[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVgAPuHFCUw&feature=youtu.be”]
In this week’s study from Tehillim / Psalms 74:1-23, the psalm opens saying, א מַשְֹכִּיל לְאָסָף לָמָה אֱלֹהִים זָנַחְתָּ לָנֶצַח יֶעְשַׁן אַפְּךָ בְּצֹאן מַרְעִיתֶךָ: A Maskil of Asaph. 74:1 O God, why have You rejected us forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? (NASB) Why does Asaph think the Lord is angry? He continues saying, ב זְכֹר עֲדָתְךָ | קָנִיתָ קֶּדֶם גָּאַלְתָּ שֵׁבֶט נַחֲלָתֶךָ הַר-צִיּוֹן זֶה | שָׁכַנְתָּ בּוֹ: ג הָרִימָה פְעָמֶיךָ לְמַשֻּׁאוֹת נֶצַח כָּל-הֵרַע אוֹיֵב בַּקֹּדֶשׁ: 74:2 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. 74:3 Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual ruins; The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary. (NASB) The perpetual ruins provides a picture of constant war. He continues providing examples of war saying, 74:4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place; They have set up their own standards for signs. 74:5 It seems as if one had lifted up His axe in a forest of trees. 74:6 And now all its carved work They smash with hatchet and hammers. 74:7 They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name. 74:8 They said in their heart, ‘Let us completely subdue them.’ They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land. 74:9 We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet, Nor is there any among us who knows how long. 74:10 How long, O God, will the adversary revile, And the enemy spurn Your name forever? (NASB) These things happening are a sign to Asaph that the Lord has removed his hand (74:11). Read more here: Tehillim 74-Part1
