提要
詩篇第七六篇是一首亞薩的歌，或者也可能是他後裔中一人所作的歌，我們讀到耶和華拯救祂的百姓及保護祂的聖城耶路撒冷。詩篇第七五篇為耶和華舖路，因為祂要用祂的烈怒審判以色列的狂傲和邪惡的敵人；詩篇第七六篇則指出烈怒審判的執行。這裡所說的情況也許是指耶和華奇蹟地大勝敘利亞王西拿基立所率的大軍；其時，他領軍圍困耶路撒冷，而耶和華叫他死在睡夢中（王下19：35）。我們在這一詩篇中看到，耶和華祇說一些指責的話，所有的勇士就長睡不起（76：5~6）。它提醒詩人，那時，以色列的後裔逃離埃及，受阻於紅海，而埃及軍士的戰車追擊將至，於是上帝施展祂的大能，拯救了祂的百姓，並使追擊的埃及士兵淹死在紅海之中（76：6；出15：23~28）。他們的弓箭、盾牌，及刀劍都失去了用處（76：3；比較賽37：33）。這些勇士所有的武器和財寶都成了戰利品，為耶和華的百姓所奪。猶大與以色列就大大地讚美上帝，因為祂戰敗了強大的敵人。
在全地上，耶和華是可畏的，因為祂是如此偉大。沒有一個人能忍受祂的烈怒（76：7；比較：6）。甚至人對上帝的不滿最後也會變成讚美祂及榮耀祂（比較羅9：17、22~23）。當那些對抗上帝的人被摧毀時，耶和華的所有聖徒都會感謝祂，並榮耀祂。地上的所有傲慢的統治者都會在這位可畏的大君面前謙卑自己，因為祂有大能力拯救祂的子民（76：12）。上帝對被壓迫的猶大百姓所施行的特殊拯救，說明了當上帝日後進行審判時，祂也會「要救地上一切謙卑的人」（76：9）。屬世的觀點指出：「上帝幫助那些能自助的人」，但是聖經的教訓卻是：「上帝幫助那些不能自助的人」。上帝代替那些完全倚靠祂的被壓迫者所進行的神奇干預，不僅應受到口頭上的讚美，而且也應促使他們以實際的祭禮敬拜祂：「你們許願，當向耶和華你們的上帝還願，在他四面的人都當拿貢物獻給那可畏的主」（76：11）。
在詩篇第七七篇中，亞薩敘述他個人遭受苦難的經驗。他在開始時就告訴我們，當他呼求耶和華時，會有什麼結果：「祂必留心聽我」（77：1）。在禱告中開始的話通常都會成為讚美與勝利。亞薩反映出他絕望的景況，以及很多問題相繼掠過他的腦際；然而他不會忘記耶和華過去的良善，所以他的想法產生了新的信心和力量。
每當亞薩回想起他所受的苦難時，他就會記住，要立刻在禱告中親近上帝，而且要徹夜禱告，雙手伸向上帝，然而他得不到安慰，所以他感到迷惘。畢竟他是上帝的兒女，信守祂所立的約。當他記起上帝過去的憐憫時，他更困惑不解為什麼上帝沒有立刻回應他的禱告，於是他抱怨上帝了。由於他遭遇極大的苦難，他睡不著覺，甚至也說不出話。當他想起上帝與他以前的關係時，他就決心尋求（77：2~6）。顯然，亞薩開始時就沒有用正確的態度向上帝禱告。
關於上帝的信實與品格，他提出六個辭藻華美的問題（77：7~9）。由於他承認上帝守祂的約，以及祂的恩典和憐憫直到永遠，他明白問題不是起於上帝，而是起於他自己：「這是我的懦弱（弱點）」（77：10）。當亞薩決定思想上帝所做的很多奇事，並且榮耀祂時，上帝就醫治了他。他公正地告訴別人，上帝是如何的良善。當他想起上帝拯救祂百姓的往事，如何分開紅海，使受阻的以色列人平安渡海，抵達對岸時，他的信心就因而大增。亞薩相信，上帝也會同樣地帶領他脫離苦難，他現在已能接受來自上帝的回答，不再抱怨上帝了。
|
Overview
Psalm 76 is a song of Asaph or possibly one of his descendants. We read of the Lord's deliverance of His people and protection of His royal city of Jerusalem (Salem/Zion). Psalm 75 prepared the way for the Lord's judgment of wrath on the proud, wicked enemies of Israel, and Psalm 76 shows the administration of that wrath. The situation described may be referring to the Lord's miraculous victory over the Assyrian army of Sennacherib, who had laid seige to Jerusalem and whom God had caused to die in their sleep (2 Kings 19:35). In this psalm we see that the Lord only had to speak the words of rebuke and all the mighty men were cast into a sleep of death (76:5-6). It reminded the psalmist of God's great deliverance for the children of Israel when they escaped from the Egyptians who, along with their chariots and horses, perished in the deep waters (76:6; Exodus 15:23-28). Their many arrows, shields, and swords were rendered useless (76:3; compare Isaiah 37:33). These weapons and all the possessions of the strong men were plundered by the people of the Lord. The reaction of both Judah and Israel (possibly indicating that it was indeed during the time of the divided kingdom) was one of great praise to God, for the strong enemy had been defeated by the Lord alone.
