A well-written song by Asaph. 

 

The Hebrew word for “well-written song” is מַשְׂכִּ֗יל (maskil), meaning a song of instruction. This song was written by Asaph. There was an Asaph who was a Levite during the time of David. If he is the author, then this is a prophetic song looking forward to the temple destruction of 586 B.C. Another possibility is that this song was written by one of his descendants who was living as a witness of the temple destruction. This song would be sung by the Levites at the Jewish festivals. If this is a prophetic song, then Israel knew that their temple would eventually be destroyed.

 

74:1 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us? Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture? 

 

Asaph asked God the reason for His rejection of Israel. Asaph wanted to know why God’ s anger was burning against the sheep of His pasture. The sheep are the Jewish messianic believers whom the Great Shepherd watches. Jehovah is the Great Shepherd. Later, Jesus claimed to be the Great Shepherd of Israel as well. Jesus used the Great Shepherd metaphor as a claim of His own deity.

 

74:2 Remember your people whom you acquired in ancient times, whom you rescued so they could be your very own nation, as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell! 

 

Asaph asked God to remember the time when He rescued Israel from the slavery of Egypt.

 

74:3 Hurry and look at the permanent ruins, and all the damage the enemy has done to the temple! 

 

If the author of this song is Asaph the Levite from the time of David, then he is looking prophetically into the future. Another possibility is that the author is a descendant of Asaph who witnessed the actual temple destruction by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Asaph asked God to look at the damage which the Babylonians did to His temple.

 

74:4 Your enemies roar in the middle of your sanctuary; they set up their battle flags. 

 

The Babylonians were pagans who worshiped demonic idols. They hated the Jews, because they were God’s chosen people. They enjoyed destroying Jehovah’s temple and killing the chosen people of God. Asaph asked God to observe what God’s enemies were doing to His sanctuary.

 

74:5 They invade like lumberjacks swinging their axes in a thick forest. 

 

The Babylonians laid waste to the city of Jerusalem and its temple.

 

74:6 And now they are tearing down all its engravings with axes and crowbars. 

 

The Babylonians used crowbars to tear down all of the engravings of the temple. 

 

74:7 They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground. 

 

The Babylonians set the temple on fire and burned it to the ground.

 

74:8 They say to themselves, “We will oppress all of them.” They burn down all the places where people worship God in the land. 

 

The Babylonians began to oppress all of the Jews who were staying in Jerusalem. Most of the Jews living in Jerusalem at this time were apostates, because they did not leave the city and deport themselves to Babylon, as the prophets had commanded. The messianic believing Jews had already deported themselves voluntarily to Babylon.

 

74:9 We do not see any signs of God’s presence; there are no longer any prophets and we have no one to tell us how long this will last. 

 

Daniel and Ezekiel had been exiled to Babylon. Jeremiah was taken captive into Egypt. There were no more prophets left in Jerusalem to tell the people how long this attack would last.

 

74:10 How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults? Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?

 

The Babylonians were insulting Israel and Jehovah during their attacks upon the city. This is a violation of the Abrahamic Covenant. They will eventually receive a kind-for-kind judgment. The Medes and Persians will join together 70 years later and defeat the Babylonians. 

 

74:11 Why do you remain inactive? Intervene and destroy him! 

 

Asaph asked God why He was inactive. He asked God to intervene and destroy Babylon.

 

74:12 But God has been my king from ancient times, performing acts of deliverance on the earth. 

 

God has been Asaph’s King even before the foundations of the earth were created. God is omnipotent, so He has the power to stop the destruction if He so desires.

 

74:13 You destroyed the sea by your strength; you shattered the heads of the sea monster in the water. 

 

God destroyed the world with a global flood. The sea monsters (or dinosaurs) were shattered by the flood. Many of their fossil remains still remain in the dirt.

 

74:14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you fed him to the people who live along the coast. 

 

Most commentators spiritualize this passage as a metaphor of Egypt. The minority of commentators interpret it literally to mean that many people fed upon the large carcasses of dinosaurs after the flood.

 

74:15 You broke open the spring and the stream; you dried up perpetually flowing rivers. 

 

The global flood began when the springs of water erupted from the subterranean earth. This water was very hot, causing steam. The first century Jewish historian Josephus commented that the antediluvians were boiled to death by hot water.

 

74:16 You established the cycle of day and night; you put the moon and sun in place. 

 

God established the cycle of day and night. He put the moon in its place. It is blasphemy for one to suggest that God is not the Creator of all things.

 

74:17 You set up all the boundaries of the earth; you created the cycle of summer and winter. 

 

God established the boundaries of the earth. He also created the cycle of summer and winter.

 

74:18 Remember how the enemy hurls insults, O Lord, and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name! 

 

Asaph asked Jehovah to remember the blasphemous insults of the Babylonian army. It is foolish for any nation or individual to blaspheme God’s character. 

 

74:19 Do not hand the life of your dove over to a wild animal! Do not continue to disregard the lives of your oppressed people!

 

The dove is Israel. The wild animals is any Gentile nation who wants to devour Israel. Asaph asked God to not continue to disregard the lives of His people, who were being oppressed.

 

74:20 Remember your covenant promises, for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules. 

 

God made some unconditional promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. God is not like man. He keeps His promises. Asaph asked God to remember the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New Covenants. The world was filled with governments of darkness where violent men ruled the day. These cities of darkness needed to be liberated.

 

74:21 Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame! Let the oppressed and poor praise your name! 

 

The afflicted were the Jews in Israel who were being slaughtered by the Babylonians. Asaph asked God to protect the afflicted so that they could in return worship Jehovah.

 

74:22 Rise up, O God! Defend your honor! Remember how fools insult you all day long! 

 

Asaph asked God to rise up and defend His honor. He asked God to remember the blasphemous insults of the Babylonians.

 

74:23 Do not disregard what your enemies say, or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you. 

 

The Babylonians were defying God with their insults. Asaph asked God to never forget these insults.