Psalm
Psalm 75
1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.
4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.
9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
Outline
Psalm 75 Outline
By Pastor Clinton Macomber
Thanking God for His Wondrous Works, Psalm 75:1
God Judges at the Appointed Time, Psalm 75:2
God Preserves the Earth's Foundations, Psalm 75:3
God Requires Responsibility, Psalm 75:4-6
God Controls Promotion, Psalm 75:7-8
God Exalts the Righteous, Psalm 75:9-10
Sermon
Our Millennial Song
Psalm 75
By Pastor Clinton Macomber
Do you ever wonder what we will sing when we get to heaven? What will be sung during the Reign of Christ? There will be so much to sing about, this is a handy chorus, written up ahead of time, for us to enjoy.
One of the fun things is being able to join others in the same song, even when we do not know them. By learning these words and a tune to use, we are practicing for the day when there will be whole multitudes that will want to sing this very Psalm.
However, before we can sing of victory, we have to come to the point of real crisis. Of course, the crisis is to teach us the ways of God. Without the crisis, we would never grow. God knows the outcome and He knows the fruit that will result. This is why He does not stop it. Instead He sets the parameters to the crisis, to make sure we are not harmed.
In the last Psalm, it ended in a sorrowful note. There is the plea that God would interfere with the circumstances and stop the abuse. The chilling and truthful observation is that those that rise up against God increase constantly. The odds of God's people surviving seems statistically impossible. Signs for hope seem to be diminishing constantly.
As this Psalm begins, it is entitled with a very doleful and plaintive cry. The Psalm is by Asaph, one of the great musician leaders of the Temple, when worship was at its zenith in Israel. The instruction to the conductor, was the theme, “Do not Destroy.” This is not translated, so it reads, “Altaschith.”
Just before the praise pours forth, there is the lonely, quiet, resigned, hopeless, mutter of “do not destroy what is left.” “Spare what is left, lest righteousness be totally stamped out of the earth.”
What is it that will lead to such plaintive pleas? There is a day coming, and the Jewish Rabbi's that study the Scriptures know it. In the last days, their nation is going to be the center of a world coalition of armies to complete remove all the Jews from the earth. There is going to be a time of ethnic cleansing on a scale approached by Haman, Titus, and Hitler. The Jewish folks that are left (and we are assured that 144,000, or 12,000 from the 12 tribes) will be spared. They will survive all kinds of disasters, but as the armies of the world gather in Israel, to do one final and complete bombing of the remnant, these faithful Jews will crawl into any graves, holes or hiding spaces awaiting their sure death. As they wait for the end to come, they whisper one final prayer to God, “Do not destroy….” And their words are answered. The sudden change from a certain and complete end to seeing the armies of the world destroyed, and the Lord Jesus standing with all the Saints, physically defending them, will bring on a song of Joy that will carry on through eternity. As generation after generation is born, they will learn this song and hear the dramatic events of that fateful day, when God came and saved Israel and the world, from complete and total disaster.
The praises may seem a bit like stuttering, but the overwhelming joy almost chokes the voice.
Psalm 75:1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
Whenever there are mighty things being done that are righteous and good, we can rest assured that they are coming from God.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Hannah was able to sing great praises because of this. She went to God and let Him know the desires of her heart. She poured out her soul in private prayer. Her pain and disgrace at the hands of her husband's other wife were almost more than she could bear. In great and deep sorrow, she went to the Temple of the Lord while the family was visiting during the feast days, and poured out her soul and anguish. High Priest Eli saw her lips moving, but no sound, and concluded she was drunk. Of course, she was not. She was able to return and testify to the High Priest of how God had answered her prayer. She wrote a song to celebrate the wonders of God in answering her prayer in giving her a son so she could give him back to God. Out of the deep sorrow of heart, God came, just at the point she could not bear her burden any longer, and she was awarded with morning sickness and hormonal imbalances. But those were nothing compared to the glory of being chosen to bear a son, removing the curse and stigma attached to her and being able to present her husband with a son.
1 Samuel 2:1-2 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
Another woman, Deborah was able to praise God for being near. After God had brought a great victory to Israel, freeing them from their vicious and oppressive conquerors who were occupying the land. Before this great day of victory, she sat under the palm tree, hearing the horrible deeds being done to the people of Israel. She did what she could in making sure Israel stood in righteousness before God. Yet, as her heart was breaking over the suffering of her people, she went to Barak and they went to war. There was no way, humanly speaking they could win against the highly trained and equipped soldiers of their captors. How could a broken and abused and unequipped people defend themselves and overthrow the great armies? As hope seemed to be completely gone, the tide was turned when a woman coaxed the enemy general into her tent and put him to sleep, then drove a spike through her head. In a moment, things went from doom and gloom to pure victory and singing. Deborah and Barak even sang a duet!
