Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name. Sermons
I. THE NATURAL SUMMER. This is what is referred to in our text: the psalmist appeals to it as a plea for God's much-needed help. His infinite power, which had made summer and winter, and had been manifested in so many marvellous ways, was able to help Israel in their great distress, and their trust was that he would. 1. Israel had to maintain stoutly the truth that God made all things. A whole mob of idol gods was put forward and worshipped by the heathen as the authors and creators of the powers of nature. 2. And our missionaries to the heathen have to maintain the same truth of God the Creator of all. It is by no means universally or generally believed even yet. 3. And in our day and in our own land, professedly Christian as it is, we may not slacken our testimony to this truth. It is not that we have to contend with rival gods, as Israel had, and the missionary still has, but the existence of any God at all is either openly questioned or flatly denied. It is not polytheism, but atheism, that confronts and opposes the Christian advocate today and here at home. Natural law is everything; as if a law could do anything without an executive to put it in force. The ancient Greeks were pantheists, but our men of science have, too many of them, sunk down to a lower depth than that. The Greek saw gods everywhere and in all things; we see God nowhere. Shall we give in to this proud yet miserable atheism? God forbid! Let us still maintain with the psalmist, "Thou hast made summer." As we look round on all the rich glories of the season, let us confess, with our great Puritan poet - "These are thy works, Parent of good," etc. II. THE SUMMER OF GOD'S PROVIDENCE. How many are enjoying this! God's daily gifts of life, health, and joy are lavished upon them. They bask in the sunshine of his love. Everything bids them rejoice. But forget not the Giver of your joy - him who made the summer. That holy memory will be to you like the string attached to the child's kite, which is soaring away up in the blue heavens to the child's exuberant delight. But let that string be broken which now steadies and sustains, it, not hindering but aiding it in its upward way through the sunlit air, and then you know that at once it will come tumbling ignominiously to the ground. So if we let ourselves forget our God, and we be in thought and affection separated from him, then our poor joy, like that child's kite, will soon fall to the ground, and our gladness will soon be at an end. It is the remembrance," Thou hast made summer," which does not hinder but help our joy, steadying and sustaining it as did that cord the child's toy. Let us not forget this. And we would bid you remember God, because, else, the summer of God's providence, like the natural summer, is apt to breed many forms of evil life, like those many creeping, noisome, and miserably destructive insects, etc., which the summer sun calls forth, and which in our fields and gardens we are ever seeking to be rid of. How full the Bible is of records of the ill that the summer of God's providence has occasioned to many unwatchful and God-forgetting souls! Remember, too, that such seasons let that live which is not really strong, and which the first frost of winter will speedily kill. So is it easy, when no trial or persecution arises because of Christ, to appear as if we were really his. But when they do arise, what then? III. THE SUMMER OF GOD'S GRACE. 1. This may be in us - is so when the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. It is very delightful; is independent of every other summer; comes by degrees; is the result of conflict; unlike the natural summer, it never ends, though it may be interrupted. And: 2. It is above us, waiting for us in the future world. There is the "land of pure delight." The lovely scenes of earth are reminders of it. It is the true, real, most blessed, because unending, summer of the soul. - S.C. For that Thy name is near Thy wondrous works declare. Homilist. I. He is near as the SUSTAINER OF A DISSOLVING SYSTEM (ver. 3). The force of disintegration operates every moment, not only in organized matter, but even in what we call simple substances, if, indeed, such things exist. The mountains falling come to nought. Every plant in the great system of vegetation is dissolving; and the great world of animal life, from the tiniest insect to the hugest monster of the forest or the sea, is ever in the process of dissolution. What prevents the whole universe tumbling to pieces, flying off part from part, particle from particle as a log of wood in the flames? No force short of God. The same principle of disintegration is at work in human society. Families, societies, Churches, nations, are dissolving; kingdoms are constantly breaking into pieces. God alone keeps things together, bears up the pillars of a dissolving universe. "He upholds all things by the word of His power."II. He is near as the REBUKER OF HUMAN WICKEDNESS (vers. 4, 5). 1. Three phases of wickedness are here indicated: —(1) Folly — "Deal not foolishly." Sin is folly. It is against the reason, the interests, the dignity and blessedness of existence. "He that sinneth against Me wrongeth his own soul."(2) Haughtiness — "Lift not up the horn." Pride and arrogance enter into the very essence of wickedness. "God resisteth the proud," etc.(3) Recklessness — "Speak not with a stiff neck." Bold, shameless, obstinate disregard to the claims of God and all the moral proprieties. 