Psalms
Chapter 75
We Give You Thanks, O God, Calling Upon Your Name
We give you thanks, O God, we give thanks. Those who invoke your name will recount your wonderful deeds.
“At a set time I will judge fairly.
The earth wobbles with its inhabitants, but I will restore its foundations.
To the proud I say, ‘Boast no more.’ And to the wicked, ‘Raise not your head.
Do not lift yourself so high; do not insult God.’”
God comes, though not from the east or the west, nor from the mountains or desert;
God comes to judge, putting one down and lifting up another.
In the hand of the Lord is a cup of spiced and foaming wine; he pours it out for the wicked to drain to the dregs.
As for me, I will rejoice forever and sing praises to the God of Jacob.
He will break the power of the wicked, but the power of the virtuous will be exalted.
Commentaries
75
The fundamental attitude of man toward God is humility. It appears here as the main criterion for judgment. However, it is a miracle to think that any passage of Scripture fully covers its topic. The scene of judgment in Matthew 25 makes active charity the test. Yet, even here, humility is involved because charity is shown toward the ‘least’ of Christ’s brothers and sisters. In short, it seems that all who ask for mercy can avoid judgment. Perhaps this is why the Pharisees, rather than the harlots, are criticized in the Gospels.
Praying with this psalm, we can become true heirs of the prophets in the face of the arrogance of the soothsayers in a world built on power and oppression.