Psalm 80 - Praying in a Difficult Time

Asaph wrote this psalm during a period of trouble for Israel. Since the twelve tribes are experiencing the problem, the time of the psalm is probably when the Assyrian empire was threatening the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, with perhaps the northern kingdom having been captured.

Asaph is aware that God is the royal shepherd of Israel reigning over his people from his throne on the ark of the covenant. Such a description usually points to the Lord as merciful since the throne was the mercy seat. The tribes Asaph mentions are those descended from Rachel, perhaps referring to them because the births of Joseph (the father of Ephraim and Manasseh) and Benjamin were the outcome of much prayer, but also a reminder that the divided tribes were really one people. The prayer that Asaph offers is for the Lord to respond according to the Aaronic blessings in Numbers 6:25 (vv. 1-3).

Their prayers for restoration had been made for a while. Yet instead of answering them, the Lord had allowed their troubles to increase. The divine response revealed that he was angry with his people, and his anger was shown in difficult providences that caused great internal distress for his people and disdain from their enemies, which was the case when Assyria attacked the northern kingdom and later the southern kingdom. Still, Asaph knew that the Lord could yet come in blessing (vv. 4-7).

Asaph knew the appropriate arguments to make in prayer. He reminded the Lord of his actions in the past in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt and giving to them the promised land. Because of God’s power, they had been able to conquer the land and extend its territory to the Euphrates. But circumstances were now very different for them. God’s power on their behalf had been withdrawn and they were now defenceless against anyone who attacked them (vv. 8-13), even the powerful boar from Assyria.

So Asaph asked the Lord to observe what the enemies have done with his vine. Their actions deserved a powerful divine rebuke that would reduce their power to zero. His desire was that the Lord would bring about different circumstances, but this would only occur if the Lord lifted his hand of blessing on them again (vv. 14-19) 

There is disagreement as to what Asaph meant by ‘son of man’. Some argue it refers to the king of Judah, others refer it to the nation as a whole, and others say it is a prediction of Jesus. The description ‘son of man’ points to great dignity, and the nation was regarded as God’s son (v. 15). So in the immediate context, it looks as if Asaph is praying for the restoration of the kingdom from its current state of weakness and imminent decline. Should that happen, they would be restored and once again depend on the Lord and worship him.

If the background situation is the attack by the Assyrian empire, then we can see that Asaph’s prayer was partially answered in that while the Lord allowed the northern kingdom to be captured he preserved the southern kingdom for another century. Partial answers to earnest prayer are often the experience of God’s people.

This does not mean that Asaph was wrong in his requests. He prayed according to his circumstances and what he knew of the Lord’s revealed will. But prayer must always be qualified by the recognition that the Lord may say no or that he may not respond in the exact way that we requested.

  

   

           

Psalm 79 - Living by Faith

Asaph laments the invasion of the promised land by the Babylonians, an invasion that resulted in destruction of Jerusalem and the disappearance of the temple. Those who served God were slain and their bodies left for beasts and birds to devour. The surrounding nations scoffed at the Jews for their faith in God because they imagined he was powerless (vv. 1-4).

Asaph knew that was not true. Moreover he knew that it was God’s power, expressed in his anger, that had brought about the situation. He had punished his people for their sins of idolatry, which had enflamed the Lord’s jealousy for his name. It was not the case that Asaph thought that the Lord should not punish sin. But he wanted the anger expressed against Israel to cease and for the nations to be punished for their cruelty. He wanted mercy for Israel and justice for their oppressors (vv. 5-7).

Therefore he prays for spiritual recovery for Israel. He asked the Lord to show mercy, to bring about restoration quickly. Despite the absence of the demolished temple and its rituals, he knew that God could provide a way of atonement, which suggests that he already regarded the rituals as symbolic of a greater sacrifice. His argument for divine help was the fame of God’s name, his glory, which would be enhanced in the estimation of others when they saw him punish his enemies (vv. 8-10).

Although the state of the people of God was very low, like being in captivity and facing death, Asaph was confident that God would yet recover his cause. Eventually God would come in blessing on his people and in judgement on those who opposed him. This future recovery would not be like previous ones because it would keep on going from generation to generation, even for ever. The place where such thanksgiving occurs is in the next world, the new heavens and new earth, so even in the dark days of the exile Asaph’s faith enabled him to see the eternal blessedness of God’s people (vv. 11-12).

What about us? While our circumstances are not as low as those in the time of Asaph, the question that comes to us is whether our hearts are pained by the decline in God’s cause. Earnest prayer comes from those who feel the distress and who bring their concerns to God in a passionate manner.

Whatever Asaph grasped about the atonement, we know what it is and how it was made when Jesus suffered on the cross. Unlike what happened with the temple in Jerusalem when the rituals disappeared, we know that nothing in life can touch or make void the atonement that the Saviour made. Even in the worst of times, we know that the atonement has been made.

