PSALMS LESSON 73
We will begin by giving the 74th Psalm in metre. You can easily
see how you could sing this.
THE PSALMS OF DAVID IN METRE
Chapter 74
Verse 1 "O God, why hast thou cast us off? Why doth forever smoke Thy
wrath against thy chosen race, Sheep of thy flock?"
Verse 2 "Thy church by thee redeemed of old In love remember still,
The rod of thy inheritance, This Zion hill."
Verse 3 "Here thou hast dwelt; lift up thy feet, To these and ruins
haste, Thy holy place, with wicked hands by foes laid waste."
Verse 4 "Thy enemies in triumph shout Where saints were wont to pray:
Their ensigns on thy temple's walls For sighs display."
Verse 5 "Once men were famed for felling trees, But now the carved
work falls; With axes and with hammers now they break the
walls."
Verse 6 "They have thy temple set on fire, In dust they have defiled
Thy holy place where dwelt thy name, Thy house despoiled."
Verse 7 "They, to destroy us all at once Did in their hearts
conspire; Through all the land God's synagogues They've burnt
with fire."
Verse 8 "Our signs we see not; there is now No prophet us among, Nor
is there any one who knows The time how long."
Verse 9 "O Lord, how long shall those Blaspheme Thy name who thee
withstand? Why hide thyself? make bare thy hand, Ev'n thy
right hand."
Verse 10 "Because God is my King of old; Salvation worketh he, Through
all the earth, and by his strength Divides the sea."
Verse 11 "Thou broken hast the dragons' heads, And as their meat didst
give Leviathan to those who did In deserts live."
Verse 12 "Fountain and flood thou didst divide, Made mighty rivers
dry; The day is thine, the night is thine, The sun and sky."
Verse 13 "Thou hast established by decree All borders of the earth; To
summer and to winter thou Hast given birth. "
Verse 14 "O Lord do thou this keep in mind, How enemies defame, And
how the foolish people have Blasphemed thy name."
Verse 15 "Thy turtle-dove deliver not To crowds which is beset, And
thy poor flock forevermore Do not forget. "
Verse 16 "Unto thy cov'nant have respect, For every where we see The
earth's dark habitatious filled With cruelty."
Verse 17 "O let not those that are oppressed Return again with shame;
But let the poor and needy ones Still praise thy name."
Verse 18 "Arise. O God. plead thy own cause, Keep thou in memory How
every day the foolish man Reproacheth thee."
Verse 19 "Of them that up against thee rise The tumult ever grows;
Forget not thou the voice of them That are thy foes."
We will begin the verse by verse study of the 74th chapter of
Psalm. Psalms 74:1 "{Maschil of Asaph.} O God, why hast thou cast [us]
off for ever? [why] doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy
pasture?"
So many times, it appears that God has cast off the church and
that He is not going to help. The sheep of thy pasture are the
believers in Christ. The church seems to be going through one of those
difficult times now. The faithful never give up, even when they are
going through terrible problems. Their faith remains strong.
Psalms 74:2 "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."
The church {Zion} belongs to you, God. Jesus shed His precious
blood to purchase the souls of the people. This is His inheritance.
What is happening? God, please do not forget us. The plan from the
foundation of the earth was that Jesus would come to this earth as
Saviour and redeem His creation. Asaph is asking God, has He forgotten
this?
Psalms 74:3 "Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations;
[even] all [that] the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary."
The evil ones are not out in the world in this lesson. They are
in the church. They are there to destroy the very structure of the
church.
Psalms 74:4 "Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy
congregations; they set up their ensigns [for] signs."
We know that the devil, like a roaring lion, is going to and fro,
seeking whom he may devour. This is saying the devil is on the pew
with you at church. Signs of the times are everywhere. One of the
signs is the Christian rock music in the church. Has the rock music
joined the church, or has the church joined the rock music? Have we
brought the world into the church? Have we turned our worship services
into a time of entertainment? Would God examine our service and
declare it holy? The wolf came in when the sheep were asleep. The
signs of the enemy is everywhere.
Psalms 74:5 "[A man] was famous according as he had lifted up
axes upon the thick trees."
The sad thing in our society today is that the axe is not used in
building. It is used in tearing down. In the name of social progress,
buildings are being burned and looted. Are you sure this is progress,
when we spend our time tearing down what someone else has constructed?
Psalms 74:6 "But now they break down the carved work thereof at
once with axes and hammers."
