Psalm 74:12 Study Bible: Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

◄ Psalm 74:12 ►

Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.

Yet God is my King from ancient times
This phrase acknowledges God's eternal sovereignty and kingship, a theme prevalent throughout the Bible. The psalmist affirms God's rule, which predates human history, emphasizing His unchanging nature and authority. This echoes the biblical narrative of God's kingship seen in passages like Psalm 10:16 and 1 Samuel 8:7, where God is recognized as the ultimate ruler over Israel and the universe. The term "ancient times" suggests a connection to the creation narrative in Genesis, where God establishes His dominion over the earth. It also reflects the cultural understanding of kingship in ancient Near Eastern societies, where a king was seen as a divine representative on earth.

working salvation on the earth
This phrase highlights God's active role in delivering and redeeming His people. The concept of salvation is central to the biblical narrative, with God repeatedly intervening to rescue Israel from oppression, as seen in the Exodus story (Exodus 14:13-14). The phrase "on the earth" underscores the tangible and historical nature of God's saving acts, contrasting with purely spiritual or otherworldly salvation. This anticipates the ultimate salvation through Jesus Christ, who is seen as the fulfillment of God's redemptive work, as prophesied in Isaiah 53 and realized in the New Testament (John 3:16-17). The psalmist's declaration serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and power to save throughout history, providing hope and assurance to believers.

Persons / Places / Events

1. God
The central figure in this verse, recognized as the eternal King and the source of salvation.

2. King
A title for God, emphasizing His sovereignty and authority over all creation.

3. Salvation
The act of delivering or saving, which God is actively working on the earth.

4. Earth
The realm where God's salvation is being enacted, highlighting His involvement in the world.

Teaching Points

God's Eternal Sovereignty
Recognize that God's kingship is not a new development but has been established "from of old." This provides believers with confidence in His unchanging nature and eternal authority.

Active Salvation
Understand that God's work of salvation is ongoing and active in the world today. This encourages believers to trust in His deliverance and to participate in His redemptive work.

God's Involvement in the World
Acknowledge that God is not distant or detached but is intimately involved in the affairs of the earth. This should inspire believers to seek His presence and guidance in their daily lives.

Trust in God's Plan
Even when circumstances seem dire, trust that God, as King, is working out His plan of salvation. This calls for faith and patience, knowing that His purposes will ultimately prevail.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does recognizing God as "King from of old" impact your understanding of His authority in your life today?

2. In what ways can you see God actively working salvation in the world around you?

3. How does the concept of God's eternal kingship provide comfort and assurance in times of uncertainty?

4. What are some practical ways you can participate in God's work of salvation on the earth?

5. How do other scriptures that speak of God's kingship and salvation deepen your understanding of Psalm 74:12?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Psalm 47:7-8
These verses also speak of God as King over all the earth, reinforcing His sovereignty and rule.

Isaiah 43:11
This passage emphasizes that God alone is the Savior, connecting to the theme of salvation in Psalm 74:12.

Revelation 19:16
Refers to Jesus as "King of kings," linking the Old Testament understanding of God as King to the New Testament revelation of Christ.

Exodus 15:18
Declares the Lord's eternal reign, echoing the ancient and enduring kingship of God mentioned in Psalm 74:12.

Sermons

The Sovereignty of God	William Jones.	Psalm 74:12
The Wail and Prayer of a True Patriot	Homilist	Psalm 74:1-23
The Destructive Work of Man and the Constructive Work of God	C. Short	Psalm 74:7-8, 12

People

Asaph, Psalmist

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Accomplishing, Bring, Deeds, Deliverance, Deliverances, Midst, Past, Salvation, Working, Works, Yet

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Psalm 74:1-23

6115 blame

Psalm 74:10-18

8817 ridicule, objects of

Psalm 74:12-17

8724 doubt, dealing with

Library

The Meaning
Of the Red Dragon with Seven Heads fighting with Michael about the new-born Child. The first vision of the little book, of which we treated in the eleventh chapter, ran through the whole Apocalyptical course, from the beginning to the end, and that, as we elsewhere observed, to point out its connexion with the seals and trumpets. Now to that vision the remaining prophecies of the same interval, and of the affairs of the Church are to be accommodated, in order to complete the system of the little …
Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse

The Prophet of the Highest.
(LUKE I.) "Ye hermits blest, ye holy maids, The nearest heaven on earth, Who talk with God in shadowy glades, Free from rude care and mirth; To whom some viewless Teacher brings The secret love of rural things, The moral of each fleeting cloud and gale, The whispers from above, that haunt the twilight vale." KEBLE. Formative Influences--A Historical Parallel--The Burning of the Vanities--"Sent from God" "Thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Most High"--thus Zacharias addressed his infant …
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist

How those are to be Admonished who Abstain not from the Sins which they Bewail, and those Who, Abstaining from Them, Bewail them Not.
(Admonition 31.) Differently to be admonished are those who lament their transgressions, and yet forsake them not, and those who forsake them, and yet lament them not. For those who lament their transgressions and yet forsake them not are to be admonished to learn to consider anxiously that they cleanse themselves in vain by their weeping, if they wickedly defile themselves in their living, seeing that the end for which they wash themselves in tears is that, when clean, they may return to filth. …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Wisdom of God
The next attribute is God's wisdom, which is one of the brightest beams of the Godhead. He is wise in heart.' Job 9:9. The heart is the seat of wisdom. Cor in Hebraeo sumitur pro judicio. Pineda. Among the Hebrews, the heart is put for wisdom.' Let men of understanding tell me:' Job 34:44: in the Hebrew, Let men of heart tell me.' God is wise in heart, that is, he is most wise. God only is wise; he solely and wholly possesses all wisdom; therefore he is called, the only wise God.' I Tim 1:17. All …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Balaam's Prophecy. (Numb. xxiv. 17-19. )
Carried by the Spirit into the far distant future, Balaam sees here how a star goeth out of Jacob and a sceptre riseth out of Israel, and how this sceptre smiteth Moab, by whose enmity the Seer had been brought from a distant region for the destruction of Israel. And not Moab only shall be smitten, but its southern neighbour, Edom, too shall be subdued, whose hatred against Israel had already been prefigured in its ancestor, and had now begun to display Itself; and In general, all the enemies of …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Jesus Makes a Preaching Tour through Galilee.
^A Matt. IV. 23-25; ^B Mark I. 35-39; ^C Luke IV. 42-44. ^b 35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose up went out [i. e., from the house of Simon Peter], and departed into a desert place, and there prayed. [Though Palestine was densely populated, its people were all gathered into towns, so that it was usually easy to find solitude outside the city limits. A ravine near Capernaum, called the Vale of Doves, would afford such solitude. Jesus taught (Matt. vi. 6) and practiced solitary …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Sun Rising Upon a Dark World
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon then hath the light shined. C ontrasts are suited to illustrate and strengthen the impression of each other. The happiness of those, who by faith in MESSIAH, are brought into a state of peace, liberty, and comfort, is greatly enhanced and heightened by the consideration of that previous state of misery in which they once lived, and of the greater misery to which they were justly exposed. …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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