Slices
Prepare
‘My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever’ (Psalm 73:26, NIV). Have you ever been in a situation where this verse could have expressed your feelings?
Bible passage
A maskil of Asaph.
1 O God, why have you rejected us for ever?
Why does your anger smoulder against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember the nation you purchased long ago,
the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed –
Mount Zion, where you dwelt.
3 Turn your steps towards these everlasting ruins,
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standards as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.
6 They smashed all the carved panelling
with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled the dwelling-place of your Name.
8 They said in their hearts, ‘We will crush them completely!’
They burned every place where God was worshipped in the land.
9 We are given no signs from God;
no prophets are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long will the enemy mock you, God?
Will the foe revile your name for ever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
12 But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth.
13 It was you who split open the sea by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
15 It was you who opened up springs and streams;
you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted people for ever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,
because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamour of your adversaries,
the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.
Explore
There are clear exilic references in this psalm, as well as the one from last Sunday. In particular,
the psalmist recalls the overthrow of the nation under Nebuchadnezzar (see 2 Kings 24,25). His sense of despair at the destruction and loss, and his confusion and grief at God’s (apparent) eternal rejection of them as his people are palpable (vs 9–11).
But even though he really does seem to think God has rejected them for ever (v 1), he just cannot bring himself to abandon God. Verse 12 lights a candle-flame in the darkness of the desperate situation, and encourages him to remember who God is (vs 13–17). The reminder of the power and control of God over his creation extends into a request for that same power to protect and defend those in need (vs 19–21). And verse 18 onwards could have been prayed by Mordecai and by Esther as she fasted before going to the king. Despite all the fear of the future, faith in God underpins their actions and the psalmist’s plea.
Respond
‘The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Psalm 27:1, NIV). Pray for anyone you know whose situation is threatening or difficult in any way. Ask God to be their light and salvation, as they trust themselves to his care and protection.
Deeper Bible study
‘To him who is able to keep you from stumbling … to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord.’1
Twelve psalms are recorded as ‘of Asaph’, Psalm 50 and Psalms 73–83. Most include reflection on problematic issues and provide really helpful insights in to how to work through our questions. Asaph is one of those characters I hope to be able to meet in glory! The issue tackled in Psalm 74 links in well with Ezekiel’s discussion.2 We don’t know the timing of Asaph’s writing, but it is possible that one or other of them was aware what the other had written. The links between different parts of Scripture point to how the writers were reading and studying the parts of God’s word that were available to them – that should inspire us to keep doing the same! Both Ezekiel and Asaph knew that Israel had sinned in extensive ways and absolutely deserved the judgement and punishment that God had sent. It mattered that the nations understood who God was – and that he was not the sort of God who would tolerate Israel’s disobedience. However, they also needed to know that he was sovereign and was able to protect his own people.
Ezekiel makes it clear that Israel was eventually restored, not because they deserved it but ‘for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations’.3 In Psalm 74, Asaph is trying to work out how long it will be before God brings restoration to Israel so that their (and his) enemies might understand that they could not mock God by thinking he was not powerful. Asaph leaves us this time not with an answer, but with a prayer that God’s punishment will be over soon. The challenge for us is to make sure that as ‘the nations’ look at how we Christians behave they will get a right picture of our loving, righteous, merciful and just God.
Lord, help us, as Christians, not to take Christ’s name ‘in vain’4 but to reflect him in all we do and say.
1 Jude 24,25 2 Ezek 36:16–37 3 Ezek 36:22 4 Exod 20:7, AV
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 34,35; John 13
Pray for Scripture Union
SU Greece would like to find a place to serve children in need in Athens, including refugees, immigrants and poor Greek families. Please pray that they will find the right place.
