Psalm 44:1–26 (ESV):
1 O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.
4 You are my King, O God;
ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 But you have rejected us and disgraced us
and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us turn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbours,
the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
and shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you,
and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our steps departed from your way;
19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; come to our help!
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!
This psalm seems to have four sections to it:
- Firstly, verses 1-3 recall the works of God in Israel’s history. The testimony of what He has achieved for His people.
- Verses 4-8 are a response to the greatness of God, a recognition of God as king and worthy of extolling
- Then verses 9 -16 are the outpouring of disappointment and pain over the present turmoil and perceived rejection of the people by God.
- Verses 17 - 26 are then pleading for compassion, God’s justice and power to once again save and restore His people. A call for God to act due to the persecution of His innocent people.
It is important therefore to consider the whole perspective when faced with challenges. The people of God who inspired and wrote this psalm do, and having this format helped them through the trials and torments they were facing. As they recalled the might, power and love of God even in troublesome times they could pour out their experiences and emotions to Him, knowing, trusting and believing that God is good, just and loving and that He WILL bring hope and salvation even in the most dire situations.
I love that this psalm is a congregational response, not an individual one, but concerned with the community of God’s people as a whole. The church is the collection of God's people, and sometimes they go through difficulties, so it is good to remember that sometimes it is not just individual families or people that suffer, but at times the church is persecuted, and can feel alone and abandoned. Although this psalm is about the collective of God's followers being harangued, this is not the main focus. Instead this psalm is a beautiful summary of God’s power and majesty, and the reliance of God’s followers on Him as they encounter trouble. The people that wrote this have not been sinful or disobedient, yet they, ‘are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered’. Innocent, peaceful, obediently following their God, but afflicted and oppressed by those around them. Therefore it is a bit of a warning too, that even when you're doing the right things, disaster can strike, and then what do you do? When you follow God, you can expect suffering to be part of the journey both personally and corporately. It may not seem fair, especially when you live life doing the best to honour God and keep away from the ways of life that would lead you astray. Yet this is the reality. This world is not fair, and you have to live in it! There is an enemy to those that follow God, and people, powers and principalities will to try to destroy the gospel. This should be no surprise to any of us, as God’s people have been persecuted since the beginning, but I think that generally we focus on the fact that if you live following God, everything will be fine and you will be blessed. Of course, it is true that you are blessed to always know the joy of salvation, a relationship with God and His faithful, steadfast love like these psalmists express, yet it is also true that life will involve suffering, persecution and death.
No-one likes to think of this; that God’s people suffer, especially for no just cause. When you have troubled times you like to know that there is a reason, a purpose, but you may not know what it is. So you have to learn to suffer well, as the writers of this psalm did, without any answers. They did not understand what was happening or why, yet they were assured that because God, ‘knows the secrets of the heart’, He could see their innocence and the way they were living even through the trauma. They demonstrated dedication and faith, community and love throughout this time even when they felt abandoned and forgotten. These people still reminded one another of how to live pleasing God, and of the victories of the past. They recalled that God, ‘afflicted the peoples and them you set free’. God does both - He restricts and He gives freedom. The people were reminding themselves that God is indeed in charge of all situations, including the one they are in right now. Do you accept that God is in control with whatever is going on in your life, in the life of the church, your community and even the country you live in? Even when circumstances seem dire and difficult, do you honour God and remain dedicated to following Him alongside other believers?
The frustration of the writers of psalm 44 is not really that times are difficult, but that they feel overlooked by God and like He has abandoned them. So they recall the scriptures and the stories of God and are assured because history proves that God has a plan and does not abandon His people when they follow Him. It is just His plan doesn’t make sense to them right now. Therefore this people cry out, ‘why are you sleeping, O Lord?….Do not reject us forever! …why do you forget our affliction and oppression?’. These cries can still be repeated and resounded across the globe. People of God are suffering for their faith today. Individuals and churches, communities of believers around the world are feeling afflicted and oppressed. If you recognise this in your faith-filled groups and feel like bursting out with such cries then that is ok, you are in good company, people have been crying out for thousands of years about injustice, pain and persecution. It is good in fact to cry out to God as He is the only one that can do anything about it! Just make sure that you do not solely cry out, but also remember. Call to your memory the times of breakthrough, the miracles, the wonders, the joy, prophetic words, and remember God is still the same. God hears your pleading cries for mercy. He hears and knows, yet He does not always act as you deem best because He has a different plan, a bigger one and a better one. So dig in, keep going, look at Him and encourage one another to remember all He has done before, because He can do it again.