Like Asaph, we can see by faith beyond the current world with its many issues to the future world where believers will be shepherded by Jesus into the provisions found beside the fountains of living water, God himself.

Psalm 78 - Value of History

Asaph is reflecting on the importance of the current generation of believers informing their children about the history of God’s kingdom. The previous generation had informed the next of the great things the Lord had done for them. God had commanded his people to engage in this activity so that future generations would hope in him and be encouraged to obey his commandments (vv. 1-7). In this way, they would be kept from becoming a generation marked by stubbornness and rebellion, like a generation of Ephraimites who had refused to engage in defending the Lord’s cause despite being armed for the fight (vv. 8-9).

An obvious divine activity to think about was the Exodus. God had done great things when he delivered his people from Egypt: there were the wonders connected to the plagues, there was the dividing of the Red Sea, there was the guidance given by the pillar of cloud and by the pillar of light, and there was the provision of water. Nevertheless, they rebelled against him by demanding particular food, an attitude that angered the Lord. Yet God continued to meet their needs through the manna and quail. Although some were judged by him for their rebellion, the others still did not trust in him (vv. 10-32).

The history of Israel became a cycle of divine chastisement followed by shallow repentance. They were not sincere in their commitment. Nevertheless, the Lord showed them compassion and did not abandon them. He recognised the fragility and instability of those he had rescued, their inclination to forget what he had done for them at the Exodus, and he determined to take them to his land. In his providence, he enabled them to defeat the tribes living in Canaan (vv. 33-55).

Yet after receiving the land as their inheritance, they repeated the sins of their ancestors and engaged in idolatry at high places, for which they were punished by the Lord and rejected by him. He showed his displeasure by forsaking Shiloh (when the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant), the location where each of the tribes had received their allotted inheritance (Josh. 18:19), and he allowed the symbol of his presence to be taken away. Israel then suffered badly from their foes (vv. 56-64).

This state of affairs lasted until the time came for the Lord to deal with the enemies of Israel. They were defeated, and the Lord established his kingdom. But he did not give the kingship to the most powerful tribe Ephraim, perhaps because of their previous failures. Instead, he chose Judah as the royal tribe and placed his sanctuary there. This process of restoration did not occur under Saul, the first king of Israel, but through David whom God took from shepherding sheep and enabled him to be the wise and righteous shepherd king of his people (vv. 65-72).

From one point of view, Asaph has provided an outline for other Israelites to use as they instruct the next generation about what the Lord did for them in the past, from the Exodus to the enthronement of David. Of course, other notable actions were done by the Lord after David had passed away.

The application for us is obvious, which is that we should know something of the history of the church because it reminds us of great actions of God, times of judgement from God, and periods of restoration by God. When we are in dark spiritual times, we can mention his previous actions on behalf of his people, and ask him to provide such recoveries again so that his name would be praised.

Psalm 77 - Longing for God’s power

Asaph is in a state of great distress. He prays earnestly and continually, but finds no relief. Even his thoughts of God trouble him, and instead of strengthening him, he feels weaker. He cannot sleep, and he traces that response to the action of God. There is no one with whom he can share his burden (vv. 1-4).

Verses 5 to 9 describe his burden. He was apprehensive that the Lord had cast off his people. Therefore he searched in his mind the history of God’s dealings with his people. He had lots of questions but he asked them because he knew that the answer would be found there. Did the past contain times when God came to restore his people? If he had, then Asaph could hope that he would did so again.

His mind went to the great event in Israel’s history so far - the Exodus. That deliverance was an amazing display of God’s covenant commitment to his people in which he revealed his holiness. Holiness points to God’s elevation, how he is superior to all else. He displays his abilities in an extraordinary manner, and we can see that was the case when we look at the ten judgements he sent on Egypt and the way he opened the Red Sea for them to escape (vv. 11-19). God provided a great deliverance, says Asaph, and he then guided his people safely through the wilderness to Canaan (v. 20). Yet, in an astonishing way, no one saw him or could point to his footsteps. His involvement in his providences are seen by faith.

The lesson of this psalm is obvious. When current circumstances are dark, we should turn to God in prayer and consider his actions recorded in his Word and also what he has done in church history. It is appropriate to think of the great things he has done. Yet we must know the details in order to know what to expect.

Another lesson is that it is not a sign of unbelief to be in the dark or to be puzzled by the affairs of life. It is important to have concern about the state of God’s cause, but the evidence of our concern is seen in the intensity of our response.

Psalm 76 - God gives victory

Asaph has written a song to praise God for having given victory to his people. It was  wonderful now to have his presence with them, including in the temple in Jerusalem where he revealed his presence in a special way. In order for this to happen, he had given great victories throughout the land against powerful enemies. Maybe Asaph was thinking about what had happened through Joshua or through David (vv. 1-3).

During the campaign to capture the promised land, God had ensured that the enemies of Israel became powerless and weak, even although they would have seemed powerful in a normal war. His rebuke was sufficient to stop them in their tracks (vv. 4-6).