Judges 4:1-5 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. 2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. 4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Yet another woman, Mary broke out in singing to God for His goodness to her after meeting her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth was thrilled to hear Mary's call, and the baby leaped in her womb for joy as well. After Elizabeth's testimony, Mary broke out in song about the goodness of God, and His power over the evil ones. Just before, she was caught in a dilemma. Joseph, her betrothed, had realized she was pregnant, even though he had not come near here. Mary would have been protected by her family from any contact with the groom or any other eligible male. He was contemplating a quiet divorce to annul the wedding contract. Mary must have felt awful. She was under the stigma of being a prostitute and in need of the death penalty for what she did, even though she was innocent. As she left her friends and neighbors to join her cousin in the country, she was probably trying to escape the shame and talk of the neighbors. Then when she trembled at the thought of being cast out by her pregnant cousin, instead, they rejoiced together and shared their precious stores with each other, joying in the privilege of carrying the greatest of the men of Israel. Suddenly the shame and loneliness vanished and they were able to revel in the glory of God.
Luke 1:46-51 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
We learn all about the power and wonderful love of God here on the earth. Circumstances come together to teach us to trust God and then we find that God has wondrous blessings in store for us. In heaven, we will all sing the song of Moses together because it is the one that fits the setting the best.
Revelation 15:3-4 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
As we think about the great gathering in heaven that make up this chorus, we remember the great martyrs of the faith. We remember those who suffered great shame for their testimony. We will be with those who have suffered dearly, through unspeakable pain and agony, having overcome it all in the blood of the lamb. Just when things were the roughest, they were whisked to heaven into the presence of God and the joys of heaven. Their suffering, shame, and sorrows turn to unspeakable glory, honor, and victory. It would be impossible to stop the singing in heaven.
God Judges at the Appointed Time
Psalm 75:2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.
This is a powerful statement. The Hebrew word for “receive” is the same word as for “take.” This word means that a person not only receives something, the same action is the taking of something. The Psalmist was talking personally about taking the position of King and so taking as well as receiving the position of the leader of the assembly of people.
Prophetically it points to the Messiah who will receive the kingdom from God and take personal control of all things. It also applies to the believer. When Christ Jesus takes the Kingdom of God, He is going to give us an inheritance in it. We will receive the authority granted to us in the inheritance, and we will take it and use our position to glorify Him.
How do we show that we have taken and received this great gift? We do it by judging according to the laws laid down in the Word of God. When God's law is violated, we must be ready to see that the punishment predetermined by God is followed.
God Preserves the Earth's Foundations
Psalm 75:3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.
The earth and all those that live on the earth are going to melt down. In other words, during the times of tribulation that are going to come, there are a great deal of events that are going to humble mankind, and totally reshape the surface of the earth. These things are going to make all the high things come down to a common level. The great trees will be bushes. The terrifying animals will become meek and mellow. Things will be put back to the way they should be, and were.
Then, there will be a rule by an iron rod for 1000 years. Those of the earth will be forced to submit to righteousness so that sin and suffering will be ended. This will result in there being a further leveling of things and humiliation of others. But what will remain constant through it all? What will hold things together? God and His Son, Jesus Christ as always will be there, ready to respond in time of need.
However, it is not God that is speaking, but the many singers that sin this hymn. We will be pillars to God and His temple. We will stand among those we are shepherding to cause them to see and learn the ways of God. This is a precious promise to us. While we are nothing more than strangers and pilgrims today, there is a day when we will be relied on for help and direction.
The very first time we see the word “pillar” in Genesis is when Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt, Genesis 19:26. This suggested that the proportions of the body were the same as that of pillars. It was to serve as a lesson to Lot and all those that heard and saw, that we are to be pillars to God, standing for what is right and true, on the foundation of God and His Word. Lot's wife had her heart planted in the place of God's wrath and judgment. As a pillar of salt, she was good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under the foot of man. The first storm that would come would dissolve her presence, making her useless.
The first time this word appears in the plural in the Bible, is in Exodus 13:21-22. There God demonstrated His presence to Israel by being a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. That pillar worked mightily on behalf of Israel in the times of great need. However, we can learn from that time, that even though God demonstrated His power and presence in showing a pillar, the Israelites still were selfish and prone to murmuring and complaining. They were at times desirous of killing Moses! Being a pillar to God does not mean it will be all fun and games! It is a real tough job.
Later, the prominent features of the Temple David designed and Solomon constructed were two gold pillars. They were given human names, to drive the point home in 1 Kings 7:15-22. God uses His people to make the building of His place of worship.
Paul spoke of a couple people in the church that seemed to be pillars of the church, Galatians 2:9.
