Good morning! Despite the headlines and warnings that surround us, I want to share a profound reason for hope today. We’ll be exploring Psalms 74–77, a mere sixty-five verses, so I’ll aim to keep this message concise after yesterday’s extended discussion.
Asaph: The Visionary Musician
You’ll notice that these psalms are all attributed to Asaph. I imagine Asaph as a skilled musician with an angelic voice. His exceptional abilities likely led King David to appoint him as the director of the royal choir and musicians (1 Chron. 15:17, 19). Interestingly, people also recognized Asaph as a seer or prophet, showing divine inspiration and prophetic insight in his musical compositions (2 Chron.29:30)
Psalm 74: A Glimpse of Despair
Psalm 74 was most likely written during the devastating period when the Babylonians took Israel captive, culminating in the burning of the Temple (2 Kings 25:9). While the echoes of such destruction resonate with events in our modern world, I want us to pivot and focus on Psalm 75.
Psalm 75: Thanksgiving, Judgment, and Hope
This beautiful poetic song highlights Asaph’s deep thankfulness as he expects God’s righteous judgment and expresses his unwavering faith in a miraculous deliverance. You’ll find that its themes mirror end-times prophecy, which I’ll highlight for you.
The psalmist records God’s own declaration: “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity” (Ps. 75:2, NIV).
As Matthew Henry noted, “We often pray for mercy when in pursuit of it; and shall we only once or twice give thanks, when we obtain it?”
For those of us who are saved, this verse offers immense comfort: God is saying He will receive us on that day. He alone will judge, and He is a fair and just God.
Prophetic Echoes of Judgment
The prophet Ezekiel reinforces this truth: “I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them. ‘Then they will know that I am the Lord’” (Ezek. 7:27, NIV).
However, Ezekiel also warns, “For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near—a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations,” (Ezek. 30:3, NIV).
Asaph’s words in Psalm 75 resonate with these prophetic warnings: “In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs” (Ps. 75:8, NIV). This imagery is reminiscent of the pouring out of God’s wrath described in Revelation. (Rev. 14:10).
Last year, I delivered a sermon urging the congregation to be mindful. While we await the glorious return of Jesus, we remember that for many unsaved people, that day will seal their eternal fate. We have a limited, unknown time to share the gospel with them. Therefore, before we rejoice in our own certain future, we must also consider theirs.
The Downfall of Pride
For Asaph, God’s expected judgment was both vengeance for the desecration of the Temple and recompense for the arrogant and prideful rulers who oppressed Israel, much like Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 or Belshazzar in Daniel 5.
In verse 5, the psalmist writes, “To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns’” (Ps. 75:5, NIV).
Boasting, pride, and hubris have become pervasive in our public discourse. This trait doesn’t characterize any particular political affiliation.
We can be certain that at some point, the Lord will intervene. He is involved in human affairs, and His timing is perfect.
For the righteous, we can be grateful that He will return and judge the wicked. As Asaph declares: “I will declare this forever. I will sing praise to the God of Jacob, who says, ‘I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up’” (Ps. 75:9-10, NIV).
This aligns with prophecies found throughout Ezekiel (Ezek. 36–37), Daniel, and even more explicitly in Revelation. However, let us not forget: not all those we love are saved. With absolute certainty of this day’s arrival, I pose this question: What actions are you undertaking to reach your friends and family who will face judgment that day? Are you operating under the assumption that you can somehow override God’s appointed time?
Remember the solemn warning from verse 2: “I choose the appointed time.”
Tomorrow, we will read Psalms 78-79.
Works Cited
The Holy Bible, New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Henry, Matthew. 2005. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.