A Brief Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, Psalm 74
PSAL. LXXIV. Maschil of Asaph.
OF this Psalm there are three parts. In the first the pitiful lamentation of the Church presented unto God, because of the destruction of Ierusalem, and burning of the Temple by the Chaldeans, to ver. 11. In the next is the strengthening of the saith and hope of Gods people, that God would send a delivery, to ver. 18. In the third, there are sundry petitions for relief of his people, restitution of his own work, and suppression of his enemies, to the end of the Psalm.
Ver. 1. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoak against the sheep of thy pasture?
2. Remember thy congregation which thou hast purchased of old, the rod of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed, this monnt Sion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
In the first part of the Psalm there is a lamentation and prayer for reliefe in general, ver. 1, 2. Secondly, a complaint against the enemy, laying forth before God the desolation which the Chaldeans had made, especially in destroying the Temple, ver. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. And thirdly, a prayer unto God for vengeance upon them for their paines, ver. 10, 11.
From the lamentation and prayer for relief in general, Lear…, 1. In all judgements inflicted by whatsoever instruments, the Lords people must look first to God; and albeit wrath, and f…r of utter wrath do stare them in the face, as hardly it can be otherwayes when God putteth hand in his own Temple, and taketh away all the tokens of his presence from among a people, and seemeth to cast them utterly oft; yet must they make their address to God, how angry soever he seem to be; as here the Church under this sad judgement doth, saying, O God, why hast thou cast u…. off? 2. In the point of casting off, and fear of casting off for ever, the Lord craveth no yielding or submission to the pressing thoughts thereof, but will allow us to call in question every appearance of any such purpose of God, and to debate that point with him, and not to endure utter casting off, yea and to say, Why hast thou cast us off for ever? whether it be our own particular case, or the case of the visible Church, ours and others case with us, who cannot endure to be separate from God, 3. When the wrath of the Lord is kindled against his people, all that they do see, doth seem to be but the beginning of more wrath, as smoak is but the beginning of burning: Why doth thine anger smoak against thy sheep? 4. Albeit we by our sins have provoked the Lord to fall upon us, as … enemies; yet must we not quit the least relation, no not of … external Covenant, between God and us, but make use of it for supporting of our faith in him, as here; Why doth thine anger smoake against the sheep of thy pasture? that is, thy Church and people, the care of whom, thou hast taken, as a shepherd over his flock. 5. The Believers asking, Why? is no quarrelling; nor is any speech of the Saint… unto God, a quarrelling, which endeth or resolveth in petition and supplication, as this doth wherein after their asking, Why? they turn themselves to supplication, and do pray, Remember thy congregation. 6. Let the Lord do to his people what he pleaseth, they must pray unto him, and make use of all the b…nds between him and them, as here the Church doth, pleading, 1. That they are by outward Covenant his Church, consecrated unto him; Remember thy congregation. And 2. That they are his purchase by paying price, and conquest: Thy congregation which thou hast purchased. And 3. That they have been in his possession for a long time; Which thou hast purchased of old. And 4. That the Lord had taken them into manuring, as a piece of land measured out by line or rod, and his inheritance not to dispose, or put away: The rod of thine inheritance. And 5. That he had granted deliverances out of straits before; The inheritance which thou hast redeemed. And 6. That he had taken up house amongst them in his publick ordinances: This mount Sio… wherein thou hast dwelt.
Ver. 3. Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations: even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4. Thine enemies roare in the midst of thy congregations: they set up their ensignes for signes.
