Psalms 74:1-75:10

74:1-8 | O God, why have you cast us off? Is a typical lament construction (13:1). The difficult questions posed here are answered in Psalm 75.

74:12-15 | These verses demonstrate God’s power over all things (105:41; Ex. 17:5-6; Josh. 2:10). Bodies of water represented threat and chaos to the Israelites. For God to break the heads of sea serpents and Leviathan vividly demonstrated His power over all kinds of evil. Giving these creatures as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness further depicts God’s ability to conquer and subdue any power on earth.

75:3 | Here are the answers to the questions posed in Psalm 74: the Lord is in control, even when it seems that everything is falling to pieces. God is the great Judge-Ruler who will not permit wickedness, evil powers, or the arrogant to undermine the foundations of His kingdom. The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved is a metaphor for the adverse effects of evil. The Lord graciously upholds His creation, with pillars shoring up the moral order.

75:8 | The wrath of God is pictured as a full cup of wine in several places in Scripture (60:3; Job 21:20; Isa. 63:6; Jer. 25:15; Rev. 14:10; 16:19). The wicked are forced to drink God’s wrath once He no longer waits for people to repent.