An Appeal against the Devastation of the Land by the Enemy.
A [a]Maskil of Asaph.
74 O God, why have You rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your [b]pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.
3 [c]Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual ruins;
The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their own [d]standards for signs.
5 It seems as if one had lifted up
His [e]axe in a [f]forest of trees.
6 And now [g]all its carved work
They smash with hatchet and [h]hammers.
7 They have [i]burned Your sanctuary [j]to the ground;
They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name.
8 They said in their heart, “Let us [k]completely [l]subdue them.”
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our signs;
There is no longer any prophet,
Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, will the adversary revile,
And the enemy spurn Your name forever?
11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
From within Your bosom, destroy them!
So, I asked God for an easy one this morning, something that would be nice and comforting, and I got “…how long. How long, O God…” I’m sure many can relate with things in this passage, as we see our culture seemingly in a spiral of decay. This world is like a man given an “axe in a forest of trees.” There is nothing sacred, nothing good that cannot be polluted and corrupted.
We pray for God to change this world, and I think we miss the mark. We might think God is silent, or not paying attention. Like the psalmist in vv. 4,9, we don’t see the familiar signs, and traditions are going by the wayside. Yet God is still the same, He does not change. His power and love and mercy are still at work.
If we look at the signs laid out in the Bible for the end times, things don’t get better in this world. We aren’t headed for a time of peace, not yet. God’s plan must be fulfilled, just as it was in Jesus day, when it didn’t make sense for him to die. Even his followers and closest friends were confused and afraid.
So don’t. Don’t be afraid of what is going on in this world. Don’t be dismayed that the very fabric of morality seems to be coming apart at the seams. Look upward, and forward, and know that every moment of every day, God is working His perfect plan. He is not afraid or dismayed or confused. He is God, yesterday, today, and forever.