Text: Psalm 74:1-9, 12
O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed – This Mount Zion where You have dwelt. Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary. Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs. They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees. And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers. They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground. They said in their hearts, “Let us destroy them altogether.” They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land. We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; Nor is there any among us who knows how long. … For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Devotion
It is always a cross for the saints of God that there is so much ungodliness in the Church. The servants see the tares among the wheat and ask: “Do you want us to go out and weed them out?” But the open unbelief which denies Christ’s deity has never been greater and bolder than now. Must it not be said: “Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place”? And must we not now ask: “O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?” For people who call themselves Christians and remain within the midst of Christian people mock and reproach with freest boldness Christ and His Person and work in His Word and servants, and they destroy the Church’s most sacred and finest treasures with axes and hammers. God, why do You not take Your right hand out of Your bosom? Have You forgotten Your Church, which You purchased, the tribe of Your inheritance, which You redeemed? Don’t You see, Lord, what fire is kindled also in our hearts, in the hearts of Your people, who still rely on You? O see how the enemy works wickedly against us! “Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them” (Psa 74:11).
Nevertheless even this psalm ends its lament in hope and promise. “God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth… You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness… The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun… Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.”
Closing Prayer
Help us, help us, help us to believe what Your mouth has spoken. Amen.
Hymn
O God, how sin’s dread works abound!
Throughout the earth no rest is found,
And falsehood’s spirit wide has spread,
And error boldly rears its head.
And ever is there something new
Devised to change Thy doctrines true;
Lord Jesus! as Thou still dost reign,
Those vain presumptuous minds restrain;
And as the cause and glory, Lord,
Are Thine, not ours, to us afford
Thy help and strength and constancy,
And keep us ever true to Thee.
Thy Word shall fortify us hence,
It is Thy Church’s sure defense;
O let us in its power confide,
That we may seek no other guide.
O grant that in Thy holy Word
We here may live and die, dear Lord;
And when our journey endeth here,
Receive us into glory there.
Selnecker: Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide L 84:4-8 ELH 511:5-9 tr. Composite;
tune: Ach, bleib bei uns