Then in Revelation, one of the great rewards for overcoming the world is being a pillar in God's temple.
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Later, we see a mighty messenger of God, that comes down to claim his inheritance from God, and his feet are described as pillars!
Revelation 10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
God Requires Responsibility
Psalm 75:4-6 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
One of the great privileges of learning to be righteous is being able to support the things that are right and learning to rebuke the things that are contrary to the ways of God. Although there may not be a result from telling the fool to stop doing their worthless deeds, they are not left unchallenged, and cannot claim they were never rebuked.
Families are a great forum to learn humility. When the family learns and grows together, any pride is easily and quickly put down, because it is repulsive to everyone in the family.
Promotion is not something you get by tearing others down, or by buying, or from who you know. Instead real promotions come from God and Him alone. Other kinds of worldly “advancements” are hollow and are no different than being lifted by a hot air balloon that is made out of old dry rags. Once you are airborne, the rags catch fire, and you plunge violently to the ground.
God Controls Promotion
Psalm 75:7-8 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them .
God is the judge of all things. He is the one who sets the standard. He is the one who is above all. Sociologists want us to believe that society sets the standards of morality and acceptance. Psychologists want us to believe that we must determine our own existence and being. Yet it is God that sets standards and morals and offers purpose.
God also determines the means of authority. He raises people and lowers them, based on His clear set of commands and instructions.
God has also prepared a wonderful beverage. He has mixed water and various juices, so that there will be a wonderful taste of delicate flavors. This is what is to be drunk at Passover, the feast that stops to enjoy the early harvests of oranges and the citrus fruits. A very similar feast will be held in Heaven when we get there, called the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.
While we enjoy the delicate taste of the diluted juice mix, the dregs are dumped on the wicked! What a change from what we experienced! It seems at times that the righteous always dump their garbage on the good and look for stuff to throw at the upright! God, will change things so that the wicked are given the waste product to drink instead of the good part!
God Exalts the Righteous
Psalm 75:9-10 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
Notice the language here. This is the testimony of the singer. He is making a vow to testify forever of what God has done. This is a big reason for keeping a journal. God does so much, and we are so forgetful. It is important that we keep records that can be read from time to time to remind us of the great things of God.
This word for declare is to make ourselves conspicuous so that are message is heard. John the Baptist was very conspicuous. His diet was bugs and honey. He wore a leather suit. His message was simple and consistent. Because of whom he was and what he did, the world stirred, and the Roman kings as well as the Priest came to him, confessing and repenting for their sin, and seeking to be baptized.
Next, we sing praises to God. Much of the music of this age is not of God, to God or about God. It is styled to feed the emotions of the sensual, rebellious, angered and any evil thing. Unfortunately, one has to completely abandon what is called music and go back to previous times when there was holy music.
Now the next phrase is really important. It states that we are going to break off the horns of the wicked. This is a very tough process. If you have ever had to dehorn animals, you know it is much easier to do this when the animal is very small. Waiting until it is older, makes the job all the more difficult and risky to the life of the animal. The animal has to be immobilized, the head carefully held, and on a young animal who is just beginning to grow horn buds, the hot iron is pressed around the buds and the skin and cells there singed. The older animal has to have the horns carefully cut away, cauterizing the blood vessels. The older animal also has a large opening then in their scull that has to be protected until skin can grow over.
This term of dehorning is used, because it is the ending of the wild nature of the people we are entrusted. It means they will have to trust their care-giver for protection. It means they will not be able to use deadly force on others. It means they will have to submit and not fight their shepherd.
On the other hand, the righteous will have their horns exalted. If they have horns, they can keep them, because they will be given the responsibilities of watching the flock. When those horns grow, they are honored.
This demonstrates what is happening in our lives today. God is molding us and making us into the people that we need to be, in order to please Him. As we submit to Him, he allows us to gain authority and will honor us. But honor comes to those that are the least of this world, and the greatest of the world to come.
Topic Study
Quote
Psalm 75 Quotes
By Pastor Clinton Macomber
Ask to be Uplifted into Fellowship with God
Are you depressed today? Look up to Him, and ask that you may be uplifted into fellowship with the risen glorified Lord. The Ascension of our Lord is the measure and example of our own. Are you lying among the pots? Seek for the wings of the dove, that with flitting pinion you may make your way to the Ark, where the hand awaits to take you in. Have you been in the valley of the shadow of death? Claim that the mighty power which wrought in Christ when God raised Him from the dead, and made Him sit in the heavenlies far above all power and principality, may do as much for you. [1]
His Wondrous Works Declare
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. Here 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 neighborhood. 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.” [2]
[1] Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily . Pleasant Places Press, 2004; 2004. Vol. 3, Page 75.
[2] Biblical illustrator, in loc.
Devotions
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Psalm 75
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