Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed. Turn Your stepsThis phrase is a plea for divine intervention, urging God to direct His attention and presence towards the plight of His people. The Hebrew root for "turn" is "שׁוּב" (shuv), which often conveys the idea of returning or restoring. This suggests a longing for God to return to His people in a time of distress, reminiscent of the covenant relationship where God promises to be with His people. The imagery of "steps" implies movement and action, indicating a desire for God to actively engage in their situation. to the everlasting ruins
The term "everlasting ruins" reflects a state of desolation and destruction that seems permanent. The Hebrew word for "ruins" is "חָרְבוֹת" (charavot), which can denote a place that has been laid waste. Historically, this could refer to the destruction of Jerusalem or the temple, events that were devastating to the Israelites. The use of "everlasting" emphasizes the severity and enduring nature of the devastation, highlighting the need for divine restoration. all that the enemy has destroyed
This phrase acknowledges the work of adversaries who have caused significant harm. The word "enemy" in Hebrew is "אוֹיֵב" (oyev), often used to describe those who oppose God's people. The destruction caused by these enemies is not just physical but also spiritual, as it represents an attack on the very identity and faith of the Israelites. This plea is a call for God to recognize the extent of the damage and to act against those who have defied His sovereignty. Persons / Places / Events 1. AsaphTraditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 74, Asaph was a Levite and one of King David's chief musicians. He is known for his role in temple worship and his contributions to the Psalms. 2. SanctuaryRefers to the holy place of worship, likely the Temple in Jerusalem, which was central to Israelite worship and the presence of God among His people. 3. EnemyRepresents the foreign invaders or oppressors who have desecrated the sanctuary, possibly the Babylonians during the destruction of Jerusalem. 4. Everlasting RuinsSymbolizes the profound and seemingly permanent destruction of the Temple, which was a devastating event for the Israelites. 5. GodThe psalmist is addressing God, pleading for His intervention and restoration of the sanctuary. Teaching Points God's Presence in DesolationEven in times of destruction and despair, God is present. The psalmist's plea for God to "turn Your steps" reminds us that God is attentive to our cries and aware of our circumstances. The Importance of the SanctuaryThe sanctuary was central to Israel's identity and worship. Its destruction was not just physical but spiritual. Today, we must value our places of worship and the community they foster. Trust in God's SovereigntyDespite the devastation, the psalmist trusts in God's ability to restore. We are called to trust in God's sovereignty and His power to bring restoration in our lives. Lament as a Form of WorshipLament is a valid and important form of worship. It allows us to express our grief and seek God's intervention, demonstrating our dependence on Him. Hope for RestorationThe psalmist's plea is rooted in hope for restoration. As believers, we hold onto the promise of God's ultimate restoration through Christ. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the destruction of the sanctuary in Psalm 74:3 reflect the spiritual state of Israel at the time, and what can we learn from this about the consequences of turning away from God? 2. In what ways can we relate the concept of "everlasting ruins" to personal experiences of loss or devastation, and how can we seek God's presence in those times? 3. How does the plea for God to "turn Your steps" challenge us to invite God into the broken areas of our lives and communities today? 4. What role does lament play in your personal prayer life, and how can it deepen your relationship with God? 5. How can the hope for restoration in Psalm 74 inspire us to trust in God's promises, especially in light of the ultimate restoration described in Revelation 21? Connections to Other Scriptures Lamentations 1This chapter describes the desolation of Jerusalem and the Temple, echoing the themes of destruction and lament found in Psalm 74. 2 Kings 25Details the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians, providing historical context to the lament in Psalm 74. Isaiah 64:11Expresses a similar cry for God to see the desolation of the holy places, reinforcing the plea for divine intervention. Revelation 21:22Offers a vision of the New Jerusalem where there is no temple because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple, pointing to ultimate restoration. People Asaph, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Damaged, Desolations, Destroyed, Destruction, Direct, Enemy, Everlasting, Evil, Footsteps, Haters, Holy, Lift, Perpetual, Ruins, Sanctuary, Steps, Turn, Unending, Wickedly, WithinDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 74:3 5508 ruins
8728 enemies, of Israel and Judah Psalm 74:1-23 6115 blame Psalm 74:3-6 5211 art Library The Meaning
Of 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 ApocalypseThe Prophet of the Highest.
(LUKE I.) "Ye hermits blest, ye holy maids, The nearest heaven on earth, Who talk with God in shadowy glades, Free from rude care and mirth; To whom some viewless Teacher brings The secret love of rural things, The moral of each fleeting cloud and gale, The whispers from above, that haunt the twilight vale." KEBLE. Formative Influences--A Historical Parallel--The Burning of the Vanities--"Sent from God" "Thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Most High"--thus Zacharias addressed his infant …
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist How those are to be Admonished who Abstain not from the Sins which they Bewail, and those Who, Abstaining from Them, Bewail them Not.
(Admonition 31.) Differently to be admonished are those who lament their transgressions, and yet forsake them not, and those who forsake them, and yet lament them not. For those who lament their transgressions and yet forsake them not are to be admonished to learn to consider anxiously that they cleanse themselves in vain by their weeping, if they wickedly defile themselves in their living, seeing that the end for which they wash themselves in tears is that, when clean, they may return to filth. …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great The Wisdom of God
The next attribute is God's wisdom, which is one of the brightest beams of the Godhead. He is wise in heart.' Job 9:9. The heart is the seat of wisdom. Cor in Hebraeo sumitur pro judicio. Pineda. Among the Hebrews, the heart is put for wisdom.' Let men of understanding tell me:' Job 34:44: in the Hebrew, Let men of heart tell me.' God is wise in heart, that is, he is most wise. God only is wise; he solely and wholly possesses all wisdom; therefore he is called, the only wise God.' I Tim 1:17. All …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Balaam's Prophecy. (Numb. xxiv. 17-19. )
Carried by the Spirit into the far distant future, Balaam sees here how a star goeth out of Jacob and a sceptre riseth out of Israel, and how this sceptre smiteth Moab, by whose enmity the Seer had been brought from a distant region for the destruction of Israel. And not Moab only shall be smitten, but its southern neighbour, Edom, too shall be subdued, whose hatred against Israel had already been prefigured in its ancestor, and had now begun to display Itself; and In general, all the enemies of …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Jesus Makes a Preaching Tour through Galilee.
^A Matt. IV. 23-25; ^B Mark I. 35-39; ^C Luke IV. 42-44. ^b 35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose up went out [i. e., from the house of Simon Peter], and departed into a desert place, and there prayed. [Though Palestine was densely populated, its people were all gathered into towns, so that it was usually easy to find solitude outside the city limits. A ravine near Capernaum, called the Vale of Doves, would afford such solitude. Jesus taught (Matt. vi. 6) and practiced solitary …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Sun Rising Upon a Dark World
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon then hath the light shined. C ontrasts are suited to illustrate and strengthen the impression of each other. The happiness of those, who by faith in MESSIAH, are brought into a state of peace, liberty, and comfort, is greatly enhanced and heightened by the consideration of that previous state of misery in which they once lived, and of the greater misery to which they were justly exposed. …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 74:3 NIVPsalm 74:3 NLTPsalm 74:3 ESVPsalm 74:3 NASBPsalm 74:3 KJV
Psalm 74:3 Commentaries
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