Psalm 74

A quick history lesson to make sense of this Psalm.

After the rein of King David -- and Solomon, his son -- the kingdom of Israel split into two pieces.

The north -- called Israel -- was ruled by a series of evil kings. Evil was defined by scripture as worshiping other gods. The north abandoned God totally, so God took his hand of protection off of Israel, and when the Assyrians attacked in about the year 722 BC the people of Israel were conquered, dispersed, and they literally disappeared ... forever.

The south -- called Judah (from which we get the term "Jews") -- had a more checkered history. Some Southern kings were good, meaning they loved, feared, and worshiped God. Some Southern kings were evil, bowing down to foreign gods. Most of the kings were lukewarm. With their words they honored God, but with their actions they allowed the places of worship for the pagan gods to remain in Judah. And just so you know ... lukewarm was judged as harshly as blatant evil.

In about the year 586 BC God took his hand of protection off of Judah and allowed Babylon to conquer them.

Wait ... this fate for Judah was more than predictable. In fact, God sent prophet after prophet to the Judeans, warning them of their impending fate and calling them to return to the Lord their God instead. They didn't turn to God, of course; nevertheless, God did not allow a permanent defeat like Israel faced. After all, he'd promised David an eternal kingdom and Abraham descendents as numerous as the stars. Nevertheless, for their rebellion, God's people suffered a generation or two of exile, until, in the days of Ezra of Nehemiah, they were allowed to return and Jerusalem became again their happy home.

And now the Psalm ...

Most Psalms were written by King David, during, obviously, the time of David. I don't know who Asaph is -- to which this Psalm is attributed. I don't know when it was written. But it seems to me that it was either written during the time of Judah's defeat ... or ... it was prophecy.

Listen and see if you can hear some of the themes we just discussed: "1 O God ... 2 remember Jerusalem, your home here on earth. 3 Walk through the awful ruins of the city; see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary. 7 They set the sanctuary on fire, burning it to the ground. They utterly defiled the place that bears your holy name [and] 8 burned down all the places where God was worshiped." Historical note: The temple was destroyed (for the first time) in 586 BC, and can't you imagine the people of Judah crying, "9 We see no miraculous signs as evidence that you will save us."

The people of Judah generally hated the prophets -- who adores the constant bearers of bad news who tells you that you aren't being faithful enough -- nevertheless, can't you hear them crying, "9 All the prophets are gone; no one can tell us when it will end. 10 How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to mock you?"

We said before that God permitted all of this to happen by taking his hand of protection (temporarily) off of Judah, and listen to their cry, "11 Why do you hold back your strong right hand?"

And now the question ...

Where is our hope when times are hard?

Our hope comes from remembering.

First, the Psalmist remembers God and his awesome power: "12 You, O God, are my king from ages past, bringing salvation to the earth. 13 You split the sea by your strength ... 15 You caused the springs and streams to gush forth ... 17 You set the boundaries of the earth ... 16 Both day and night belong to you ..." Yes, the Psalmist is reminding God of his power, but he's also recalling instances of God's power and grace for his own benefit. Why? Because, first, our hope comes from remembering how faithful God has been in our past. It's easy to become discouraged by a moment, but when we trace back God's grace throughout our lives, we ground ourselves in God's continual provision.

Second, it's okay to invite God to remember! "19 Don't forget your afflicted people forever," cries the Psalmist, "20 Remember your covenant promises ..." God's memory is surely better than our; therefore, recalling God's promises is also a way to restore our own hope. Why do you think every Christian bookstore has scores of books with the promises of God? Why? Because when times are hard, it's helpful to remember God's promises regarding his love ... his forgiveness ... his healing power ... his grace ... his mercy ... his power ... his protection ... his provision ... We remember -- not so God will remember -- but so that we may be restored.

Remember ... and claim the hope.

Prayer: Create your own today

1. Identify a trial in your life.

2. Go to one of these websites, and

remember and claim a promise of God

to help you in the time of your trial