All over the earth, the Lord is to be feared, for He is so great, No one can endure His wrath (76:7; cf. Nahum 1:6). Even the wrath of men against God will ultimately bring Him praise and glory (cf. Romans 9:17, 22-23). When those who are against God are destroyed, all the saints of the Lord will offer Him their thanks and glorify Him. The proud rulers of the earth will be humbled before the awesome and majestic Great King, who is mighty in deeds of deliverance for His people (76:12). This particular deliverance of the oppressed people of Judah represented the great deliverance yet to come when God will bring judgment and "deliver all the oppressed of the earth" (76:9). The worldly view says, "God helps those who help themselves", but the Bible teaches: "God helps those who cannot help themselves." God's miraculous intervention on behalf of the oppressed, who were totally dependant upon Him, deserves not only verbal praise but active worship to God in sacrificial giving: "make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them" (76:11).
In Psalm 77, Asaph relates his personal experience of great distress. He begins by telling us the outcome when he cried out to the Lord: "He gave ear to me" (77:1). That which begins in prayer will usually end in praise and victory. Asaph reflects upon his desperate situation and the many questions going through his mind; then he remembered the Lord's past goodness, and it gave him new-found faith and strength.
In recalling his trouble, Asaph remembers that he went right away to the Lord in prayer, and he continued to pray with his hands outstretched to God all the night, yet he found no comfort, and this is what puzzled him. After all, he was a child of God and a faithful keeper of the covenant. When he remembered God's past mercies, he was even more perplexed at why God would not answer him now, and he complained against God. Because of his troubles, he could not sleep or even speak. After remembering his former close relationship with God, he resolves to make a careful search of his heart (77:2-6). Obviously, Asaph's initial prayer to God was not done with the right attitude.
He asked six rhetorical questions about God's faithfulness and character (77:7-9). Recognizing that God is indeed faithful to His covenant and that His mercy and grace endures forever, the psalmist realized the problem was not with God but with himself: "This is my anguish [infirmity]" (77:10). His healing was well on the way when Asaph decided to meditate upon God's many wonderous deeds and glorify Him. He would do more than meditate, however; he would unselfishly tell others about the Lord's goodness. Asaph's faith increased when he remembered God's gracious deliverance of His people in parting the waters, which trembled at His presence, making a path for His people to cross the Red Sea. By this time, Asaph had faith that God would likewise lead him out of his troubles, and he was now in the proper spirit to receive an answer from God, no longer having a complaining spirit.
|