2. God is present in the world, reproving all the wickedness with the voice of Providence, by the admonitions of conscience, by the ministry of His Word and the stricings of Ills Spirit. III. He is near as THE SOVEREIGN DISPOSER OF ALL SOCIAL CHANGES. "For promotion cometh neither from the east," etc. "But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another" (1 Samuel 2:7). He is in the rise and in the fall, not only of empires, but individual men. "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust," etc. IV. He is near — ADMINISTERING TO ALL MEN DISPENSATIONS FROM A COMMON SOURCE (ver. 8). What is that cup? Infinite benevolence; and from this cup "He poureth out of the same," great natural blessings. "God is good, and His tender mercies are over all the works of His hand." 1. The cup is a mixed cup. "Full of mixture." What an infinite variety of blessings are in this cup, this cup of level Something from it falls fresh upon every being every hour. 2. The contents of this cup have a different effect upon different characters. To the righteous it is a pleasant cup. Its blooming, sparkling mixture is delicious and inspiring. Not so to the wicked; what is delicious and sustaining to the good is distasteful and pernicious to the evil. Moral character changes subjectively the very nature of things. V. He is near to DESTROY THE POWER OF THE WICKED AND TO AUGMENT THE POWER OF THE RIGHTEOUS (ver. 10). Matthew Arnold has somewhere described God "as a stream of tendency that maketh for righteousness." His meaning, I presume, is that the whole procedure of God in the moral world tends to put down the wrong and to raise and glorify the right. (Homilist.) I. TO OBSERVE OUR SINS (Job 24:14, 15; Psalm 139:2-4; Genesis 3:9-24; Genesis 19:24-28; Joshua 7:24-26; Acts 5:1-10). II. TO NOTICE OUR DESIRES AFTER HIM (Jeremiah 31:18-20; Luke 15:20). III. TO PARDON, SANCTIFY, AND JUSTIFY (Isaiah 50:7-9). IV. TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS (Psalm 145:18, 19; Isaiah 65:24). V. TO RELIEVE OUR WANTS (Psalm 34:10; Psalm 84:11; Habakkuk 3:17, 18). VI. TO SUCCOUR US IN DISTRESS (Psalm 34:19; Isaiah 49:10). VII. TO SAVE US FROM DANGER (Daniel 3:27). Job; Peter. From this subject we may derive warning to sinners, an encouragement to the penitent; comfort to believers. (R. Simpson, M. A.) When that great artist, Dore, was once travelling in Southern Europe, he lost his passport. When he came to the boundary line where he needed to produce it, the official challenged him. Said he, "I have lost my passport; but it is all right — I am Dore the artist. Please let me go on." "Oh, no," said the officer; "we have plenty of people representing themselves as this or that great one." After some conversation the man said, "Well, I want you to prove it. Hero is a pencil and some paper. Now, if you are the artist, draw me a picture." Dore took the pencil, and with a few master strokes sketched some of the features of the neighbourhood. Said the man, "Now I am perfectly sure of it. You are Dore; no other man could do that." Thus all the works of creation their great Original proclaim, "that Thy name is near Thy wondrous works declare."A legend has it that a prophet appealed to God for a sign such as had been granted to other prophets. In response a tuft of moss opened before the man, and from the rock beneath rose a lovely violet. As he looked admiringly on the opening leaves he had no need to ask for signs and wonders, for as he was leaving home his little daughter had given him a violet precisely like the one created before his eyes. We need not ask to see a new star flashing gorgeous lights on the darkness of a wintry night, or oaks to spring in a moment from acorns, as demonstrations of a Divine presence. God is as truly revealed in a little flower as in the most stupendous miracle that could amaze and overwhelm the mind; Archdeacon Farrar tells about a boy who took a flower with him to his work every morning. He put the flower on his desk in the schoolroom, and when asked why he did this, replied that the flower was to remind him of God and keep him from evil thoughts.(The Signal.) People Asaph, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Afflicted, Ashamed, Confusion, Crushed, Disgrace, Dishonored, Downtrodden, Low, Needy, O, Oh, Oppressed, Poor, Praise, Retreat, Return, Shame, TurnOutline 1. The prophet complains of the desolation of the sanctuary10. He moves God to help in consideration of his power 18. Of his reproachful enemies, or his children and of his covenant. Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 74:21Library The MeaningOf the Red Dragon with Seven Heads fighting with Michael about the new-born Child. The first vision of the little book, of which we treated in the eleventh chapter, ran through the whole Apocalyptical course, from the beginning to the end, and that, as we elsewhere observed, to point out its connexion with the seals and trumpets. Now to that vision the remaining prophecies of the same interval, and of the affairs of the Church are to be accommodated, in order to complete the system of the little … Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse The Prophet of the Highest. How those are to be Admonished who Abstain not from the Sins which they Bewail, and those Who, Abstaining from Them, Bewail them Not. The Wisdom of God Balaam's Prophecy. (Numb. xxiv. 17-19. ) Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements Jesus Makes a Preaching Tour through Galilee. The Sun Rising Upon a Dark World The Justice of God Psalms Links Psalm 74:21 NIVPsalm 74:21 NLT Psalm 74:21 ESV Psalm 74:21 NASB Psalm 74:21 KJV Psalm 74:21 Bible Apps Psalm 74:21 Parallel Psalm 74:21 Biblia Paralela Psalm 74:21 Chinese Bible Psalm 74:21 French Bible Psalm 74:21 German Bible Psalm 74:21 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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