Psalm 74

Song 74 is ascribed to Asaph. Mostly we know of Asaph as the worship leader for David and Solomon. He banged a mean pair of bronze cymbals at David’s first attempt to take the ark back to town.

But the substance of this psalm takes us to the time after Nebuchadnezzar and his troops seized and burned Jerusalem, so it has to be a different Asaph.

The subscript calls it a maskil; who knows what that is?—sounds like some kind of a boat to me. Who knows what it is? I don’t know why the psalmists couldn’t all just speak English like the rest of the Bible writers—what’s all this selah, mahalath, shiggaion stuff?

One of the many things that inspires me particularly in the psalms, is the frank honesty with God. These guys weren’t hesitant to put all their cards on the table and say, “So, God, what’s up with that?”

Here Mr. Asaph maskilates, “O God, why do you cast us off forever?”

At least it felt like forever to those living in Babylon.

“Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?”

I knew God could get angry.

But I had no idea he could get smokin’ angry!

I do appreciate that I can cry out to Him with no holes barred.

And it comforts me no end that no matter how dark the day may be, He’s got it and me in the palm of his hand.