Psalm 74

The writer appears to have written this psalm after one of Israel's enemies destroyed the sanctuary. The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 B.C. may be the background. He asked the Lord to remember His people and defeat her enemies as He had in the past for His own glory (cf. Pss. 79; 137; Lam.).

 1. A call for God to remember His people 74:1-2

Evidently Israel was suffering under the oppression of a foreign foe. The writer prayed that God would stop disciplining His chosen people and remember to bless the nation He had redeemed. The figure of sheep (v. 2) stresses the helpless weak condition of the people (cf. 79:13; 95:7; 100:3). The reference to Israel's redemption recalls the Exodus (cf. Exod. 15:13). The word "tribe"(v. 2) also pictures Israel as small and vulnerable (cf. Jer. 10:16). God regarded Israel as His own inheritance (Deut. 4:20). The sanctuary stood on Mt. Zion in Asaph's day and from then on.

 2. A lament over the enemy's destruction 74:3-9

74:3 There is no record that any of Israel's enemies ever destroyed the temple in David's day to the extent that this verse implies. Perhaps Asaph was speaking hyperbolically, namely describing the destruction in extreme terms for the sake of the effect. Probably this description is of what took place when the Babylonians destroyed the temple in 586 B.C. This would mean the writer was an Asaph who lived much later than David's day, or perhaps Asaph stands for the order of musicians he headed.

74:4-8 These descriptions of the destruction also picture a complete devastation of the sanctuary as the last of God's successive meeting places (v. 8; cf. Exod. 20:24; Ps. 78:60-64).

74:9 The writer bewailed the fact that no prophet could give the people a revelation about the length of God's present judgment of His people. There were no prophetic signs that would indicate this.

 3. An appeal for divine help 74:10-17

The psalmist pleaded for God to help His people and to subdue their enemy. The Lord's reputation fell with the sanctuary in the eyes of Israel's neighbors. Ancient Near Easterners regarded a god's temple as the reflection of his glory. Now that the temple on Mt. Zion had suffered damage the nations would have concluded that Yahweh was unable to defend His people.

Asaph recalled God's mighty acts in the past to motivate Him to act for His people by defeating her enemy in the present (vv. 12-17). Verses 13 and 14 describe the crossing of the Red Sea during the Exodus.

". . . the language of Psalm 74:12-14, while tailored to reflect the redemptive character of the Exodus event, also alludes to God's victory over chaos at creation."¹³⁷

The sea monsters refer to Pharaoh's soldiers, and Leviathan was a mythological monster that the writer used to describe Egypt here. The creatures of the wilderness are the Israelites. Verse 15 recalls events in the wilderness wanderings and the crossing of the Jordan. Verses 16 and 17 go back to God's creation of the cosmos.

"The point here is that what Baal had claimed in the realm of myth, God had done in the realm of history--and done for His people, working salvation."¹³⁸

 4. An appeal to the covenant 74:18-23

The writer also appealed for action because of God's reputation ("Thy name,"v. 18). He compared Israel to a harmless dove and the enemy to a raging wild beast (v. 19). God had promised to hear His people's cries for help and had done so in the past (cf. Judges). However now He was silent. Consequently Asaph asked God to remember His covenant promises to Isreal (v. 20). This may be a reference to the promises to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) or to the blessings and curses of the Mosaic Covenant (Deut. 28). Deliverance would lead God's people to praise Him (vs. 21). The foolish man (v. 22) is the enemy who does not regard God's revelation of the fate of those who oppose His people. Israel's adversaries evidently mocked Yahweh as they devastated His sanctuary (v. 23).

This psalm is a good example of prayer based on the person and promises of God. When God's people suffer for their sins we can call out to Him for help, but He may continue the discipline even when we base our petitions on His character and covenant.