5. A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
6. But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
7. They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy Name to the ground.
8. They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burnt up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9. We see no… our signes, there is no more any prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
In the complaint he desireth the Lord to come and see, and to take order with the desolation made by the enemies in his land, and specially in the Temple, ver. 3. What insolent domineering of them was over his people, yea over God himselfe, so farre as their listed up banner against him could do, ver. 4. Each of them thinking it as great matter of commendation to them, to throw down the Temple, as ever it was for any man to build it, or prepare materials for it, ver. 5, 6. How they had burnt and demolished the Lords house, ver. 7. with a resolution to root out his people, according as they had burnt all their Synagogues in the land, ver. 8. And how there was no appearance of comfort or delivery from this calamity, ver. 9. Whence learn, 1. All the evils which the enemy doth unto Gods Church, proceed from the Lords desertion of, and departing from his people, who have provoked him to wrath; for this prayer, Lift up thy feet, or come and see, doth import his departure, and leaving his people naked without his protection. 2. Albeit the Lord doth seem to turn his back, & depart far away from his own people, when they do provoke him to anger, and to let their enemies do unto them, what they please; yet will he be entreated by his people to come again, and see, and pity the desolation brought upon them, and punish the instruments of it; Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations: that is, Lord, come speedily, and see what desolations thy enemies have made amongst us, and pity and relieve us by thy manifested presence. 3. Among all the calamities of Gods people, nothing doth afflict them so much, as the …nsolent profa…ation of the worship and Name of God among them; for here in the first petition, they lament the abusing of the Temple, Even all that the enemies have done wickedly in the Sanctuary; and then do insist most upon this. 4. When the wicked are le… loose upon Gods people, they are most insolent, cruel and savage in their carriage toward them; Thy enemies roare in the midst of thy congregations. 5. It will not suffice the enemies of the Church to insult over Gods people, but they will insult over their way of religion, and over God whom they worship; They set up their ensignes for signes; they display their banner upon the ruines of the Temple, as signes of their victory over that religion which is professed there, and over Gods worship there▪ 6. When Gods people do abuse religion, and do mock God in their profession of worship, and do dishonour him by their carriage and conversation; it is justice with God to give over his people, and all the meanes of religion into the hands of his enemies, to be abused by them, rather then to suffer his own people to mock him continually, as in this example is to be seen. 7. It is a matter of a mans commendation, to contribute any way to the setting up of Gods worship and ordinances in a land; A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees: that is, as he had cut down timber out of Lebanon Wood, to build the Lords Temple withall. 8. When the Lord is provoked by his peoples evil carriage towards him, no wonder he let the work of edification or reformation of religion go as fast down amongst them, as ever it rose up, as the Church of the Jewes did feel by experience, when now the enemies did break down the carved work of the Temple at once, with axes and hammers, much more speedily then it was builded; They have cast fire into the Sanctua…y, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy Name to the ground. This the Lord chused to permit, rather then to suffer his people still to mock religion, and still to abuse the Temple, and make it a shelter for them to trust in against all Gods threatnings, so long as it did stand. 9. Albeit the Lords minde be onelyonly to correct his people, by letting them see their provocation in the judgements brought upon them: yet the enemies whom he useth as instruments in their correction, do minde their utter destruction, and the rooting of them out of the world: They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them. 10. When the enemies of religion cannot kill all the worshippers of God, yet will they labour to mar the means of their assembling for publick worship, so farre as they can: for after they have said, Let us destroy them together, it is subjoyned, They have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the land: that is, all the houses built for the weekly assembling of the people unto publick worship, in their several divisions, through the land. 11. Houses built for meeting of the Lords people to publick worship, albeit they be not typically holy, as the Temple of Ierusalem was; yet do they belong to God, as meanes dedicate for maintaining his service, and when they are marred, it is a wrong done to God, and a cause of complaint to God against the sacrilegious spoilers thereof, as here we see. 12. External troubles are much lighter, when the publick ordinances and signes of Gods presence in a land may be had for spiritual comfort; but when those are removed, every trouble is the more heavy: We see not our fignes, there is no more any Prophet, ne…ther any among us, that knoweth how long: that is, publick meanes, ordinary and extraordinary, which may give us comfort, do now cease. If it be asked, how can this be applied unto the time of the captivity, seeing Ieremy, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Prophet who did write this Psalme by inspiration, were living at the beginning of the captivity, and after the burning of the Temple? It may be answered, that Ieremy was carried away …o Egypt, and the people could not have use of his ministery; Ezekiel and Daniel were carried away to Babylon, and the poor which remained in the land had none of the Prophets to comfort them; yea Ezekiel and Daniel were but now and then imployed of God to utter their prophecies, and the multitude of the captives, who were to make use of this Psalm, were scattered in sundry places, and could not have the benefit of their or of any others ministery, as they were wont to have; and this in speciall maketh the Iamentation to have a ground, that the table was drawn from the children: the people had not that accesse, which they enjoyed before▪ unto meanes either extraordinary or ordinary; they had not their former allowance; and howsoever in the copies of Ieremiahs prophecie, 70. yeares was determined for the peoples captivity, yet none of the Prophets at the time of writing this, told, or could tell them, how long time should passe before their desolution should be repaired; how long it should be ere the Temple should be builded again; and the Prophet, by whom this Psalm was endited, had no further commission then he speaketh of; and so these foresaid expressions, may stand with the time of the beginning of the captivity of Babylon.
