Psalm 44
This is a Psalm written by the sons of Korah. They were an interesting group; their ministry was to provide music. The history goes back to a very dark. Korah led a rebellion against Moses, so God struck him down. He spared some of his descendants. In the family history, there are some very dark things indeed. But now? Whole lives are given to encouraging others. This song is a prayer for help but also looks forward to the future as well. The Psalm has a very simple but very helpful framework: it considers things from the past, then reflects on the present, before thoughts are turned to the future.
Verses 1- 8: The Past
The past is always with us. We often think of the past. We need to be careful how we handle the past; it is too easily used to discourage us and depress us in the present. For example, people may say church was always better in the past. We sometimes have rose-tinted views about the past. If we are not careful, as Christians, we may speak well of the Church of the past and give criticism of the present. But here, in Psalm 44, the past is used to encourage those who are struggling in the present. Things are not going well in the present. Israel has become a byword. In the midst of these dark days, led by the sons of Korah, they look to have times of comfort. As Christians, the past can offer hope. Here in Psalm 44 we are reminded we can orientate our thinking to help us.
The Psalmists’ starting point is to recall what God has done in the past, to remember the days of old. (Deuteronomy 32:7). History is important in every culture. No where is this more important than in the Christian life. We read in verse 1,
“We have heard it with our ears, O God;
our ancestors have told us
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.”
This is an acknowledgement that they have been obedient in the past. They look to the Lord because of what he’s done in the past. This is very important for us when we go through a dark patch. We can very easily become focused on ourselves and what is going on in our situation. We can be preoccupied and have self-pity. We may focus on people who have hurt us and brought us great pain. Psalm 44 Looks past these things and reminds us of how God has been in the past. This is why the past is good to reflect on and remember what God has done in the past. There is great power in times of reflection.
What had God done in the past?
On verse 2 we read,
“With your hand you drove out the nations
and planted our ancestors;
you crushed the peoples
and made our ancestors flourish.”
This verse begins with the awareness of all the blessings received in the past had come from God’s goodness. Abraham was called to leave everything behind and become a nomad. He was given the greatest promise of all, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” God led the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. They were sustained by the Lord’s faithfulness. The reflection of coming into the land is very much in the mind of the writers (verse 3). The reminder is the Lord had done great things. He subdued the enemies (verses 6-7). Despite the great difficulties, remembering brings them to a place of great confidence in the present (verse 8). This should always be our starting point. When trouble comes, we need to remember God’s faithfulness (Psalm 43). If you are discouraged today, remember the days in the past when the Lord sustained you, kept you and blessed you.
Verses 9-22: A reflection on the present.
“But now,” (9a). Things are different. Here comes the realism. To find help in difficult days, we must remember what God has done in the past and face honestly what is the present. We all go through difficulties. Here, we see God is still at work, but at work in judgement,
“But now you have rejected and humbled us;
you no longer go out with our armies.
10 You made us retreat before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered us.”
God has humbled them and rejected them. The present predicament is the Lord’s work and appears to be judgement – God actively working against His people. This is a hard reality. Verse 24 reflects that,
“Why do you hide your face
and forget our misery and oppression?”
We may find ourselves thinking, ‘How can this happen? People want a positive, affirming God, who only ever blesses. God desires His people to be holy. Does this mean that if I’m going through a hard time, that God is judging me for my sin? This is not necessarily always the case. Sometimes, God may take us through tough times to strengthen our faith and confidence in Him. There are times when God may withdraw some of His presence, but his intention is to strengthen and develop your confidence in him. We see this in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul three times asked God to remove a thorn in his flesh. He was told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). James wrote that of trying and testing of our faith.
This was not a time in Israel’s history when they had rejected the law.
“All this came upon us,
though we had not forgotten you;
we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.”
This seems to be a time of testing to strengthen faith.
Verses 23-26: The Future
Because Israel knows how God has been in the past, they can look past traumas with confidence. As God has been in the past, He will be in the future. He will remain faithful. When we are really discouraged, we know the future can be frightening or seem impossible, but when we have confidence, we can rely on God’s faithfulness. We change, the world changes because of sin, but God never changes. In all the confusion and chaos they can say with boldness,
“Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.”
(Psalm 44:23).
There is a particular emphasis, more than God should wake up,
“Rise up and help us;
rescue us because of your unfailing love.”
(Psalm 44:26)
When God seems far away. This takes us to the in failing love of God. In the New Testament, Psalm 44 is picked up by the Apostle Paul,
“Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
(Psalm 44:22)
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
(Romans 8:35-36)
We see the darkest moments of all in the calamity that has come on Israel. Things are as dark and bleak as they could possibly be. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Paul writes, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). Paul’s great conclusion, in the midst of problems and testing times, is that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
You can always be certain, whether you’ve been overcome by some terrible illness, things haven’t gone your way with family, work, or you have inward struggles of sin, you can always be certain of the unfailing love of God.
“Rise up and help us;
rescue us because of your unfailing love.”
Psalm 44:26
We fail ourselves, despite our good intentions. We may fail one another. But the love of God towards you as a Christian, never fails.
- O love of God, how strong and true,
eternal and yet ever new,
uncomprehended and unbought,
beyond all knowledge and all thought!
O love of God, how deep and great,
far deeper than man’s deepest hate;
self-fed, self-kindled like the light,
changeless, eternal, infinite. - O heav’nly love, how precious still,
in days of weariness and ill,
in nights of pain and helplessness,
to heal, to comfort, and to bless!
O wide-embracing, wondrous love!
We read you in the sky above,
we read you in the earth below,
in seas that swell and streams that flow. - O love of God, our shield and stay
through all the perils of our way!
Eternal love, in you we rest,
forever safe, forever blest.
We will exalt you, God and King,
and we will ever praise your name;
we will extol you ev’ry day,
and evermore your praise proclaim.
We see the unfailing love of God most clearly in Jesus Christ. It is because of His in failing love, there is redemption for us. It may redeem us from the darkest pits in life, the most lonely and self-critical times. Never forget the love of God.
“Rise up and help us;
rescue us because of your unfailing love.”
Psalm 44:26
Whatever state of soul or mind you are in today, have faith in the unfailing love of God as made manifest in Jesus Christ.
Penuel Baptist Chapel, Roch 