gospel

Monsignor Joji Vadakara, Vatican Metropolis

Psalm seventy-six is ​​a psalm of reward to the God of Israel, who’s the choose of the world, and who lives in Jerusalem. In Zion, God broke the weapons of the enemies of his folks, and he defeated the soldiers in order that they can’t rise. It’s God who establishes justice, making certain that the depraved can be overwhelmed and salvation for many who are oppressed. The Psalmist asks the folks to face near the Lord, the true King and Ruler of the whole universe, and solid their gaze upon the kings and rulers of the earth. This psalm, which known as Asaph’s psalm, and its refrain to the choir grasp, gives the look that God is the mighty protector of Israel, and the dwelling place of Zion.

Zion, town of God

Psalm sixty-six is ​​a psalm that provides glory to town of Zion. The presence of God is the reason for Zion’s glory. God defeated the enemies of Israel on this Zion, on the hill of Jerusalem. Due to this fact, Zion is essentially the most applicable place to have a good time God’s victory. Within the first two verses of the psalm, Asaph writes the significance that Zion will get due to the presence of God: “God is known in Judah, and his identify is nice in Israel. His dwelling is in Salem, and his dwelling place is in Zion.” (Psalm 76, 1-2). Salem is the previous identify of Jerusalem. Within the fourteenth chapter of Genesis we discover a reference to Melchizedek, the king of Salem (Genesis 14, 18). However there are those that imagine that the usage of this identify will be due to its proximity to the phrase Shalom, which implies peace. The Psalmist remembers within the third verse that God, who dwells together with his folks, defeated the enemies of the folks of Israel in Zion: “Then he broke the weapons, arrows, and shields and swords like lightning” (Psalm 76, 3). . These verses lead us to know that human energy and talents are insignificant earlier than God, regardless of how expert they’re. The truth that the creation’s crimes towards the Creator is not going to final lengthy is a warning to the folks of Israel.

the Lord’s victory over Israel

We see that the primary theme of the week and the sixth Psalm is God’s victory over the enemies who attacked his metropolis. The psalmist describes the glory of God and his virtues in response to the query why we should always reward the Lord. In the course of the psalm we discover two parallel statements in regards to the victory of the Lord. The primary point out of those is from the fourth verse to the sixth verse: “You might be superb; you’re superb above the everlasting varieties” (Ps. 76, 4). The commentators inform the fifth verse, “The spoils of the mighty had been taken from them; they slept; the soldiers couldn’t carry up their arms” (Psalm 76, 5), as seen within the nineteenth chapter of Second Guide of Kings. when the angel of the Lord entered the camp of the Assyrians, and killed 100 and forty-five thousand folks (2 Kings 19). In his fifty-first chapter, the prophet Jeremiah speaks of the “sleep that won’t wake” (Jeremiah 51, 39) in reference to the rising of the Lord’s wrath towards the crimes of Babylon and the Chaldeans towards Zion .

In verses seven to 10 of the psalm we see the Psalmist writing in regards to the victory of the Lord. “You might be fearful; when your anger is kindled, then who will stand earlier than you? You’ve pronounced judgment from heaven; to ascertain justice, to save lots of all folks beneath the sorrow of the earth; when come up, the earth will tremble with worry. The anger of man can be turned to reward; those that depart from one another will stand” (Psalm 76, 7-10). These psalms additionally make clear the common authority of the Lord. It’s the Lord who can save and set up justice for all of the oppressed on earth. Those that increase their voices towards the God of Israel, who worry his authority and energy, and proclaim his kingdom to the entire world. By means of these verses, the psalmist additionally exhorts the folks to hitch God and discover salvation as an alternative of being with those that increase their voice towards God (Psalm 76, 10).

A name to reward God

The third a part of the psalm, which accommodates the eleventh verse, is a name to reward God: “Vow to the Lord your God, and fulfill them; let these round you see him who’s afraid (Psalm 76, 11). , the psalmist calls the folks to make vows to the Lord, as a result of he’s mighty. God is a reason for worry for the kings of the earth” (Psalm 76, 12 ). The Psalmist calls not solely the folks of Israel, however all of the authorities of the world to lift reward and honor earlier than the Lord. is beneath the Lord, the God of Israel.

Psalm in life

We see that the sixth and seventh psalms, psalms of Zion in addition to psalms of exhortation, name us to offer reward to God, who defeated the enemies of Israel in Zion and on the hill of Jerusalem, and who on his folks. The place we acknowledge that the actual victory belongs to the God of Israel, and we acknowledge that every one the powers of the earth are topic to him, we’re given a name to reward that God. Realizing that it’s the Lord who provides well being and luxury to all who’re bothered on this earth and who will choose the world appropriately, we are able to do our greatest to face near him and reward him sang to him. That we might be able to escape from the wrath and snares of males, and be beneath the safety of God. Reward be to the wonderful and superior God of Israel ceaselessly.