Why did God do this? One reason was that he was angry with the inhabitants of Canaan and a second reason was that he wanted to deliver his people. Centuries before, he had told Abraham that the iniquity of the inhabitants would eventually bring divine judgement on them. He had also promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land. Now he had fulfilled both divine announcements. 

Since that had been the case, it meant that the wrath of man against God’s ways is ineffective. Their expressions of wrath were met by divine power and become signs of his strength (worn as trophies on his belt). The appropriate response is to worship him by keeping promises of dedication and offering suitable expressions of adoration and appreciation. After all, he can remove the powerful of the earth in a moment, or if he chooses, take a few centuries to do it.

      

  

Psalm 75 - God in charge

Psalm 75 celebrates the fact that the sovereign God judges the world. Those singing the psalm recognise that amazing fact as they approach him in worship. Saying his name is ‘near’ is the same as acknowledging his presence. Such a location is very suitable for mentioning his amazing actions (v.1). Having said that, we should also realise that in the presence of God we should be careful.

God speaks in response to their worship. Maybe he spoke through a prophet as they worshipped. The Lord reminded them that he has fixed the time for judgement. In order to stress his control of things, he reminds his worshippers that he holds the earth steady. Since that is the case, no one should boast in his presence (vv. 2-5). Times of worship are not the occasion to focus on the achievements of men. 

Asaph then mentions an obvious deduction that comes from recognising the sovereignty of God. Any and all promotions in providence come from the Lord, as do demotions. Often, they are acts of judgement by him, with promotion indicating his approval and demotion his disapproval. When they express his disapproval, they can be accompanied by awesome features (vv. 6-8).

His awareness of this reality leads the psalmist to praise God for his interventions. He also knows that the day is coming when the Lord will promote the righteous and remove the wicked permanently. Indeed, whenever we see promotions and demotions happening, we should recognise that they point ahead to judgement day (vv. 9-10).

Sometime we wonder why wicked people seem to prosper. We forget that God has fixed a day for dealing with them. One such day is the day of judgement at the end of history, but other days of smaller divine interventions happen before that day comes. Similarly, we wonder why the righteous suffer. The answer is that God has fixed the time of their promotion, which will be partial in this life, but full on the great day.

  

       

   

Psalm 74 - Praying to a silent God

The time described in this psalm is the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Babylonians. We may wonder why it is linked to Asaph who lived in the time of David, a long time before that captivity occurred. The likely answer is that the word Asaph covers his descendants who also served in the temple after he had died. So this psalm was written by one or more of them.

Asaph is puzzled by divine providence in which he sees God not changing the state of defeat and destruction experienced by the people of Israel. God had chosen them for his people, he had redeemed them from slavery, he had placed his abode among them, but now it had all collapsed, and all seemed in ruins. He even suggests in verse 3 that God no longer walks among his people and has allowed a powerful enemy to destroy the sanctuary (vv. 1-3).

In verses 4-8, Asaph describes the destruction that the enemy had brought. They had determined as well to remove all the meeting places throughout the country, a comment that points to the existence of meetings that would develop into synagogues. Clearly, the enemy regarded God as powerless, unable to stop them, and they were sure that they could remove all trace of God from the land.

The situation was made worse for Asaph because there seemed to be no response from God. No signs of his presence were available now that the temple had gone; even the usual response of sending prophets to preach to the people about their sins had not occurred. God, it seemed, had chosen to be silent and inactive regarding the situation (vv. 9-11).

Asaph knew a lot about God’s power. He mentions how he had delivered his people from Egypt (the sea and Leviathan), and how he had controlled the natural creation on specific occasions as well as arranging the regular daily and annual cycles. The issue now was not that God lacked power, but that he had so far not used it to help his people at the present time (vv. 12-17).

Therefore, he intercedes for God’s cause and asks the Lord to come to the aid of his gentle and needy people surviving in the land. They are like doves and like the poor without resources (vv. 18-19). He could do this by regarding the covenant arrangement he had made with Israel, and when he did, he would remove the places of wickedness and liberate his people, and this restoration would result in his people praising him again (vv. 20-21). 

Therefore he implores the Lord to rise, an illustration that indicates he is inactive so far in their predicament. He urges the Lord not to ignore what his opponents are saying and doing as they attempt to remove all pointers to God from the land (vv. 21-23). 

Unlike other psalms, Asaph here does not say if God answered his prayer, but that would not happen immediately because the captivity would last for seventy years. But Asaph still provides us with an example of how to pray in days when God’s power is not evident in the degree of blessing that it used to be. His prayer acknowledges the seriousness of the situation (divine judgement on Israel), the silence of God, and the weakness of his surviving people in the land. We need to do the same about our contemporary situation. Yet we can look back to Asaph’s time and experience and see that God answered such prayers eventually. As Asaph requested, God did remember what was happening.