Praising God For All He Has Done

Topic: Sovereignty
Passage: Psalms 75:1–10

July 16, 2022

Commentary

One day the Jews in Jerusalem looked out the gates of their city and were terrified to see their Assyrian enemies camped outside. The Assyrian tents were still there and their flags were flapping in the breeze. However vultures were circling the camp and there was a stillness of death as they realized that God had intervened and all the Assyrians were dead. As a result of this event Psalm 75 was written. With a feeling of joy the psalmist in a simple way explains five aspects of the sovereignty of God:

  1. God is sovereign in His person – As the psalmist looks upon the tens of thousands of dead Assyrians he writes “Thy name is near, thy wondrous works declare” (v.1).
  2. God is sovereign in His power (vv. 2-3) – He does not exercise his judgement, like Peter, in a sudden surge of emotion, but at just the right time and in just the right way.
  3. God is sovereign in His purposes (vv. 4-7) – He may do it either through good men or bad men as He raises up leaders and puts them down.
  4. God is sovereign in His punishments (v. 8) – He often does not take care of matters when we think He should or in the manner we think He should but we can be sure that at just the right time His justice will prevail just as it did at Gethsemane and at Golgotha.

God is sovereign in His praise (vv. 9-10) The psalmist ends this psalm by stating “All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”

Application

Do I ever question why God does certain things and why he doesn’t do other things? Or do I just admit God is in control and I will just rest in peace and praise Him for all He is doing.

Psalms 75:1– 10 (NET)

1 We give thanks to you, O God. We give thanks. You reveal your presence; people tell about your amazing deeds.

2 God says, “At the appointed times, I judge fairly.

3 When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear, I make its pillars secure.” (Selah)

4 I say to the proud, “Do not be proud,” and to the wicked, “Do not be so confident of victory.

5 Do not be so certain you have won. Do not speak with your head held so high.

6 For victory does not come from the east or west, or from the wilderness.

7 For God is the judge. He brings one down and exalts another.

8 For the Lord holds in his hand a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices, and pours it out. Surely all the wicked of the earth will slurp it up and drink it to its very last drop.”

9 As for me, I will continually tell what you have done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

10 God says, “I will bring down all the power of the wicked; the godly will be victorious.”