INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 74 MASCHIL OF ASAPH. Some think that Asaph, the penman of this psalm, was not the same that lived in the times of David, but some other of the same name, a descendant of his k, that lived after the Babylonish captivity, since the psalm treats of things that were done at the ti... [ Continue Reading ]
O GOD, WHY HAST THOU CAST US OFF FOR EVER?..... This the church supposed because of the prevalence, oppression, and triumph of the enemy, because of the hardships and afflictions she laboured under, and because of the hidings of the face of God from her, which unbelief interpreted of a casting off;... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER THY CONGREGATION, WHICH THOU HAST PURCHASED OF OLD,.... Alluding to the redemption of the congregation of Israel out of Egypt, when they were said to be "purchased", Exodus 15:16 and as that people were typical of the people of God, they may be said to be "purchased then", even of old; thou... [ Continue Reading ]
LIFT UP THY FEET UNTO THE PERPETUAL DESOLATIONS,.... That is, arise, hasten, move swiftly, and in the greatness of strength, and come and see the desolations made by the enemy, which look as if they would remain for ever; meaning either the desolations made in the city and temple of Jerusalem, eithe... [ Continue Reading ]
THINE ENEMIES ROAR IN THE MIDST OF THY CONGREGATIONS,.... Particular churches, gathered out of the world in Gospel order, and which meet together at particular times and places; in the midst of these, and against them their enemies, and who are the Lord's enemies, roar like lions, as Satan, and bloo... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN WAS FAMOUS,.... Or, "it was", or "is known" m; the desolations the enemy made, the wickedness they committed, the terror they spread, and the signs they set in the sanctuary of the Lord: ACCORDING AS HE HAD LIFTED UP, or "as one that lifts up" AXES UPON THE THICK TREES n; that is, the above... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW THEY BREAK DOWN THE CARVED WORK THEREOF AT ONCE WITH AXES AND HAMMERS. Formerly it was an honour to be employed in cutting down a tree for the building of the temple; but now so little regard was paid to it, that all its fine carved work, which Solomon made, 1 Kings 6:18, was demolished at o... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY HAVE CAST FIRE INTO THY SANCTUARY,.... Or, "thy sanctuary into the fire" o; which denotes the utter destruction of it by fire, which was done both by the Chaldean and Roman armies; see 2 Kings 25:9, THEY HAVE DEFILED, BY CASTING DOWN THE DWELLING PLACE OF THY NAME TO THE GROUND, or "to the ea... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SAID IN THEIR HEARTS, LET US DESTROY THEM TOGETHER,.... The Targum is, "their children, are together;'' or "their kindred", as the Septuagint Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, taking the word to be of נין, which signifies a "son"; and the sense to be, that seeing they were all tog... [ Continue Reading ]
WE SEE NOT OUR SIGNS,.... Either such miracles as were formerly wrought to support the faith of God's people in distress, and for their deliverance out of it, as when they were in Egypt, and brought forth from thence; see Psalms 78:43 or rather their sabbaths and sacrifices, the passover and circumc... [ Continue Reading ]
O GOD, HOW LONG SHALL THE ADVERSARY REPROACH?.... The name of God, as in the next clause, the divine Persons and perfections, the purposes and providence of God, his people, ways, worship, truths, and ordinances: SHALL THE ENEMY BLASPHEME THY NAME FOR EVER? The "adversary" and "enemy" being in the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY WITHDRAWEST THOU THY HAND, EVEN THAT RIGHT HAND?.... By which is meant the power of God; by which he made the heavens and the earth, and all things therein, and supports them in their beings; by which the work of his grace is wrought in the hearts of his people, and they are upheld; and by which... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR GOD IS MY KING OF OLD,.... Or "but God", or "verily God", c. d for these words contain the church's consolation under all the above melancholy circumstances, taken from what God was, and had been to her, even Christ, who is God over all; he was her King by the constitution and designation of his... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU DIDST DIVIDE THE SEA BY THY STRENGTH,.... This and the following instances from hence to Psalms 74:18 are proofs of God's working salvation in the midst of the earth; some of them seem peculiar to the people of Israel, and others are benefits common to mankind in general; which the church makes... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU BREAKEST THE HEADS OF LEVIATHAN IN PIECES,.... A large fish, generally thought to be the whale, by some the crocodile, described in Job 41:1 to which the king of Egypt or Babylon is compared, Isaiah 27:1 and so the Romish antichrist in one of his characters is represented as a sea beast with ma... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU DIDST CLEAVE THE FOUNTAIN AND THE FLOOD,.... That is, the rocks at Horeb and at Kadesh, from whence water flowed as out of a fountain, and became a flood, whereby the people of Israel were supplied with water in the wilderness, and also their beasts; and from this instance it may be concluded t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAY IS THINE, AND THE NIGHT ALSO IS THINE,.... He made the one and the other, and divided the one from the other; and can make them longer or shorter, clear or cloudy, as he pleases: and the day of prosperity and night of adversity are at his disposal; all the times of his people and of his chur... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST SET ALL THE BORDERS OF THE EARTH,.... Of the whole world, and each of the nations, as of the land of Canaan, so of others, Deuteronomy 32:8, and even has fixed and settled the bounds of every man's habitation, Acts 17:26, THOU HAST MADE SUMMER AND WINTER; see Genesis 8:22, which, taken li... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER THIS, THAT THE ENEMY HATH REPROACHED, O LORD,.... Or "hath reproached the Lord", as the Septuagint version and others render it, and very rightly; though not so well the former part of the clause, which it renders, or rather paraphrases, thus: "remember this thy creation", or "creature"; as... [ Continue Reading ]
O DELIVER NOT THE SOUL OF THY TURTLEDOVE,.... By which is meant the church, see Song of Solomon 2:14, which is comparable to this creature for its cleanness and purity, for its amiableness and beauty, for its harmlessness and innocence, for its modesty and meekness, for its affection and chastity to... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE RESPECT UNTO THE COVENANT,.... The Targum adds, "which thou hast made with our fathers;'' meaning not the covenant of works, which being broken, no good thing was to be expected from it, not liberty, life, nor eternal salvation, but all the reverse; but the covenant of grace, made with Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
O LET NOT THE OPPRESSED RETURN ASHAMED,.... From the throne of grace, not having an answer of their prayer, but still continuing under the oppressions of their enemies: LET THE POOR AND NEEDY PRAISE THY NAME; let them have occasion for it, by the destruction of their enemies, and their deliverance... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISE, O GOD, PLEAD THINE OWN CAUSE,.... The church's cause being the cause of God; and therefore she desires that he would arise and exert himself, and take vengeance on his and her enemies: this is an interesting argument, and a forcible one: REMEMBER HOW THE FOOLISH MAN REPROACHETH THEE DAILY; t... [ Continue Reading ]
FORGET NOT THE VOICE OF THINE ENEMIES,.... Their roaring in the midst of the sanctuary and the congregation, Psalms 74:4, their reproaching and blaspheming voice, Psalms 74:10, THE TUMULT OF THOSE THAT RISE UP AGAINST THEE INCREASETH CONTINUALLY, or "ascendeth" i; goes up to God, and is taken notic... [ Continue Reading ]