The
PS 74 belong to
Book III of the
Book of PS composed of a collection of texts 150 arranged by 5 poetry books. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book III encompasses Psalms 73 to 89 . The
PS 74 is divided into 23 verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience . They portray the
common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for any blessing received.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan
Psalm 74 - Prayer for the Liberation of the People
1 Poem. Of Asaf.
O God, why have you rejected us forever?
Why is your anger kindled
against the flock of which you are shepherd?
2 Remember your community, which you acquired long ago,
the tribe which you redeemed for your inheritance,
from Mount Zion, where you have your dwelling place.
3 Direct your steps towards these endless ruins;
the enemy destroyed everything in the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of your assemblies,
their banners have hoisted there as an emblem.
5 They attacked the upper entrance
and destroyed the timbers with an ax blow.
6 They knocked down all its doors
with hammer and hammer blows.
7 They have set fire to your sanctuary, have
broken down and defiled the abode of your name.
8 They said in their hearts, "Let us destroy them all!"
and they set fire to all the assemblies of God in the country.
9 We no longer see our signs, nor are there any more prophets,
and no one among us knows how long.
10 How long, O God, will the enemy revile us?
Can the opponent despise your name forever?
11 Why do you withdraw your hand
and hide your right hand in your breast?
12 God has been my king from ancient times;
it is He who achieves victories in the middle of the country.
13 You divided the sea with your power,
broke the heads of the sea monsters.
14 You broke Leviathan's heads
and fed him to the monsters of the sea.
15 You made springs and torrents to flow,
and you made rivers with an everlasting flow dry up.
16 The day is yours, and yours is the night also;
You established the moon and the sun.
17 You have fixed all the borders of the earth;
summer and winter You formed them.
18 Remember, O LORD, that the enemy has insulted you,
and a foolish people has despised your name.
19 Do not give the life of your dove to the vultures;
do not forget the lives of your poor forever.
20 Look after your alliance,
for the corners of the country are full of violence.
21 May the humble not return ashamed;
that the poor and the needy may praise your name.
22 Arise, O God, defend your cause,
and remember the offenses
that fools do to you all day long.
23 Do not forget the cries of your enemies,
the ever-increasing turmoil of your adversaries.
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 74 is a
collective prayer of supplication , which laments one
offense of some enemies against the sanctuary of the Lord . It recalls the wonders that God performed at the time of leaving Egypt and entering the land of Canaan, as a perennial reason for trust.
The
Psalms of Supplication are very present in the Book of Psalms. They speak of human frailty and the most basic feelings of your mortal condition. Times of peace and plenty
contrast with war and individual or community destruction. The Psalmist pleads for
God's help and asks him to
end his situation of affliction , ending with the
certainty of having been heard .
In spiritual practice, the supplication and request to God reflects a lot the meaning of
prayer, being the privileged way to establish contact and
raise the voice to the Divine. In numerous Psalms, supplication seems to be the most immediate motivation and the greatest concern. When turning to God, the speaker / Psalmist finds tenderness, justice, compassion, reconciliation, purification, in short, peace itself.
The
narratives and
feelings involved in these prayers are varied and basic; affect humanity over the millennia, and are still current today. They reflect
multiple interior , individual and collective experiences, and the relationship between people and peoples. They address topics such as the deadly threat of disease, persecution, aging, violence, war, betrayal, loneliness, enemy aggression and how these feelings alter
consciousness we have of ourselves, of our relationship with others and with God.
Situations that prompt supplication can be
bitter and
desperate , but the Psalms generally express a
state of mind of trust and end in
thanksgiving . The Psalmist cries out to God for his help and forgiveness in a profound expression of limitless
trust in divine compassion and justice. Even the cry of the Psalmist is already a fighting speech, change will, of inner transformation, confidence and hope for a
free future evil, the
suffering and the
wicked .
The
Psalms of Supplication they are classified as individual supplication and collective supplication. Those of
Individual Supplication comprise Psalm 3; 5-7; 13; 17; 22; 26; 27; 28; 31; 35; 39; 42-43; 51; 54-57; 59; 61; 63; 64; 69-71; 88; 102; 109; 120; 130; 140-143. and those of
Collective Supplication Ps 12; 44; 58; 60; 74; 80; 83; 85; 90; 94; 108; 123; 127.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak with Him. Depicting the
common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still
move ,
sensitize ,
awaken feelings ,
inspire and
enchant . In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation ,
supplication ,
praise, and
gratitude .
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and
prayer is the
power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called
prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our
God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in
transforming life . Prayer can produce
miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for
change ,
harmony and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this
peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
The
faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of
peace and
communion with the higher energy.
