The Broad View


Psalm 75
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.
2“At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.
3When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah
4I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
5do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’”
6For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
7but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
8For 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.
9But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

Matt Popovits, a pastor and longtime friend of mine shared this object lesson with a group of fellow church workers and it is a perfect illustration of this psalm. Before I share it, I wanted to give credit where credit is due.

At the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City, there is (or was) a huge painting that is over 4 stories high. In order to actually see it, you have to stand way back from it. If you get closer, all you see is a very limited area of the painting. Our relationship with our world is similar to viewing that painting. Our perspective on almost everything comes in close range. We stand with our noses pressed up against the painting, allowing us to see about 4 square inches, we make decisions and judgments based on incredibly limited information. God’s view takes in the entire work. He sees our situations from top to bottom and side to side. Nothing escapes His perspective. He rules the world with the broad view in place.

Asaph, the writer of this psalm, expresses that understanding with this song of praise. He spends a few moments looking back at what God has done and how He has taken care of His people even though they couldn’t see it His movements. They had their noses pressed up against the painting. This psalm is a proclamation of God’s rule over history and often his hand is invisible except to the eyes of faith. As a part of his description, Asaph uses two objects to help us understand this concept; the horn and wine.

This psalm uses two figures of speech that are very common in Scripture. Horns are a symbol of power. The horns of the wicked will be cut off; the horns of the righteous lifted up. The world rulers will be stripped of their power, but God’s people will exercise power with him throughout eternity. A cup of wine is frequently used as a symbol of God’s judgment because the folly and confusion of those who oppose God is like the folly and confusion of those intoxicated with wine.
Brug, J. F. (1989). Psalms 73–150 (2nd ed., p. 18). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.

Once again we are reminded to meditate upon our past and spend time remembering what God has done with us and for us. As the psalmist has done, perhaps it is even a good idea to write our memories down as this helps us hold onto them. This isn’t a new idea to this blog. It is an ancient practice and one that we have perhaps set aside, much to our own detriment. Spending even just a few minutes of your devotional time pondering God’s great actions in your past is always time well spent and will lead you to a greater faith and a richer prayer life. 

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