If you’re still struggling with the reality and purpose of suffering then look at Jesus. Of all the people in all the Earth that have ever lived, he could rightly claim innocence, purity and lack of sin. Yet consider his suffering. Ponder upon the heartache, physical torture and the degrading death that he endured. He, surely, deserved rescue? He implored Father God to rescue him, to end his torment, to allow him to escape the fate he knew was coming. Yet he had to go through it. He asked God for relief and rescue yet it did not come. He probably felt abandoned, disappointed, alone, unheard and confused too. Yet he continued to obey and honour God, patiently enduring and suffering. Jesus did not know the purpose of all he went through but he trusted God. We now know that God's best plan was for His only Son to suffer and die even though Jesus did not want to. It was not the best or the easiest for Jesus, but it was the best for all people. Jesus life, death and resurrection has meant salvation, restoration and hope are available to ALL people. His suffering was for our good, for the good of those who would never hear his voice or see him in person on Earth. God's plan was too big for even Jesus to understand and to desire at the time, so do not be concerned if you do not understand or desire the circumstances you find yourselves in. Sometimes terrible, heart-wrenching, painful and degrading things happen to those who follow God. It is natural to desire relief and help like Jesus did, and to feel abandoned, disappointed and confused, like Jesus did. Yet Jesus still trusted, honoured and followed God. Remembering who God is and being assured that God somehow had purpose through it all, you too can take comfort and confidence in the fact that even in the midst of pain and despair, God has a plan. Even when torture and death come, God is not oblivious nor does He lack care, power or control. That is why it is important for you to speak to other believers, remembering God's goodness, sharing cries of pain and prayers of deliverance together.
You see, the problem is not with God, it is with us humans. We like to know what is going on and to be rewarded for our loyalty and dedication for living faithful lives. We believe we deserve good things if we do good things. So, when unexpected, unwanted and troublesome times come, we do not like it. However, living life following God does not guarantee a hassle-free life - You do not have to read the Bible for long or to know many christians to see that! At no point does God promise that all our troubles will be over when we trust and believe in Him, instead the Bible has many examples of just the opposite! Life following God will not be easy, but you will always have hope and salvation. Plus you can grow in strength and peace when you continually honour God with your life. Bad stuff happens at times, but do not let that dictate your trust and reliance in God. God is not determined or swayed by circumstances whether good or bad, so your faith in Him and your dedication to Him should not be either. The people who wrote this psalm are great examples of those following God who remained committed to do so despite the hardship. They felt that they were suffering undeservedly, and felt abandoned and forgotten, but they also understood that their motives and plans were not God’s. They show commitment, steadfastness and deep-founded faith. Do you? Or is it easy for you to wander off and chase other things when you feel like God is not answering your prayers or coming through for you in the way you want Him to?
God is not your butler. He is not there to make life easy for you or to anticipate your needs and wants, sheltering you from issues. He is your Master, your Lord and King. Your duty is to serve Him, not the other way round. When you believe and follow God as these people did, you follow His directions, complete His commands and keep doing so no matter the difficulty or reward. A king must be obeyed otherwise it is treason. The Israelites understood this. They were confused by their treatment and lack of blessing, however they remained faithful servants of the Most High God as He is still King. They faithfully served Him, even though it was difficult and confusing. The result of this faithful, committed mindset was that they knew they could approach their King with their troubles and they grew in faith and steadfastness. They understood that even when they were fleeing, endangered and deserted that God could still come through for them. They did not give up believing, trusting and hoping in their King. instead they patiently, painfully waited, recalling the stories of previous victories of God as they cried out to Him, ‘Rise up; come to our help!’. The Israelites realised that they serve the King of creation, and they have the privilege of being His people no matter the circumstances. We have the privilege of knowing some of the stories, seeing the results of others' faithful service and steadfast service through battles, exile and persecution. What do you want the story of your life as a believer and as a part of a community of believers to demonstrate to the world around you?
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