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Psalm 74:1–3; Antiphon, Psalm 69:9—Psalm 74 is a lament by the people
of God over the (apparent) triumph of the ungodly. Sometimes, it may seem as
though God has deserted us, that He has withdrawn His Presence from us. But the
antiphon shows us that God has not forsaken us. These words are to be applied
to Jesus, to show that He has interceded for us. The reproach which should fall
upon us on account of sin has fallen upon Him.
Psalm 74 – Asking the
LORD to remember his destroyed sanctuary
This psalm is titled A Contemplation of Asaph. It is a
plea and a prayer in great sorrow from the destruction of the sanctuary (Psalm
74:3, 7). The majority of commentators believe this psalm followed the
destruction of the temple by the Babylonians. Some argue that it is even later,
following the desecration of the temple in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes. If
these later dates are true, this Asaph is not the great singer and musician of
David and Solomon’s era, unless Asaph composed this psalm prophetically, which
was possible according to 1 Chronicles 25:1 and 2 Chronicles 29:30.
James Montgomery Boice explains the thinking of a
later Asaph: “Either this is a later
Asaph, which is not unlikely since the name might have been perpetuated among
the temple musicians, or, more likely, the name was affixed to many psalms
produced by this body of musicians. We know that the ‘descendants of Asaph’ were
functioning as late as the reign of Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:15).”
There is another option: the Asaph of David and
Solomon’s time composed this psalm on the occasion or the memory of the
destruction of the tabernacle in Shiloh (1 Samuel 4). The word sanctuary used
in Psalm 74:3, 7 is also used of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8; Leviticus 12:4,
21:12; Numbers 10:21, 18:1).
The plea for
help when the sanctuary is destroyed.
Vv.1-2
Asking God to remember His people.
O
God, why have You cast us off forever?
Why
does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
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.
O God, why
have You cast us off forever? Asaph
lived and served during the reigns of David and Solomon, which were generally
times of security and blessing for Israel. Yet even within those generally good
times, there were occasions of difficulty in the face of Israel’s enemies.
Asaph wrote during such a season, or possibly with such a difficult time in
mind. He wrote of the terrible sense that God had cast us off forever and is no
longer for us.[1]
We take comfort in the promise of the antiphon; Psalm
69:9 “zeal for your house has consumed me,”
[2]
Collect for Psalm 74, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church,
© 1994 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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