Psalm 74

The general message of Psalm 74 is little different from so many of the psalms—Details as to how God seems to have forsaken His people, followed by remembrances of God's mighty acts in times past. This leads to statements of the author's faith in God and pleas for God to remember His people. It is a common theme in this book, and is a common story in many of our lives. It reads like a personal prayer because for so many of us, it follows the same angst and pleas that we feel along with the faith that we ask God to keep strong in us.

There were a few details in this psalm outside of the general message that intrigued me: first, the timing of the historic details; second, that mysterious leviathan is mentioned; and third, God's sovereignty is displayed.

All of the commentaries I read on verses 4-10 suggested that the mighty man who wielded an axe is a specific reference to Satan, and the acts that destroyed the temple and the fact that there are no prophets refer to Babylonian and/or Assyrian captivity. The obvious question then is: Was this psalm written much later than David's lifetime, actually during the time of captivity, or was this written as a prophecy? The answers varied according to commentators, but in any case, it was referring to the days of captivity. The significance is the absolute forsakenness that the people of Israel felt. In those days, the Holy Spirit did not dwell in each believer. Being omnipresent, God was there, but He made Himself known directly by visiting the temple annually when the people sacrificed for their sin and God's spirit burned the sacrifice in the Holy of Holies as a sign of His forgiveness. Each of the items in the temple represented some part of God or His covenant with His people. If all of this was destroyed and if there were no prophets who communicated directly with God on behalf of His people, where was hope?

Second was a seemingly insignificant reference to the leviathan. History suggests that this is a reference to creation, specifically to a parallel creation story from another near-eastern religion. Textual criticism and reformed theology are all over this passage arguing whether this extra-biblical reference can be used to support or discredit Genesis 1. It is another discussion for another day, but don't think that such references can simply be skimmed over.

Third was, again, the leviathan, but I think it is this reference that calls to our attention the mighty sovereignty of God. I remember God's mentioning it in the book of Job, and this passage along with the last four chapters of Job are some of my favorite because of their details of God's mighty acts. In light of the feeling of utter abandonment by Almighty God, we are reminded that no matter what we do, God will be true to His covenants. He is the One Who has done unimaginably great works, and He will see His purpose through to the end. An end, by the way, that includes us enjoying a forever life with Him in unimaginable glory.