Psalm 74

brendaonline.com

Psalms 74:1-23 (KJV) 1 [[Maschil of Asaph.]] O God, why hast thou cast [us] off for ever? [why] doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? 

Psalmist ask these questions:

Cast off forever?

Smoke against your own sheep?

Does this sound like a good shepherd?

God has allowed us to hear a prayer that Jesus brought an answer to.  We live by faith in knowing God will never leave us.  God will never cut His people off.  He is a good shepherd.  When things get tough , do you sound like this?  Do we forget God?

2 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. 

Remember:

1. Your people 
2. The authority you gave your people
3. Remember your dwelling place

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

Walk toward  the loneliness of your people and look at how we have been mistreated.

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

Your enemy sound like a lion in the midst of your sheep.  They mark their territory.

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

The man that built your house became famous for cutting down the trees used to build it.

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

But now they break down all that was built in your name.

God had given instructions not to bring carpentry tools when erecting his house.  Now his house is being torn down by what he forbade to use to build it.

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

1. Brought fire into God’s house
2. Defiled God’s house to 
3. Brought your name down  to the ground by defiling
4. Trampling on your name

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

Now that all of the places that teaches the Word of God are all burned down, they said in their hearts, let us now destroy all of the people who believe in God.

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

We have no one to communicate to us what you are doing.

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

Lord, how long will the enemy treat us with disrespect?

Will the enemy speak evil of you forever?

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

Lord where are you?  Where is your right hand that helps us?  Hurry to show us your hand.

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

You are the same God who saved from long ago.

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

You divided the sea and broke the sea creatures who could have destroyed us.

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

You broke the  heads of the  most stubborn creature described in Job, when you brought correction to Job’s conduct.  You gave the people living in the uncultured land the  meat of what you defeated.  When we refuse to eat the bread of life, we are full with the enemy’s diet.

We eat what God destroyed.

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

You controlled the water system of earth.  Gave streams and dried rivers.

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

Night and day are yours.

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

Seasons are yours.

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

Remember  what the enemy is trying to do to your Word.

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

Hear the cry of the innocent.  Don’t allow the enemy to destroy us.

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

Keep your Word Lord; the world we live in is dark.

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

Don’t let your people be ashamed.  Let us praise your name.

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

Take your stand and defend your name.

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

Don’t forget the sound of those that fight against  your  Word

The confusion evil doers continues to speak against your Word.