Biblical Reflections

Psalm 74 is a community lament, a cry of anguish over a disaster that has fallen on the people and destroyed the Temple of God. There is the plea that even though this may come from God in punishment, yet do not let the Gentiles scorn God for this tragedy.

1-3 – Why God did you let this tragedy happen to us?

4-8 – A description is presented of how the Temple of God, the dwelling place of god’s name, was destroyed.

9-11 – Puzzlement over why God is silent during this destruction.

12-17 – Recalling the past wonders that were worked by God and acknowledging that salvation comes from God.

18-23 –For the sake of the covenant, deliver us.

Psalm 73 is a psalm of wisdom and the first psalm in Book 3.  Asaph struggles with the question of why do the wicked prosper.  Spoiler alert, ultimately the faithful and the wicked have different destinations.

1-3 – The wicked prospered and Asaph envied them.

4-12 – The wicked are free from the troubles that the faithful face on a daily basis.

13-15 – Asaph had bitter feelings and felt that he had lived a faithful life in vain.

16-17 – Asaph found the answer to his anguish in the sanctuary of God. 

18-20 – The destiny of the wicked is destruction.

21-28 – The destiny of the faithful is four-fold.  God is continually with us.  He holds our right hand in protection.  God guides us with counsel.  After death, God will take us into glory.  Our treasure is in heaven not in this world.  God is our strength and our inheritance forever.  In this life it is good to be near God, and to make him our refuge.

Psalm 72 is last psalm of Book 2.  It is a royal psalm praying for the heirs of David to have success in their assigned tasks as king, such tasks include:  ruling God’s people well, protecting the poor and needy, and bringing blessing to all the nations of the world.  This psalm anticipates the Messiah and his worldwide rule of all peoples.  

1-4 – Let the king rule/judge the people justly.  The attributes of the king should be righteousness and justice.  

5-7 – May they fear you means may they honor and obey you.  Metaphors are used like while the sun shines and till the moon is no more to mean always.

8-11 – May all the kings fall down and serve him, so that they will be under the rule of God.

12-14 – Bring justice and relief to the poor and needy and put down oppression and violence.  

15-17 – May all nations be blessed in this king.

18-20 – Not part of Psalm 72, rather it is the closing doxology of Book 2. May the whole earth be filled with the glory of the LORD, the God of Israel.

Psalm 71 is an individual lament in which a faithful person is in danger from enemies who would hurt him by taking advantage of a weakness or distress.  It appears to be taken from parts of Psalms 31 and other Davidic psalms.

1-3 – The singer opens with a profession of faith by being assured of God’s covenant promises.  God is righteous, that is he is faithful to keep his promises, and this is the basis of the prayer.

4-11 – Rescue me from those who want to hurt me.  They are wicked and cruel men, those who oppose true faith in God.  The singer acknowledges God’s protective hand and guidance all the way back to his conception.  The singer declares his faithful actions to God.  This is reminder that the benefits of the covenant are not automatic but are only for the faithful.  The singer has no hope of rescue except in God.

12-16 – The singer calls out for God to come quickly to rescue him.  He hopes to be able to praise God in the future to others for God’s saving grace during this danger.

17-21 – In my youth you taught me to trust you.  Do not abandon me now in old age.  Allow me to proclaim God to a new generation.  God’s attributes of righteousness and faithfulness are proclaimed.

22-24 – The conclusion that the singer expects to praise God in the future for his saving grace during this time of danger.

Psalm 70 is an individual lament to be rescued from gloating enemies.

1-3 – Deliver me from those who seek my life, those who say, aha, aha.

4-5 – Now a call for the faithful, those who seek God, to rejoice when God’s delivers the singer. Such a rescue would be evidence and assurance to the poor and needy that God keeps his promises.

Psalm 69

Psalm 69 is an individual lament in which a faithful person is suffering for the wrongs that he is done, but that the wicked are taking advantage of the suffering and making it worse.  But if this is from David, he represents the whole nation.  The New Testament cites several verses from this Psalm and applies them to the life of Christ.

1-4 – The singer describes great danger from treacherous enemies who hate him without cause.  Much of the attacks come as lies.

5-8 – The singer admits his own folly.  He does not hide it.

