Psa 74 | MHM | STEP | The Lament Over the Ruined Sanctuary This psalm is called a Maschil , meaning it is written to teach and give instruction, especially during times of trouble. The psalm encourages us to turn to God in prayer when we are in distress, trusting that He hears us. Here, God’s people cry out about three things: God’s displeasure, the destruction of their places of worship, and the lack of hope for relief. They look past their human enemies and focus on their relationship with God, seeking His help and understanding in their suffering. v. 1 : The people ask, O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why does thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? . They feel abandoned and are troubled most by the thought that God is angry with them. They care more about losing God’s favor than about any suffering from people. Like Jesus on the cross, they ask God why He seems distant (Matthew 27:46 ). But even in their pain, they remember they are still God’s people

‏ Psalms 74

The Lament Over the Ruined Sanctuary

This psalm is called a Maschil, meaning it is written to teach and give instruction, especially during times of trouble. The psalm encourages us to turn to God in prayer when we are in distress, trusting that He hears us. Here, God’s people cry out about three things: God’s displeasure, the destruction of their places of worship, and the lack of hope for relief. They look past their human enemies and focus on their relationship with God, seeking His help and understanding in their suffering.

v. 1: The people ask, O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why does thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? . They feel abandoned and are troubled most by the thought that God is angry with them. They care more about losing God’s favor than about any suffering from people. Like Jesus on the cross, they ask God why He seems distant (Matthew 27:46 ^a). But even in their pain, they remember they are still God’s people—the sheep of His pasture.

v. 2: They plead, 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 . They remind God of all He has done for them in the past, especially how He saved and chose them as His special people.

v. 3: The prayer continues, Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary . They beg God to quickly come and see the destruction in His holy place and to act on their behalf.

v. 4: The psalmist says, Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs . The enemies are loud and proud in God’s house, putting up their own banners where God’s signs once stood.

v. 5–6: He describes, A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers (Psalm 74:5–6 ^b). The enemies destroy even the beautiful and detailed parts of the temple, like woodcutters chopping down trees in a forest.

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v. 7: He continues, They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground . The enemy burns God’s temple and ruins the place where God’s name was worshipped.

v. 8: The people say, They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land . Not only the temple, but all places where God was worshipped have been destroyed. The enemies want to erase God’s worship from the land.

v. 9: They lament, We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long . The people feel lost because they do not see any sign from God or hear any message from a prophet to give them hope for the future.

v. 10: The prayer asks, O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? . Their main concern is for God’s honor, not just their own relief. They want God’s name to be respected again.

v. 11: Finally, they ask, Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom . They beg God to show His power, save His people, and defeat His enemies. Even in deep trouble, they put all their hope in God’s ability to help.

Acknowledgments of Divine Power

Here, the people remember God’s mighty power and past deeds, which gives them hope even while they suffer. They encourage themselves by thinking about how God has worked for His people before. They remember that God rules over both His people and all of nature. This helps them trust that God is able to save them again, just as He did in the past.

v. 12: The psalmist says, For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth . They remember that God has always been their King and has always saved His people throughout history.

v. 13–14: He continues, Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength… thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness (Psalm 74:13–14 ^c). This recalls how God saved Israel by parting the Red Sea and defeating Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who are compared to powerful sea creatures. God’s victory gave strength and hope to His people.

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v. 15: The psalmist says, Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers . God brought water from rocks in the desert and dried up rivers like the Jordan so His people could cross. These miracles show God’s control over nature.

v. 16–17: He praises, The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter (Psalm 74:16–17 ^d). God created and controls day and night, the seasons, and the whole earth. The psalmist trusts that the God who rules nature and history will also keep His promises to His people. If God can keep the sun rising and seasons changing, He can surely help His people in their troubles.

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Earnest Supplications; Pleading with God.

This section is a passionate prayer from the psalmist, speaking for the whole community. He asks God to act on their behalf against their enemies and to put an end to their suffering. The psalmist reminds himself and others that the cause of God's people is really God's own cause. He encourages faith by trusting that God will defend his honor and his people, even if he seems silent for a while. The psalmist uses different arguments to show why God should act, focusing on how the enemies have insulted God and how God's people are suffering.

v. 18: The enemies have not just hurt the people, but have also insulted God directly. The psalmist says, “Remember how the foolish people have blasphemed your name”. Their actions in the sanctuary were loud, as if they had defeated the God of Israel. The psalmist is hurt by these insults and asks God to answer them himself, because it is God’s name that is being attacked. He points out that fools, who do not respect God, are the source of these insults. Just like “the fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’”(Psalm 14:1 ^e), those who mock and blaspheme are truly foolish. They are bold and do not hide their insults, but shout them out, acting as if there is no consequence. Their noise rises up to heaven and calls for God’s attention, just as the outcry of Sodom did (Genesis 18:21). The psalmist asks God not to forget this and to remember the constant insults his enemies make.

v. 19: The psalmist describes God’s people as “your turtle-dove”who are in danger of being destroyed by many wicked people . The church is like a dove—gentle, innocent, and faithful. Turtle-doves were even used as offerings to God. The psalmist asks God not to let his gentle people be taken by the wicked, because it would honor God to help the weak, especially those who belong to him.

v. 20: He reminds God that his people are in a covenant relationship with him. He pleads, “Have respect unto the covenant”. God has made promises to his people, and the psalmist asks him to remember and keep those promises. When God saves his people, it is often because of his covenant, as in “I will remember my covenant”(Leviticus 26:42 ^f).

v. 21: God’s people are poor and powerless. The psalmist says, “O let not the oppressed return ashamed”. He explains that they are suffering because they are weak and cannot defend themselves. Still, they trust in God and hope that he will help them. The psalmist pleads that they will not be disappointed or put to shame for hoping in God.

v. 22-23: The psalmist calls on God to defend his own cause: “Arise, O God! plead your own cause”(Psalm 74:22 ^g). He is confident that God will stand up for what is right. The enemies insult God every day, and the psalmist begs God to remember the constant noise and attacks from those who fight against him. Their rebellion is open and ongoing, but the psalmist believes God will act in his own time and prove himself as the defender of his people.