Ver. 10. O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy Name for ever?
11. Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right band? pluck it out of thy bosome.
After the lamentation is subjoyned an imprecation against the enemies, that God would not deferre to punish them. Whence learn, 1. Mens patience is much short of Gods long-suffering and forbearance; for here it is the speech of a suffering people: O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? when with God it is not yet time to fall upon them. 2. The Lords long-suffering patience doth greatly harden the adversaries in their insolent mocking of Gods people; for instead of saying, Lord, how long wilt thou bear with them? he saith, O God, how long shall the adversaries reproach? 3. The truly godly can endure their own troubles better then they can bear the open dishonouring and blaspheming of God, by occasion of their trouble: Therrfore this expression, from the deepest sense of his heart, doth break forth, Shall the enemy blaspheme thy Name for ever? 4. Albeit tentations from carnal sense do represent God as if he were idle when he suffers his enemies to trample on his people, and on his glorious Name; yet faith will not admit of such a thought, but dealeth with God by prayer, to let his strength and power be so manifest, that the world may not think his hand is in his bosome; Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right band? pluck it out of thy bosome. This he believeth the Lord shall do, and giveth reasons for his hope, in that which followeth.
Ver. 12. For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters.
14. Thou brakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the …ople inhabiting the wildernesse.
15. Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
16. The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth, thou hast made summer and winter.
In the second part of the Psalme, the Psalmist doth confirme his own and other believers saith that God would undoubtedly deliver his people, and take order with their enemies; First, from the interest they have in God, and God in them. Secondly, from the experience of sensible deliveries past of his people, ver. 12. Thirdly, from the great work of redemption of his people from Pharaohs tyranny. ver. 13, 14. Fourthly, from the Lords seeding his people in the wildernesse, ver. 15. Fifthly, from the Lords sovereignty, and disposing of all creatures in the world, ver. 16, 17. Whence learn, 1. Relations between God and his Church, and in special this, that he hath made himselfe King thereof, are pawnes of Gods defending his Kingdom and injured subjects, and punishing of his enemies; for here the Church giveth it for a reason of their hope of delivery; God is my King. 2. The more time is past since God did avow himselfe King of his Church, the more confident may later generations of the Church be to finde new evidences of his royal actions for them, and against their enemies; God is my King of old. 3. New troubles must not make us forget old mercies, but rather call them to memory, to be made use of afresh as pledges that what he hath done before, he will do the like again; God is my King of old, working salvation in the earth: that is, such deliverances of his Church, as all the earth was witnesse of. 4. The delivery of Israel out of Egypt, and the destruction of the Egyptians, is a pawn unto the Church in every age after, that God will destroy their enemies how strong and terrible soever they be, and will deliver his Church: Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength, thou brakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters. 5. As all the enemies of the Church are no lesse cruel and savage against the Lords people, then unreasonable Sea-beasts, and Sea-monsters: so can he make their carcases a prey to unreasonable beasts, as he made Pharaoh and his Captaines to become food to the beasts of the wildernesse, when the Sea did cast up their carcases on the sho…e, like sea-wrackt; Thou brakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wildernesse. 6. The Lord will not fail to provide consolation to his Church in her necessity, though no probable means do appear, as he furnished his people drink from the flinty rock in the wildernesse: Thou didst cleave the fountain. 7. The Lord can and will remove all difficulties and impediments out of the way of his people, which may hinder them from the possession of promises, as he did to Israel: Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood, thou driedst up mighty rivers. 8. Faith is so thrifty, as not to let the works of creation, and common providence passe by, without usemaking thereof: The day is thine, the night also is thine, &c. 9. As God hath appointed vicissitudes of day and night, light and darknesse, summer and winter; so hath he no lesse resolvedly, wisely, and graciously appointed vicissitudes of dangers and deliverances, of grief and consolation to his people, for their good: The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the Sun. 10. As the Lord hath set bounds to the sea, bounds and borders to every Kingdome, to summers heat, and to winters cold: so can he do, and so hath he done, and so will he do unto all the troubles of his owne, to all the rage, power, plots and purposes of their enemies: Thou hast set all the borders of the earth, thou hast made summer and winter,
Ver. 18. Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy Name.
