LORD’S DAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Psalm 76:1-12
Romans 8:28-30

“And my judgment is just …”

HOW DOES GOD DEAL WITH MAN’S WRATH?

The historical background of Psalm 76 may be traced to 2 Kings 19 where Jerusalem was under siege in the reign of King Hezekiah. The enemy was Assyrian King Sennacherib who defied the God of Israel. Through Isaiah, God assured Hezekiah Jerusalem would be delivered. “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses” (2 Kings 19:35).

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!
And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride:
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.
And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow and the rust on his mail;
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.
-- Lord Byron

Salem (“peace”) is another name for Jerusalem. In victory God’s people celebrate over “the mountains of prey” (which refers to the heathen enemies) ever on the rampage to kill. God, who always works good out of men’s evil, is praised through the “wrath of  man.” The remainder of man’s mischief God will withhold. When we face such odds and are delivered, let us not forget to pay the vows we made in the hour of crisis.

THOUGHT: “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.” (Ps 76:10)
PRAYER: (Use Psalm 76:11.)