Psalm 72, a messianic psalm, speaks of the King’s just rule, his universal dominion, his defense of the poor and oppressed, and the prosperity of his kingdom. Jesus will come to tell us that this kingdom is within. In the face of the false happiness of the wicked, the psalmist, in Psalm 73 notes that the Lord must have fallen asleep. Surely it is a dream and this temporary injustice will prove to be but a bad dream. “But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.” When logic fails, is it a sense of the presence of God that restores our confidence and quickens our faith in simple goodness? Psalm 74 laments the destruction of the temple. The national calamity continues, even after the psalmist reminds God of previous deliverance and possible damage to His reputation. After all, His honor is at stake in the fate of His chosen people. In Psalm 75, there is nothing but praise for the God who is the Just Judge of the Wicked. Has humanity really changed? Are we still looking for God, our parent, to spank our brother when he is mean to us?
Psalm 72, a messianic psalm, speaks of the King’s just rule, his universal dominion, his defense of the poor and oppressed, and the prosperity of his kingdom. Jesus will come to tell us that this kingdom is within. In the face of the false happiness of the wicked, the psalmist, in Psalm 73 notes that the Lord must have fallen asleep. Surely it is a dream and this temporary injustice will prove to be but a bad dream. “But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.” When logic fails, is it a sense of the presence of God that restores our confidence and quickens our faith in simple goodness? Psalm 74 laments the destruction of the temple. The national calamity continues, even after the psalmist reminds God of previous deliverance and possible damage to His reputation. After all, His honor is at stake in the fate of His chosen people. In Psalm 75, there is nothing but praise for the God who is the Just Judge of the Wicked. Has humanity really changed? Are we still looking for God, our parent, to spank our brother when he is mean to us?
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