Read Psalm 75
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 We praise you, God,
we praise you, for your Name is near;
people tell of your wonderful deeds.
2 You say, “I choose the appointed time;
it is I who judge with equity.
3 When the earth and all its people quake,
it is I who hold its pillars firm.
4 To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak so defiantly.’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7 It is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.
8 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.
9 As for me, I will declare this forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”
Go Deeper
Psalm 75 marks the halfway point through the Psalms. Similar to Psalm 57, 58, and 59, this psalm is set to the tune of “Do Not Destroy” for the fourth and final time. It is a prayer by Asaph to God consisting of thanksgiving, a word from God, a warning by the church, and anticipation of the Lord’s deliverance.
Asaph knew that judgment was coming. He knew God would destroy the people not following Him, but he prayed for deliverance of the believers. He rejoiced, even though he knew heartbreak was around the corner. This served as a warning for those who were not following God; there was a destructive fate ahead if they did not take the opportunity to turn to righteousness.
This chapter has many references to a horn. In the Old Testament times, the horn was a symbol of boastful power and strength. The foolish were using their horns to promote themselves and their power, exalting themselves even over God. It seems like an old issue… until we think of a phrase we use today. How often do you “toot your own horn?”
We do not want to be foolish. Charles Spurgeon, a preacher and Bible scholar, notes, “When possessed by the arrogant, the horn is said to be ‘cut down’ or humbled. While God rejects the horns of the haughty, he exalts the horns of the righteous.” The Lord sees how we act every day. Self-promoting tendencies and boasting of success will feel good for a moment, but we will be left with God humbling us. Rather, let us live for righteousness and let God lift us up in His timing.
God will judge with equity and He gives us plenty of opportunities to turn to Him. When we turn to Him, He is near and works in our lives. With a focus on His wondrous deeds and praising Him, it will be much easier to declare His praise than tooting our own horn in vain.
Questions
- Has your behavior this week been leading to life in Christ or sin and death?
- Have you been tooting your own horn often? Take a moment to confess and repent.
- How can you encourage another believer today?
Keep Digging
If you are curious about learning more about the verse-by-verse breakdown of this chapter, check out this commentary by Charles Spurgeon.
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4 responses to “Psalm 75”
75:1 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
Giving thanks and declaring God’s wondrous works! That’s our calling! If we don’t do it, then even the rocks will cry out!
In Psalm 74 there was the question of “why” do things happen the way they do? 75 gives an answer of God will judge. We are not to judge. We offer Christ, love them serve them and speak grace, also with boundaries. We have to practice patience.
We (I) have to continue to search the Word of God, to read with shema hearing for obedience. To understand the word according to when, how, to whom it was written. To learn from, to follow Christ example. He spent time studying as a boy, He prayed much, He listened with sheama hearing to His Father. He loved with kind firmness. He lived His life and that is our example of how to live today. These Psalms are a comfort and joy with some instructions of life mixed in.
God thank You for these minutes of this day. God continue to be light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet, as I make my way. God thank You for giving me Your word to study and to show myself approved. God thank You for me showing others who You are by my life. Let Your light so shine forth. God thank You for the moments of sitting at Your feet to just be with You and praise You. God thank You for Your hesed love and me sharing that to others today in these minutes in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will rest in these truths today:
•He is near.
•His timing is impeccable.
•He judges with equity.
•He holds all things firm.
Instead of over thinking I will bring my humble praise to God and take hope, comfort and assurance in him.
What a powerful psalm of praise and confidence in God’s justice. It opens with thanksgiving, acknowledgment of God’s wonders, and then it emphasizes that God is the One who sets the timing for promotion and judgment. The psalmist boldly declares that the wicked will be judged, but the righteous will be upheld. Even when things seem chaotic in life, remember God is sovereign and in control of justice and order.