Ezekiel
Ezekiel 24 is the pronouncement of judgment against Tyre. Tyre was condemned not only for celebrating and participating in the demise of Jerusalem, but also in its role of introducing its false idolatry to Israel.
Psalms
Psalm 74 is a psalm of anguish by Asaph. Carson shares a very helpful introduction,
It is appropriate to reflect on Psalm 74 at this stage of our reading of the major prophets. It sounds as if it was written at a time of national disaster, perhaps the devastation of 587 b.c. (compare Ps. 79, 137; Lam. 2:5-9). The worst blow of all is that all the prophets are silent (74:9). Then suddenly in the midst of the gloom and havoc is a breath of praise (74:12-17), before the darkness descends again (74:18-23). The interruption is dramatic, and reinforced by a sudden switch from the first person plural (“we,”“us”) to the first person singular:“But you, O God, are my king from of old” (74:12). Noteworthy features include… The anguish of this chapter emerges out of faith, not skepticism, still less cynicism. These people know God, but cannot see what he is doing. They are not so much protesting his punishment of them as its duration: they act as if they know the punishment is deserved, but is it open–ended? Is there no relief? “Why have you rejected us forever, O God?” (74:1). “Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins” (74:3). “How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?” (74:10).1
Book: Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest
This morning, I returned to reading the book I started awhile ago by Ed Welch. In the chapter I read today, he addressed fear with Palm 46,
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)
Yes, the psalm is a stretch for us, not because of the potential brutality of the situation, but because of the psalmist’s radical trust in God. So let it stretch you. Let the psalmist take you places you could never go on your own. Let him be your guide through perilous times. He, after all, is a person like you. The faith he had can be your own and more, because you live on the side of history where the Spirit of God has been poured out on you. The Spirit gives you the knowledge of God. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever–present help in trouble.” A good friend was in the hospital with surgical pain so severe he couldn’t think, and he assumed he was going to die. The only words he could say were these words. That’s what we are aiming for. We want these words to be automatic when trouble comes knocking. What do they mean? That God can be found when we need him. Don’t forget that he was found by Israelites who were not even looking. How much more will he be found by those who call out to him in their desperation. Here is the challenge. When you call out, you might feel like he isn’t present or easily found. That is the nature of pain. The worse it is, the more alone you feel. But this is a time when the words of God must override your feelings. There are times when we listen to our feelings and times when we don’t. This is a time when we don’t.2
1 D. A. Carson, For the Love of God: a Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word., vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 25.
2 Edward T. Welch, Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2007), 272.