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“Summaries, Psalms 71-74”
Categories: Bulletin Articles
Psalm 71 is an appeal to God for protection in a time of trouble. In the opening segment of the psalm, the psalmist says that only God in His righteousness can save him. As usual, the problem is wicked people who are oppressing him. He observes that he has trusted in God since he was young and that he always has praised God for His deliverance. Now that he is old, he wants God to continue to deliver him.
The problem is that his strength has declined with age, so that now his enemies think they can exploit him. Instead, the psalmist hopes that they will fail and be humiliated, and that he will be able to continue to praise God.
In fact, the psalmist always has been interested in glorifying Him, and he wants Him to spare him so that he can continue to do so. He is confident that God will do exactly that, so he anticipates the rejoicing that he will offer Him as a result.
Psalm 72 is the last psalm that David ever wrote, and it asks God to bless the reign of the king (presumably Solomon). First, David wants God to help the king be a righteous judge and a protector of the poor. Next, he asks for the king to be respected and have peace as a result. Similarly, he hopes that the dominion of the king will extend across the known world because God will bless his goodness and righteousness. The psalm also expresses the wish that the king will prosper along with Israel. All of this will lead to God being blessed and glorified.
Psalm 73 contains the psalmist’s reflections when confronted with evil people who appear to prosper. He begins by acknowledging that his envy of such people almost led him into sin. He reflects on how prosperous and carefree such people appear—they’ve literally gotten fat on evildoing. What’s worse, their freedom from judgment leads others to question the justice of God.
Next to them, the psalmist finds himself wondering why he has bothered being faithful. However, he recognizes that giving expression to these concerns would have undermined the faith of others. Besides, after meditation in the temple, he found himself reassured. The time would come when God would destroy them.
He concludes by reflecting on his relationship with God. He treated God badly in his ignorance, but he sees that God always has been with him. People who reject God will be destroyed, but those who seek Him will prosper.
Psalm 74 is a lament after the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians. The psalmist asks God why He has apparently abandoned His people and invites Him to consider the ruin of the sanctuary. The enemies of the Jews have gone through and destroyed everything. They feel abandoned by God and wonder how long this intolerable state will continue.
However, the psalmist also acknowledges God’s power. He always has defeated His enemies and provided for His people. The psalm concludes with an appeal to Him. First, the psalmist wants God to remember the Jews’ enemies and punish them for their crimes. Second, he asks God to remember His covenant. Finally, He appeals to God to respond powerfully to the scoffing of those enemies.
