Today I read Psalm 75. This Psalm has some distinct sections which we’ll look at briefly.
“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.” (v1) Like the majority of prayers modeled in scripture, the author opens by acknowledging who God is and what He has done.
” ‘At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. I say to the boastful, “Do not boast,” and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.” ‘ ” (v2-5) God alone is worthy to judge Earth’s inhabitants – though He is a righteous and fair judge, who will not be fooled by the wicked. He also uses the metaphor of stubborn oxen – they hold their horns high with a stiff neck and will not voluntarily accept a yoke – we are warned against having such an attitude.
“For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.” (v6-8) In this metaphor for judgement (and in others in the Bible), judgement is described as a cup of wrath, a bitter drink, that the wicked will be forced to drink until the wrath is exhausted and the penalty for sin is fulfilled.
“But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.” (v9-10) The author closes with praise and a final warning: those who are stubborn like an ox will have their horns cut off, and those who are voluntarily humble will receive special honor from God. This verse is echoed by Jesus Himself: ” ‘Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’ ” (Mt 23:12)
There are some wise warnings in this Psalm that encourage me to be vigilant of my heart condition (no, I don’t mean a condition like coronary artery disease). I know that if I’m not careful, pride can slowly creep in – with pride comes a variety of issues including spiritual complacency or worse, spiritual self-sufficiency. Every day I need to humble myself before God because only He can guard my heart. Only with His help will I be humble enough to be His faithful servant, lowering myself to accept his easy yoke and light burden (Mt 11:29-30).
Father, we humbly bow before You in recognition that You are God and we are not. We wish to serve You, unquestioningly, with hesitation. If there is any foothold of pride in our lives, please gently bring that to our attention. For Father, search our hearts and know that pride is not our desire, it is the guise of the enemy which can masquerade as confidence. May You please help us discern the difference, and remove the false confidence while building up our true identity as confidence in You. May we choose Your yoke, and learn from You, for You are gentle and lowly in heart, so we may find rest for our souls. Your yoke is easy, and Your burden is light. Thank you Lord for that blessing.
~ Conqueror in Training