach…to train them up etc… cf. 1Peter 4:7
? cf. 1Pet 4: 17a – Judgment begins at the house of God…
• God’s anger towards the wicked is one thing…His own is another thing
o Psalmist knows it…
o What troubles him…is how long? Why no stop…to God’s anger? Cf. v. 10, 11
- Notice 4 questions in vs. 10, 11.
o ‘how long’ – v. 10
o ‘will the enemy blaspheme…forever’ – v. 10b
o ‘why do you withdraw’ – v. 11
o ‘why right hand hidden’ – v. 11b cf. v. 1
? Not working…restoring…no relief….
• So, psalmist worried over three things:
o God’s people under attack.
o God’s people are ignorant.
o God is silent over the struggles of His people…
o The sad state of the people of God always…troubled the heart of God’s servants…
o Many examples…
? Nehemiah, Daniel, Jeremiah…they all cried…prayed…
• The Lord wept over the state of Jerusalem….
o What about us…
- That makes him to appeal to God. V. 1, 2, 22, 23 etc…
II. The appeal / prayers a godly man. ….vs. 1, 2, 22, 23
o With all his questions, pain, and troubles…he comes to God in prayer…
? That’s what we ought to do…
• Troubles…should not make us depressed….
o it should only take us to His presence…closer to God..
? To pray…to plead….
• Ob: God alone patiently listens to our troubles..
• No use of sharing our troubles with people…
o Ob: How many times…questions…to God..
? Repeatedly reminding God…cf. v. 2, 23
• Nothing wrong…question or reminding…cf. Isa 62:6
Isa 62:6 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest,
? No time to go to the details of His prayer…
• It was earnest / passionate prayer.
o No just a casual prayer. ‘Oh, God…Arise’…
• It was selfless prayer…
o Not for him…others…
• It was spiritual prayer…
o For the cause of God…His people…His glory…etc..
III. The assurance of a godly man.
o In between His prayers psalmist refers to few truths that encourages…reassures him…
? As he pondered upon his troubles…
• He also began to remember…few realities that comforted him
• Challenged him to pray…and trust the Lord…
a. God is on the throne. V. 12a
Psa 74:12 For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
? He is on the throne…
• Whatever may happen around us…
• Whoever may rule….
o It’s so comforting …challenging…encouraging…
? Our Lord is the sovereign one…on the throne…
• Cf. Isa 6 – worried…troubled Isaiah had that vision of the king of glory…
o His life was changed…by that …
? Today the world is not recognizing this true king…..the Lord Jesus…
• When the king appeared…He was rejected…despised and crucified…
o But yet…we who love the Lord Jesus know…He is the kings of Kings…
? He will not fail…..His purposes will be accomplished…
Joh 1:49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
b. God is at work. V. 12b “Working salvation in the midst of the earth.”
? When the enemy is at work…against the God’s people…
• God is also at work....always….to save …deliver…to protect…. Cf. 57:2
Psa 57:2 I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.
o His working for us…
? All things…every area…every need…cf, Mark 7:37
Mar 7:37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.
o Now psalmist realized…God is not hiding…no silent…
? Carefully watching….waiting…working…
? How does he know….thought of the past works of God…cf
13 – 15: You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. 14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness. 15 You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.
- Israel could always remember…God’s works in terms of the deliverance they got…from Egypt..
o For us the greatest work…is the work of Salvation…
? God who saved us…from eternal condemnation…sure to save us to the uttermost..cf.
Rom 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Rom 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
? When enemies saved…how much more…
• Saved us by His son…how much more…
Review: His assurance:
- God is on the throne.
- God is at work..
c. God controls all seasons. Vs. 16, 17
Psa 74:16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. 17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
? Sovereign God controls every situation – season…
? Night – day / summer – winter
• He allows various seasons…times…
o We should patiently wait for His time…
? There will be a change for the present condition..
• Today we see darkness…..not forever…
o We will see a change…
- The Agony / anguish of a Godly man.
- The appeal of a godly man. ….
- The assurance of a godly man.
Conclusion:
- Be aware of the present trouble we facing.
- Be aware of the glory….greatness of our God.
- Be aware of the great things He has done for us…
- Keep on trusting….pleading…
(Preapared by Nelson Thomas Mumbai visit gracepeace.net)