The beautiful carved work that took hundreds of hours to produce
is being torn down and replaced with concrete. Is this progress, or a
society with no respect for beauty? Our young people, it seems, are
tearing down the old establishment. In the Bible that is rebellion,
not progress.
Psalms 74:7 "They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have
defiled [by casting down] the dwelling place of thy name to the
ground."
We know that many of God's sanctuaries were destroyed by armies
who conquered the land. There seems to be no end of this type problem.
Many churches today have been burned to the ground.
Psalms 74:8 "They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them
together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land."
We see that the enemy of the church believes that the thing to
do, is destroy their meeting place and thereby destroy their faith.
They need to look at the history of the church. Throughout history,
the growth of the church has been the greatest in time of persecution.
When the Christians were forbidden access to the temple in Jerusalem,
they scattered to the adjoining areas and started churches. Many of
them met in people's homes. The church grew greatly during this time
of persecution.
Psalms 74:9 "We see not our signs: [there is] no more any
prophet: neither [is there] among us any that knoweth how long."
It was not long after the crucifixion of Jesus, that the temple
in Jerusalem was destroyed. Perhaps, this is speaking prophetically of
this, but it could, also, be speaking of now. This could be speaking
of the famine of the Word of God that is being experienced now. It is
very difficult to get people interested in true Bible study. The 34th
chapter of Ezekiel, speaking prophetically of our time, speaks harshly
of the shepherds. It speaks of the judgement of God which falls. There
has begun, again, to be a move in much of the world for small groups
to meet in homes, or even out in open fields. Many church buildings
have been sold and used for purposes other than church. We need an
awakening to the Word of God today in our land. We must get into God's
Word and find out what the will of God is for our lives.
Psalms 74:10 "O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall
the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?"
Just as Asaph asks here, how long will this go on, we must ask,
too? The only chance for us is for the Word of God to sweep across our
land and fill us with the knowledge of God. Our glass, or cup, is
empty. We must let God fill our cup to overflowing with His Word and
His Spirit and renew our faith in Him. The enemy can not steal the
Word of God that you have stored away in your heart. Please get
yourself a King James version of the Bible and study it every day. The
reason I believe in this Bible is because, it was the first Bible
widely used by the common people. Some of the new versions of the
Bible are connected with the new age movement. Be careful reading
them.
Psalms 74:11 "Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand?
pluck [it] out of thy bosom."
The Right Hand of God is Jesus Christ. It may appear that Jesus
has folded His arms and stopped helping us. This is not so. Jesus
never walks away from any of us, we have walked away from Him. The
seemingly inactivity of Jesus is because of our lack of time spent in
prayer.
Psalms 74:12 "For God [is] my King of old, working salvation in
the midst of the earth."
One of the good things about looking back to their faith of old
is, the fact that God came through for them in their need. He did not
fail them, and He will not fail us. Salvation is still offered to
whosoever will. The falling off is on our part, not His.
Psalms 74:13 "Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou
brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters."
Now we see some remembrance of the deliverance by the Right Hand
of God. The Red sea parted and delivered the Israelites, while the
evil ones of Egypt were destroyed in this same sea. The dragons here
are the warriors of Pharaoh.
Psalms 74:14 "Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces,
[and] gavest him [to be] meat to the people inhabiting the
wilderness."
The birds of the air ate the drowned bodies of the Egyptians
killed in the Red sea. I do not believe the people ate the bodies.
This must mean that they spoiled the riches of the bodies that washed
up on the shore.
Psalms 74:15 "Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou
driedst up mighty rivers."
We know that when they stepped into the water with the ark of the
covenant at the river Jordan, it parted like the Red sea. It seemed
that the necessary thing to do to get the water to part, was to enter
the edge with the ark. Joshua 3:13 "And it shall come to pass, as soon
as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD,
the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, [that]
the waters of Jordan shall be cut off [from] the waters that come down
from above; and they shall stand upon an heap."
Psalms 74:16 "The day [is] thine, the night also [is] thine: thou
hast prepared the light and the sun."
It was God that established an evening and a morning making up a
day. Notice, that the Light and the sun are two different things.
Study Genesis to fully understand the difference. I will just say here
that, the Light of the world is Jesus Christ. He is the source of all
Light. The sun is a fixture that we see light in.
Psalms 74:17 "Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou
hast made summer and winter."
In the act of creation, the Word or the Right Hand, as mentioned
here, set all the boundaries. When the moon was created, one of its
jobs was for the changing of the seasons.
Psalms 74:18 "Remember this, [that] the enemy hath reproached, O
LORD, and [that] the foolish people have blasphemed thy name."
