In this psalm, Asaph praises God and encourages everyone who is suffering to be patient and wait on God to deliver them from their troubles. He knows that God will deliver them, but only when God decides that this will happen.
Although the headings aren’t inspired by God, they are important because they give us some understanding of the Psalm, and they help us to see why it was written. The headings usually tell us four things.
1. Who wrote them, probably wrote them, or possibly wrote them.
2. Information about the historical background to the Psalm. Why was it written?
3. They tell us of the tune the Psalm was written to.
4. How it was used.
The heading tells us that this was written for the director of music. Some commentators believe that the ‘director of music’ is God Himself, and others believe that it is a song leader who led choirs or musicians, 1 Chronicles 6:33 / 1 Chronicles 16:17 / 1 Chronicles 25:6.
The psalm was a song which was to be directed to the ‘tune of do not destroy’; no one knows what this tune was. Asaph was the singer and musician during the reign of David and Solomon, 1 Chronicles 15:17-19 / 1 Chronicles 16:5-7 / 1 Chronicles 25:6. 1 Chronicles 25:1 and 2 Chronicles 29:30 tell us that Asaph was a prophet in his musical compositions.
Despite the troubles Asaph and God’s people were enduring, Asaph begins by emphasising twice, that he and God’s people will praise God, Psalm 75:1. He knows that God’s Name is near, Psalm 75:1 / Exodus 34:14-15 / Isaiah 30:27 / Jeremiah 23:23 / Acts 2:21, that is, he knows that God is present, and they praise God because of His wonderful deeds, Psalm 75:1.
Asaph now thinks of things from God’s perspective. It is God who will choose when to deliver His people from their troubles and when their troubles will come to an end, Psalm 75:2.
It is God who will judge with equity, Psalm 75:2 / Genesis 18:25. This is a lesson we all must learn: God has His own timetable, and we must be patient for Him to do what is right at the time He appoints, Galatians 4:4 / Revelation 6:10.
Asaph compares the earth with a building supported by pillars, Psalm 75:3 / Judges 16:26 / 1 Samuel 2:8 / 1 Timothy 3:15. God declares that when the earth and everyone in quakes, it is Him who holds the pillars firm, Psalm 75:3. In other words, God’s judgments are powerful and they are firmly established, Psalm 107:26 / Job 30:22 / Isaiah 64:7 / Nahum 1:5.
You may notice at the end of verse three, some translations have the word, ‘selah’, although no one really knows what this word means, it likely means to pause.
It’s a time to stop and reflect upon what has just been said. We can almost imagine Asaph pausing for a breath as he contemplates when God will deliver His people from their troubles.
The wicked people are arrogant and proud, Psalm 75:4 / Psalm 14:1, and God warns those who boast to stop boasting and stop relying on their own strength, Psalm 75:4.
The word ‘horn’, Psalm 75:4-5, refers to strength and these boastful people were boasting about their own strength, Job 16:15 / Daniel 7:7-8 / Daniel 7:11 / Daniel 7:21 / Daniel 8:5 / Daniel 8:8-9 / Daniel 8:21.
God warns them not to speak defiant words of rebellion against Him, Psalm 75:5. God also warns the boastful, those who rely on their own strength, no matter where they are from, not to exalt themselves, because it is God who judges with justice, Psalm 75:6-7.
It is God who brings down the proud, and it is God who exalts the humble, Psalm 75:7 / Matthew 23:12 / Luke 14:11 / Luke 18:14 / Philippians 2:3-4 / James 4:10 / 1 Peter 5:5-6.
Asaph now uses the metaphor of a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices, Psalm 75:8. This speaks of God’s certain judgment, Job 21:20 / Psalm 60:3 / Isaiah 51:17 / Revelation 14:10. God has a ‘cup’ in His hand for the people to drink, and the wicked will be forced to drink it, Psalm 75:8.
Foaming wine is a wine which has fermented, and the wicked are forced to drink every last bitter drop, Psalm 75:8 / Isaiah 25:6. In other words, the wicked people will suffer all that there is in the justice of God.
After speaking about the judgment which awaits those who are wicked, Asaph declares that he will sing praises to God and rejoice in the judgments of God, Psalm 75:9-10 / Psalm 24:6. The righteous will give glory to Him for His protection of the righteous.
God Himself has the last word and declares that He will bring down the proud and the wicked who relied on their own strength. He says that not only will he bring the proud and wicked down, but His judgments will also exalt the strength of the righteous, Psalm 75:10. In His time, God will cut off the powers of the wicked in order to exalt the power of the righteous.
Asaph had to learn that God has his own timetable, and as Christians, this is one challenge we all face. Solomon, in his wisdom, reminds us over and over again that there is a time for everything, Ecclesiastes 3:1.
The problem we have as Christians is remembering that God knows best. He knows the exact time we need things, even though we feel like we need things done yesterday.
When we remember that God is good and faithful, we will learn to trust in his timetable more than our own. When we put our faith and trust in God to accept that He knows better, then we can have confidence that all things will work out well for us according to His plan and purpose, Romans 8:28.