Speak Now, Or Forever Hold Your Peace

Psalm 74

What an immediate demand at a specific point in time, "Speak now", or be silent about it forever, and right near the beginning of one of the most sacred times in the lives of many people. The pastor that officiated my wedding now some forty something years ago told my soon to be bride and I that he doesn't include that moment, that opportunity, because announcements had been made in newspapers and people had already had time to say something.

Even so two aspects of that statement intrigue me as I thought on Psalm 74. Speak now, point in time, or forever..., forever..., forever! In a wedding ceremony there is a time when that statement may be made, then there are vows, a covenant entered into, then a final pronouncement of becoming husband and wife, at again another moment in time. And those vows are also binding vows, but limited by the moment of death. On my part I have lived out from pronouncement of marriage until my wife's last breath. That "til death do us part" only seemed like some far off unknown, which it was until it happened.

The opening statement of this psalm begins:

O God, why hast thou put us away for ever?

Psalms 74:1 GNV

There's that thought, Forever. But it is a thought in this psalm for instruction this psalmist just can't leave alone?

Think upon thy Congregation, which thou hast possessed of old, and on the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, and on this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

Psalms 74:2 GNV

"Of old"

We see not our signs: there is not one Prophet more, nor any with us that knoweth how long.

Psalms 74:9 GNV

"How long"

O God, how long shall the adversary reproach thee? shall the enemy blasphem thy Name for ever?

Psalms 74:10 GNV

“How long”, "For ever"

The day is thine, and the night is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.

Psalms 74:16 - 17 GNV

"Day and night" "Summer and winter"

Each of these verses are referencing either a span of time or forever. That's not unusual for man. Back in David's day they wrote of right now and then also "for ever". Their thought was "Lord, how long?" Today with cell telepones that have multiple very fast computer chips in them that make the world seem almost instantaneous. That aggravates our impatience when we feel like "Lord, how long?" And waiting on the Lord makes His response to be a greater impatient "for ever" forever.

God who inhabits eternity made us know of His plan,

Therefore all that dwell upon the earth, shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of that Lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the world.

Revelation 13:8 GNV

This describes the life of Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain (His crucifixion) from the beginning of the world (the Creator who created the world, was there at its beginning). Somewhere in between creation and the future days ahead, those of the Revelation He became flesh dwelling among us for 33 years, condescended from eternity to time, dealing with time as fully man with the same restraints of time as us.

But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, and made under the Law,

Galatians 4:4 GNV

Bridging the gap between a "moment in time" and our concept of "for ever". We know from reading Scripture that even Jesus didn't always respond immediately (i e. the woman taken in adultery was brought to Him and He wrote on the ground), even some miracles weren't immediate (i.e. go wash in the pool of Siloam; man whose eyes were annointed twice), wasn't even the miracle they were looking for (i.e. Jairus' daughter; Lazarus, both brought back to life rather than being healed), but in fact each came, the desire did come perfectly “in time”. There's that word we to often build our hopes and dream around when we pray, when we "trust God". The truth is when we trust God we release control to Him, control of time, control of conditions, control of how our desire is accomplished. So when we say, Lord, how long? For ever? It reflects a reality that everyone who trusts God has, often that we are human and struggle in time even though God is accomplishing a planned and perfect end.