October 3
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LAMENT OVER THE TEMPLE RUINS
O God, why have You rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.
3 Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual ruins;
The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their own standards for signs.
5 It seems as if one had lifted up his axe in a forest of trees.
6 And now all its carved work
They smash with hatchet and hammers.- Psalm 74:1-6
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According to enduringword.com website, this psalm is a plea and a prayer in great sorrow from the destruction of the sanctuary. The majority of commentators believe this psalm followed the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians. Some argue that it is even later, following the desecration of the temple in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes. If these later dates are true, this Asaph who wrote it is not the great singer and musician of David and Solomon’s era, unless Asaph composed this psalm prophetically, which was possible according to 1 Chronicles 25:1 and 2 Chronicles 29:30.
This psalm is a community lament, a cry of anguish over the destruction of the temple. It recounts God’s mighty deeds in the past, especially the exodus. Asaph grieves over the temple ruins from the enemy’s attack. He declares to God the pain of watching what was left of the holy place of worship. He asks the Lord why He has turned His back on His people and allowed the enemy to desecrate this place.
Doesn’t this psalm remind us of how grieved we can be after losing our spirits in the battle waged by the enemy to destroy us? When we are overcome by sin, there is a cry inside of us to ask God for help. Sometimes, we cannot stop asking God why he allowed such events or loses to happen to us. Even the most faithful servants of God can be grieving over the loss of purity and faithfulness they have lived for that was destroyed by the evil one.
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REFLECTION
• Why is important to run to God when we are grieving over a loss?