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Commentary on Psalms 74 verses 12–17
The lamenting church fastens upon something here which she calls to mind, and therefore hath she hope (as Lam 3:21), with which she encourages herself and silences her own complaints. Two things quiet the minds of those that are here sorrowing for the solemn assembly: -
I. That God is the God of Israel, a God in covenant with his people (Psa 74:12): God is my King of old. This comes in both as a plea in prayer to God (Psa 44:4, thou art my King, O God!) and as a prop to their own faith and hope, to encourage themselves to expect deliverance, considering the days of old, Psa 77:5. The church speaks as a complex body, the same in every age, and therefore calls God, "My King, my King of old," or, "from antiquity;" he of old put himself into that relation to them and appeared and acted for them in that relation. As Israel's King, he wrought salvation in the midst of the nations of the earth; for what he did, in the government of the world, tended towards the salvation of his church. Several things are here mentioned which God had done for his people as their King of old, which encouraged them to commit themselves to him and depend upon him.
1.He had divided the sea before them when they came out of Egypt, not by the strength of Moses or his rod, but by his own strength; and he that could do that could do any thing.
2.He had destroyed Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Pharaoh was the leviathan; the Egyptians were the dragons, fierce and cruel. Observe, (1.) The victory obtained over these enemies. God broke their heads, baffled their politics, as when Israel, the more they were afflicted by them, multiplied the more. God crushed their powers, though complicated, ruined their country by ten plagues, and at last drowned them all in the Red Sea. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, Eze 31:18. It was the Lord's doing; none besides could do it, and he did it with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. This was typical of Christ's victory over Satan and his kingdom, pursuant to the first promise, that the seed of the woman should break the serpent's head. (2.) The improvement of this victory for the encouragement of the church: Thou gavest him to be meat to the people of Israel, now going to inhabit the wilderness. The spoil of the Egyptians enriched them; they stripped their slain, and so got the Egyptians' arms and weapons, as before they had got their jewels. Or, rather, this providence was meat to their faith and hope, to support and encourage them in reference to the other difficulties they were likely to meet with in the wilderness. It was part of the spiritual meat which they were all made to eat of. Note, The breaking of the heads of the church's enemies is the joy and strength of the hearts of the church's friends. Thus the companions make a banquet even of leviathan, Job 41:6.
3.God had both ways altered the course of nature, both in fetching streams out of the rock and turning streams into rock, Psa 74:15. (1.) He had dissolved the rock into waters: Thou didst bring out the fountain and the flood (so some read it); and every one knows whence it was brought, out of the rock, out of the flinty rock. Let this never be forgotten, but let it especially be remembered that the rock was Christ, and the waters out of it were spiritual drink. (2.) He had congealed the waters into rock: Thou driedst up mighty rapid rivers, Jordan particularly at the time when it overflowed all its banks. He that did these things could now deliver his oppressed people, and break the yoke of the oppressors, as he had done formerly; nay, he would do it, for his justice and goodness, his wisdom and truth, are still the same, as well as his power.
II. That the God of Israel is the God of nature, Psa 74:16, Psa 74:17. It is he that orders the regular successions and revolutions, 1. Of day and night. He is the Lord of all time. The evening and the morning are of his ordaining. It is he that opens the eyelids of the morning light, and draws the curtains of the evening shadow. He has prepared the moon and the sun (so some read it), the two great lights, to rule by day and by night alternately. The preparing of them denotes their constant readiness and exact observance of their time, which they never miss a moment. 2. Of summer and winter: "Thou hast appointed all the bounds of the earth, and the different climates of its several regions, for thou hast made summer and winter, the frigid and the torrid zones; or, rather, the constant revolutions of the year and its several seasons." Herein we are to acknowledge God, from whom all the laws and powers of nature are derived; but how does this come in here? (1.) He that had power at first to settle, and still to preserve, this course of nature by the diurnal and annual motions of the heavenly bodies, has certainly all power both to save and to destroy, and with him nothing is impossible, nor are any difficulties or oppositions insuperable. (2.) He that is faithful to his covenant with the day and with the night, and preserves the ordinances of heaven inviolable will certainly make good his promise to his people and never cast off those whom he has chosen, Jer 31:35, Jer 31:36; Jer 33:20, Jer 33:21. His covenant with Abraham and his seed is as firm as that with Noah and his sons, Gen 8:21. (3.) Day and night, summer and winter, being counterchanged in the course of nature, throughout all the borders of the earth, we can expect no other than that trouble and peace, prosperity and adversity, should be, in like manner, counterchanged in all the borders of the church. We have as much reason to expect affliction as to expect night and winter. But we have then no more reason to despair of the return of comfort than we have to despair of day and summer.
