Why, Lord?
That’s been one of the questions that echoes throughout eternity. Why, Lord? Why such hardship?
For Israel it wasn’t pretty. They had so turned away from the ways of God that God reached a point where he let their enemies steam roll over them. They destroyed the land but even worse, their enemies desecrated every holy place.
“They burned down every place throughout the land where God met with us” (Ps 74:8).
If you’ve ever had a special place of prayer and worship, a place where you meet with God, and then had that holy place desecrated and destroyed, you know how that pierces the soul.
“Why have You rejected us forever God” (Ps 74:1).
Because when you are suffering for extended periods of time it certainly feels like forever.
Asaph, the psalmist, recounts how the holy places are being trampled, how the Lord has done powerful things in the past like part the read see, and calling upon God to remember his people and act.
“Do not give the life of Your dove to beasts” (Ps 74:19).
The psalm doesn’t end with things all going well. We do not yet see the intervention and restoration from the Lord. And that’s how it is sometimes. It feels as if
God has rejected us forever (v. 1)
His anger doesn’t stop burning (v. 1)
The oppresses are overtaking everything (v. 7)
The enemy mocks God ceaselessly (v. 10)
God seems to not intervene (v. 11)
The adversaries are winning (v. 23)
It seems like this. But we the truth is it’s only for a time. A season. And when God acts, he will do so thoroughly, bringing justice to the land.