9-12 – The singer talks about bearing reproach.  In Romans 15:3, Paul applies verse 9 – the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me – to Jesus.  Jesus suffers reproach for the sake of God’s truth.

13-18 – The singer expresses his reliance on God.  We see the names of God, Elohim and YHWH.  God’s attributes are described as steadfast love and faithfulness.  These are basis for approaching God in prayer.

19- 21 – God you know all about me, all my faults, my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor.  The singer finds no comfort or pity from his attackers.  Verse 21 – is used by the Apostle John in John 19, where Jesus dying on the cross is given sour wine to drink.  

22-28 – The singer now calls on punishment for his attackers, as they deserve it.  Verses 22-23 are cited in Romans 11:9-10 by Paul to explain why Jews who reject the message of Christ have hardened.  Verse 25 – is cited by Peter in Acts 1:20 and applied to Judas.

29-33 – Deliver me for the sake of the humble.  Then the singer will glorify and magnify God to the faithful for this salvation.  

34-36 – As a result, the earth, sea, and heavens and all the faithful praise God.

Weekly Comments on Prayer:

Psalm 68 is a hymn of celebration for God’s continued care and protection for Israel.  The celebration includes recognizing the defeat of Israel’s enemies is also to benefit the gentile nations, who are constantly at war.  Many scholars believe that David composed this psalm for when the ark was returned to tabernacle in Jerusalem.  

1-3 – There is gladness among the faithful when God arises to act.  The righteous are happy because now the wicked will perish.   

4-6 – This is a call to praise God with singing, as God especially takes care of the fatherless, the widows, the solitary, and the prisoners.  The rebellious are not blessed.  

7-10 – The singer recalls the progress of the nation during the Exodus as they moved through Sinai and into the promised land. 

11-14 – The Psalmist now recalls victory that God gave to the nation over the gentile kings who opposed them.  Interesting observation, how the women of a village will go to the next village to spread the news of victory. 

15-18 – The destination of the ark is Mt. Zion, not the larger, higher, northern mountain of Bashan. Verse 18 is quoted by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4.  Paul changes the words.  Here we read God receiving gifts among men.  Paul says in Ephesians 4, that Christ ascended, referring to Psalm 68:18 and that Christ gave gifts to men.  The scholars say that in context we receive gifts from God in order to give them to others.  

19-23 – God protects his people from their enemies.   

24-27 – Here a procession is described, likely bringing the ark to the sanctuary in Jerusalem.  

28-31 – Gentile enemies are described as fierce wild animals, who lust after tribute and who delight in war. But gentile kings will one day bring their tribute and praise to the true God in Zion. 

32-35 – Finally, there is a call to all gentile kingdoms of the earth to praise the God of Israel.   The nation of Israel being the light of the true God to the world. 

Psalm 67 is a thanksgiving hymn for a fruitful harvest.  God blesses his people Israel so the rest of the world may come to know the true God. 

1-3 – May God bless us, the people sing, so that all the nations may know him.

4-5 – May the all the nations be glad in the rule of the true God, who rules justly. 

6-7 – God will bless us, his people, so that all the nations of the world will fear him and turn to him.

Psalm 66 is a hymn of thanksgiving for God’s answer to a personal request.  Yet, it is written to highlight that God’s answers to one person are in context of his answering the prayers of the nation and of all the earth.

1-4 – Let all the earth worship the God of Israel based upon his awesome deeds.

5-7 – The singer describes the miracles of the Exodus as evidence of God’s awesome deeds, which result in the basis of all people worshipping God.

8-12 – The singer now recounts how God tested the Hebrew people and brought them through the Exodus to the promised land, a place of abundance.  God has a chosen a special people to bring light and knowledge of God to all the people of the world.

13-15 – Now, the singer gets personal and explains that his offerings at the sanctuary to thank God for answer to his personal prayer.  These offerings are not bribes but gratitude.

16-20 – Because God has answered his prayer, the singer is praising God for all to hear.  Each-and-every person should be able to thank and to praise God for their answered prayers.  Notice that one of the requirements for God to answer your prayer is that you must not cherish iniquity (sin) in your heart.  This is not a requirement to be sinless, but a reminder to thank God and to serve him better.