How does Psalm 74:20 connect with God's promises in Genesis 9:13-16? The Two Texts Side by Side “Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.” “I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. … Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind that is on the earth.” Shared Covenant Vocabulary • “Covenant” (Hebrew berith) unites both passages. • In Psalm 74 the psalmist pleads: “Remember!” • In Genesis 9 God Himself promises: “I will remember.” • The cry of Psalm 74 rests on the certainty that God never forgets what He has sworn (cf. Numbers 23:19). Violence Then and Now • Days of Noah: “The earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11). • Psalm 74: “Haunts of violence fill the dark places.” • The psalmist sees a replay of pre-Flood corruption and appeals to the very covenant that guarantees God’s restraint against universal destruction. Rainbow Assurance in a Dark Moment • Rainbow = visible sign that judgment by global flood will never recur. • By invoking the covenant, Asaph looks past immediate devastation to God’s pledge of ongoing preservation (Isaiah 54:9). • He trusts that the Creator who controls the waters (Psalm 74:15) still holds creation secure under the rainbow promise. Grounds for Confident Intercession • Unconditional: The Noahic covenant depends on God alone; therefore, His people may boldly appeal to it. • Everlasting: Repeated three times in Genesis 9, stressing permanence. • Universal: Covers “every living creature,” ensuring that God’s redemptive plan for humanity and the earth cannot be thwarted. Links to Other Scriptures • Leviticus 26:44-45 – God remembers the covenant even when His people are in distress. • Jeremiah 33:20-21 – If day and night cannot cease, neither can God’s covenant promises. • Hebrews 6:17-18 – God swears by Himself so that we may have “strong encouragement.” Take-Home Reflections • When violence and chaos surge, Scripture invites us to anchor our prayers in God’s irrevocable covenants. • The rainbow still proclaims God’s faithfulness; every storm that ends with color in the sky reaffirms His commitment to preserve and ultimately redeem His creation (Romans 8:21). • Psalm 74 models how to translate theology into petition: “Lord, You promised—now act in line with Your oath.” |
    |