19. O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
20. Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21. O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy Name.
22. Arise, O God, plead thine owne cause: remember bow the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
23. Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee, increaseth continally.
In the third part of the Psalm, he returneth to prayer, and redoubleth his requests for delivery to the Church, taking arguments; Frst, from the injuries done to God by the enemy, ver. 18. Secondly, from the danger and weaknesse of Gods people, ver. 19. Thirdly, from covenanted help in time of need, ver. 20. Fourthly, from the Lords interest in his own quarrel against the growing insolency of his despightful enemies, ver. 22, 23. Whence learn, 1. Although sins, especially persecution of Gods people, and blasphemy against God, be not presently punished, yet shall they not be forgiven: Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord. 2. All sins, but in special blasphemy of Gods Name, are aggravated by the naughtiness of the sinner, and excellency of God: The foolish people have blasphemed thy Name. 3. The Church of God, in comparison of her many and strong enemies, is like a solitary, weak, desolate turtle-dove, harmlesse, meek, lowly, patient in desolation, and easing her griefe by sighing, and exposed to a multitude of ravenous birds; O deliver not the soule of thy turtle-dove. 4. How weak soever the Church be, and how many and strong soever the enemies be, yet cannot they all devoure the Church, except the Lord should deliver his Church over into their hands, against which evill the Church hath ground of confidence to pray, O deliver not the soule of thy turtle-love unto the multitude of the wicked; for he hath given his Church wings, and a hiding place too, as the comparison importeth, if he please to give her the use thereof also. 5. The Church is the Lords hospital, where his poor ones are sustained upon his provision and furniture, and he will not neglect them; O forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever. 6. Albeit the Lords people deserve to be secl…d many times from the Covenant of grace, yet the Lord will never debare them from their right unto it, when they in their need draw near to him, and plead for the benefit of it: Have respect, (saith he) to the Covenant. 7. Such places as want the light of the Lords presence in his Ordinances, are but dark and uncomfortable places, where there is no lesse hazard for the people of God to remaine, then for sheep to be in the midst of the dennes of cruel lions and ravenous beasts: And when it pleaseth God to cast his people by captivity or exile in such places, there is much need to make use of Gods Covenant for preservation: Have respect unto the Covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. 8. The emptied supplicant coming to God, especially when over-loaden with troubles, shall finde comfort, and shall not bee disappointed of his hope; O let not the oppressed return ashamed. 9. The sense of need and emptinesse, is the best disposition for prayer, and best preparation for praises also: and such as are poore in their prayers, shall be rich in their praises; Let the poor and needy praise thy Name. 10. The Churches cause is the Lords cause; for the wicked do not maligne the godly for their sinnes, but for righteousnesse, and so the quarrel is the Lords, which he will and must maintain, though he seem to sit still a while: Arise, O Lord, plead thine owne cause. 11. The Lords enemies are all foolish men; for they beat out their braines upon the Churches bulwark; because the Lord forbeareth for a time, they go on to blaspheme him daily to his face, but shall finde at length that God hath all their reproaches upon record: Remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily. 12. Every sinne, and in special enmity against God and his Church is fearful; but open gloriation therein is worse, which God will take knowledge of, and punish: for so much is imported in this prayer, forget not the voice of thine enemies. 13. Sinne, and in special persecution gloried in, doth grow daily more and more; and the growing of sinne, and in special of persecution, doth hasten the delivery of the godly, and the destruction of the enemies: The tumult of those that arise against thee, increaseth continually.