"You have dried up the rivers of Etham" [Psalm 74:15]....What is Etham? For the word is Hebrew. What is Etham interpreted? Strong, stout. Who is this strong and stout one, whose rivers God dries up? Who but that very dragon? For "no one enters into the house of a strong man that he may spoil his vessels, unless first he shall have bound fast the strong man." [Mark 12:29] This is that strong man on his own virtue relying, and forsaking God: this is that strong man, who says, "I will set my seat by the north, and I will be like the Most High." [Isaiah 14:13] Out of that very cup of perverse strength he has given man to drink. Strong they willed to be, who thought that they would be Gods by means of the forbidden food. Adam became strong, over whom was reproachfully said, "Behold, Adam has become like one of us." [Genesis 3:22] ...As though they were strong, "to the righteousness of God they have not been made subject." [Romans 10:3] Observe ye that a man has put out of the way his own strength, and remained weak, needy, standing afar off, not daring even to raise his eyes to Heaven; but smiting his breast, and saying, "O Lord, be merciful to me a sinner." [Luke 18:13] Now he is weak, now he confesses his weakness, he is not strong: dry land he is, be he watered with fountains and torrents. They are as yet strong who rely on their own virtue. Be their rivers dried up, let there be no advancement in the doctrines of the Gentiles, of wizards, of astrologers, of magic arts: for dried up are the rivers of the strong man: "You have dried up the rivers of Etham." Let there dry up that doctrine; let minds be flooded with the Gospel of truth.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 74:15 powerfully declares God's absolute sovereignty and unparalleled control over the natural world, particularly the formidable elements of water. Within the broader context of a national lament over the destruction of the temple, this verse serves as a profound and hopeful reminder of God's mighty deeds in Israel's history, recalling specific acts of miraculous intervention where He demonstrated His power to cleave sources of water and dry up immense rivers, thereby asserting His enduring role as both Creator and Deliverer in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 74:15 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful message. Allusion is central, as the verse does not explicitly name the events but clearly points to the miraculous provision of water from the rock in the wilderness and the epic crossings of the Red Sea and the Jordan River. This allows the psalmist to evoke a rich tapestry of Israel's redemptive history with concise language, relying on the audience's familiarity with these foundational narratives. Merism is also present in the pairing of "fountain and the flood" and implicitly "cleave" and "driedst up," which together encompass the full spectrum of God's power over water, from its source to its largest manifestations, creating a sense of totality and completeness in God's dominion. Furthermore, the descriptions themselves are hyperbolic, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of God's actions; these were not ordinary hydrological events but divine interventions that defied natural laws, magnifying God's omnipotence. Finally, the verse uses metaphorical language where water, especially "mighty rivers," can symbolize overwhelming obstacles, chaotic forces, or even hostile nations, and God's control over them signifies His ultimate victory over all opposition, both natural and spiritual.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 74:15 is a profound theological statement, asserting God's absolute sovereignty over creation and His unwavering commitment to His covenant people. By recalling His past acts of power over water, the psalmist grounds the present plea for deliverance in the unchangeable character of God. This verse reminds us that the God who created the cosmos and established its boundaries is also the God who can suspend or alter those boundaries for His redemptive purposes. It connects God's power over the primordial waters of creation (e.g., Genesis 1:9-10) with His historical interventions, demonstrating a consistent divine nature that is both majestic and actively involved in human history. In times of national crisis or personal despair, the remembrance of such mighty deeds serves as a bedrock for faith, assuring believers that no obstacle is too great for the Lord, who is both the Creator and the ultimate Deliverer. The God who made a way through the sea for His people is the same God who can make a way through any seemingly impassable situation.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 74:15 offers profound encouragement for believers today, especially when facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles or "mighty rivers" in our lives. Whether these are personal struggles, national crises, or global challenges, the verse reminds us of God's infinite power and His historical faithfulness. The same God who split rocks to provide water in the desert and dried up seas for His people to cross is active and sovereign today. This calls us to remember that our God is not limited by natural laws, human impossibilities, or the apparent triumph of evil. His past acts serve as a powerful testimony to His present and future capability to intervene, provide, and deliver. In moments of despair or when circumstances seem overwhelming, recalling these mighty deeds can rekindle hope and strengthen our faith, reminding us that God can make a way where there seems to be none, and that His ultimate deliverance and justice will prevail. It challenges us to look beyond our immediate circumstances to the unchanging power and character of our God, trusting that His purposes will be accomplished, even through the most daunting "floods" of life.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What specific historical events does Psalms 74:15 allude to?
Answer: Psalms 74:15 primarily alludes to two foundational events in Israel's history where God demonstrated His absolute power over water. "Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood" most likely refers to God's miraculous provision of water from the rock in the wilderness, as recorded in Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:11, where He split a solid rock to bring forth life-sustaining water for His thirsty people. "Thou driedst up mighty rivers" directly points to the dramatic parting of the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to escape Pharaoh's army, an event detailed in Exodus 14:21-22, and the miraculous drying of the Jordan River, enabling them to enter the Promised Land, as recounted in Joshua 3:15-17. These events collectively highlight God's unique power as both Provider and Deliverer, demonstrating His ability to manipulate creation for His redemptive purposes.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 74:15, with its powerful depiction of God's dominion over the elements, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The God who "cleaved the fountain and the flood" and "driedst up mighty rivers" is fully revealed in Jesus, who demonstrated absolute authority over nature during His earthly ministry. Just as God commanded the waters in the Old Testament, Jesus Himself calmed a raging storm with a mere word, rebuking the wind and the sea, as seen in Mark 4:39, and walked on the surface of the Sea of Galilee, a miraculous display of divine power recorded in Matthew 14:25, revealing His divine identity as the Creator God incarnate. Furthermore, the "mighty rivers" of sin, death, and chaos that threaten humanity are ultimately overcome by Christ's sacrificial death and glorious resurrection. He is the true "fountain" of living water, as He declared in John 4:10-14, who quenches spiritual thirst and offers eternal life to all who believe. Through His victory on the cross, He "dried up" the ultimate river of separation from God, making a way for humanity to enter into eternal life and reconciliation with the Father, fulfilling the promise of resurrection and life found in passages like John 11:25-26. Thus, the psalmist's declaration of God's power over water foreshadows the comprehensive and redemptive power of Christ over all creation and all forces of evil, offering ultimate deliverance.