For us to know who the foolish are, we would first have to know
who the wise are. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. We see,
then, that the foolish are those who do not fear God. Just before the
return of the Lord, the evil will wax worse and worse. Using God's
name in vain has become a daily affair with many. II Timothy 3:13 "But
evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being
deceived." The third chapter of second Timothy is about the end time.
The chapter begins by saying, II Timothy 3:1 "This know also, that in
the last days perilous times shall come." The description of this time
continues in this chapter. Read it all. It is our time. The
blaspheming of the name of God should tell us, if nothing else does.
Psalms 74:19 "O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the
multitude [of the wicked]: forget not the congregation of thy poor for
ever."
A turtledove is harmless. The church is to be as harmless as a
dove. We must remember that the enemy can not do anything to God's
people without God's permission. Judgement begins at the house of God.
Has God allowed this to happen, to wake us up?
Psalms 74:20 "Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places
of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty."
I can not believe that Asaph is reminding God of His covenant
with Abraham. It is not God that has forgotten the covenant. It is
God's people. That covenant had 2 sides to it. There were blessings,
if the people obeyed God. There were curses, if they disobeyed God. It
seems the whole world is almost dark today. The way to do away with
darkness is turn on the Light. Christians, let your Light shine. Do
away with the dark places. Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
which is in heaven."
Psalms 74:21 "O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the
poor and needy praise thy name."
If we need God, cry out to Him. He never turns a deaf ear to His
children. Before you call on Him, make sure He will not be ashamed to
call you His child.
Psalms 74:22 "Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how
the foolish man reproacheth thee daily."
There will come a time when this very thing will happen, but it
will be during the wrath of God. How horrible to be left here to live
through such a terrible time: Every judgement that comes upon the
people of the earth at that time is followed by, and they repented
not. God will plead His cause with fire and wormwood for water. This
will not be a pleasant time at all. In fact, the Bible says this time
of trouble is worse than has ever been known upon this earth. Please
awake while there is yet time. Don't wait until God has to plead His
own case. Preachers, tell the people now, while there is still time to
repent. Blow the warning on the trumpet. Don't sit back, knowing this
is about to happen and not warn the people. Pray on the porch of the
church. Get them into the kingdom, if you have to go and drag them out
of the fire by their feet. Awake! America, judgement is coming.
Psalms 74:23 "Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult
of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually."
See the signs. Know that the enemy is a fierce opponent. Be ready
to fight the good fight. Prepare for the battle. Learn the Word of
God, so that when you open your mouth the two edged sword will come
flying out to divide the Word properly. There is tumult everywhere we
look. Prepare for war. This is a holy war. Our weapon is the two-
edged sword. This is the Word of God. Keep your powder dry. DO NOT
WATER DOWN THE WORD OF GOD. Keep your weapon at your side. Put on the
whole armour of God. Wear the knees of your garment out, by praying on
your knees. Lay your life on the line for the army of God. We must not
let the enemy win.
Questions 73
1. What does the Psalmist say, smokes against the sheep of the
pasture?
2. Who are the sheep it is speaking of?
3. Who does Zion belong to?
4. What was the plan from the foundation of the earth for the church?
5. Where are the evil ones in this lesson?
6. The devil, like a roaring lion, is going to and fro trying to do
what?
7. What are some of the signs in the church that there are problems?
8. What is the axe used for now?
9. What should it be used for?
10. What is being done in the name of social progress?
11. Is this really progress?
12. What is a sign of society with no respect for beauty?
13. What is it really, when young people go against the establishment?
14. How were many of the sanctuaries destroyed?
15. What does the enemy of the church believe is the thing to do?
16. When is the greatest time of growth for the church?
17. What happened when the Christians were forbidden access to the
temple in Jerusalem?
18. What chapter in Ezekiel speaks harshly of the shepherds?
19. What can turn this around?
20. The enemy can not steal the Word of God that is stored ____ ____
____.
21. Why does the author recommend the King James version of the Bible?
22. Who is the Right Hand of God?
23. Why is Jesus seemingly inactive in our lives?
24. What is good about looking back at the faith of old?
25. What ate the drowned bodies of the Egyptians?
26. What caused the water to part at the Jordan river?
27. Who established the evening and morning making a day?
28. Who is the Light of the world?
29. Who has blasphemed His name?
30. Quote 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 13.
31. Quote 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 1.
32. What are the 2 conditions of the covenant?
33. How can we do away with the darkness?
34. When will God plead His own cause?
35. Awake America _________ is coming.
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