Psalm 74:9

Psalm 74:9

No signs from God

This verse gives us three reasons for spiritual hope and encourages us to understand what it is like when these three things are withdrawn. 

The first reason for hope is when we experience signs from God. These can be varied; obviously miracles are signs from God. Answers to prayer. Circumstances that suddenly remind us that someone bigger is in control. Chance encounters that we later realise were meant to be. Prophetic words of guidance and encouragement. Moments of joy and peace under the shadow of His wings. Israel had none of these. Their enslavement in Babylon was accompanied by silence from heaven. They cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken us?”

The second cause of hope is the word of the prophets. This does not necessarily involve inspiring predictions about the future. Prophet here means anyone who is hearing what God is saying, anyone who is receiving a word from heaven – even a word of chastisement! But for Israel there is nothing, they go about their business and the channels of communication with their God remain closed.

Finally, a period in the desert, a time of spiritual deprivation, is bearable if someone can explain how long it is going to last. The Lord is gracious and if we seek Him, He will often give us hope that the wilderness experience will come to an end. But for Israel, there are no glimmers of hope, no portents that the incarceration is Babylon in not going to be permanent. The Israelites are cut off from God and it could be forever!

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