Written by sons of Korah. These were Levites, from the family of Kohath. By David’s time it seems they served in the musical aspect of the temple worship (2 Chronicles 20:19). It’s a psalm of national lament of godly people. It speaks of some defeat in battle. The psalm shifts from first person singular to first person plural.
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.
2 With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors; you crushed the peoples and made our ancestors flourish.
3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.
4 You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
6 I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
8 In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.
9 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.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.
15 I live in disgrace all day long, and my face is covered with shame
16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
17 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.
19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals; you covered us over with deep darkness.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?
25 We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.
SECTIONS:
I Focus on Past History (shock of this national tragedy in view of the past)
II Focus on Current History (not understanding current situation in light of past)
III Focus on Future History (a prayer to end national tragedy. Why God has forsaken them is a mystery)
or
I The great victories of God for Israel in past, present & future
II Israel’s crisis, disappointment & ultimate trust
THEME: The hope for victories which God has brought in the past. Success comes not by the works of man but the work of God.
QUESTIONS:
- What has the psalmist mentioned that he heard from his ancestors? What stories do you share with family about what God has done for you?
- Who does the psalmist boast in? What do people today usually boast about?
- Why was the psalmist puzzled about these events that were happening? What times in your life have you questioned God about why he was allowing trials to happen?
- What has been happening to show God is not bringing any victory?
- What hope does the psalmist give?
https://bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Psalms/Psalm%2044.html
We see that the mighty works of God had been handed down to each generation. Fathers told their sons. Their feasts also reminded them of God’s greatness from generation to generation. We know that by hearing the Word of God, many people are saved. Hearing about the miracles, is very important to believing.
This psalm relates some of the things that God had done. He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and his mighty hand drowned the Egyptians at the Red sea. God defeated their enemies in Canaan when they moved into the Promised Land. He made Israel into a mighty nation. When the Ark of the Covenant was with them, the enemy was no match for them. The only time they felt defeat, was when God did not send them to the battle. The Israelites were successful because God was leading them, not because they were mighty fighters. They became known as a people whose God fought for them. The enemies they encountered were not afraid of the children of Israel, but they were afraid of Israel’s God. It became so evident that God was fighting for them, that their enemies ceased to even resist them. The countries that the Israelites passed through going to the Promised Land, hated the Israelites. But they feared their God more than they hated them. Notice that their boasting is not in their own ability, but in the power of God. The word “Selah” in verse 8 means to pause and think on this. With a pause, a new train of thought begins in the next verse.
God’s timing and our timing are not the same. I am sure the Israelites wondered if and when God would deliver them from Egypt. He did deliver them, but it was after 400 years. God does not forget our affliction. We get impatient sometimes for things to happen now. Sometimes I want to call out,, “Lord, when will you ever come back for your people?” If He wanted me to know, He would have told me. But some things are not for us to know.
This psalm speaks of the nation of Israel in a season of great defeat, calling out to God for rescue. Some have thought it to be a psalm of the “exile” period or even afterwards in the days of the Maccabees. Yet there is reason enough to keep this psalm in the days of Israel’s monarchy.
In reading the story of the conquest in the days of Joshua, there were times when Israel did nothing – God alone did the work (Joshua 24:12-13). There were other times when Israel had to fight, but their fighting would have accomplished nothing without God working on their behalf. “Our equivalent of this memory would be reflections on our spiritual heritage, on events like the Protestant Reformation, the Wesleyan Revivals, or the Great Awakenings.” (Boice)
The psalmist received a gift from his forefathers, who told of God’s great work in the past. There was a price for that gift; it made the psalmist dissatisfied with any sense that God wasn’t doing the same works in his own day. He prayed that God would bring victories for Jacob in the present day too. And the psalmist assured God that their faith was in Him and His power, not in their own strength or skill.
They felt that God did not fight for Israel and therefore they were without hope in battle. The key to prevailing over their enemies was to first prevail with God. “You have given us up like sheep intended for food.” Here, the psalmist understood that for Israel, as a covenant nation, victory or defeat was in the hand of the LORD. Therefore if they were defeated, scattered, sold into slavery, made a reproach or derision, it was because God’s hand was behind it in some way.
The psalmist was brought low, not only because of the defeat and disgrace suffered from their enemies. Worse was the sense that God had abandoned Israel, or perhaps was against them. The psalmist expressed to God that despite the feeling they had been forsaken, they had not departed from God. They remembered Him and remained faithful to His covenant. The mention of the covenant was of special purpose. Under the Old Covenant (sometimes known as the Mosaic or Sinai Covenant) God promised to bless an obedient Israel and curse a disobedient Israel (as in Deuteronomy 28). The psalmist implied that God must now be faithful to His part of the covenant because Israel had been faithful to their part.
Several psalms are deep with a sense of personal sinfulness and contrition. In Psalm 44 the psalmist honestly (and not self-righteously) makes the case that their present distress was not due to unaddressed sin or rebellion. The psalmist insists that Israel had remained faithful. They had remembered the Lord and had not prayed to idols or stretched out our hands to a foreign god. If they had, God would know and there was no use in denying it. He knows the secrets of the heart. “It was customary among the ancients, while praying, to stretch out their hands towards the heavens, or the image they were worshipping, as if they expected to receive the favor they were asking.” (Clarke)
This psalm suggests a revolutionary concept to the Old Testament man or woman of God: suffering may not be a punishment, but a battle scar, “the price of loyalty in a world which is at war with God.” (Kidner) “They suffer for God’s sake…In their fidelity to the Lord, they receive greater abuse than if they had conformed to the pagan world.” (VanGemeren)
The Apostle Paul quoted Psalm 44:22 in Romans 8:35-36. The sense is that even in such terrible defeat and disgrace, none of this can separate us from the love of Christ or change our destiny as being more than conquerors in Him. “Thus we are reminded of the fact that those who are the people of God are called upon to endure suffering for which there is no explanation at the time, and certainly none in disloyalty. Such sufferings are part of the high and holy privilege of fellowship with God.” (Morgan)
The psalmist had the depth of relationship with God to speak this freely, and God had the love and grace to hear it. The psalmist did not actually believe that God was asleep, but it felt like that to him. We might expect him to be angry with God or to lose hope. Instead the psalmist trusts God even in his pain and disappointment. He made his final appeal, not on the basis of what Israel deserved, but on the basis of God’s mercy and love.
http://www.walkwiththeword.org/Studies/01_OT/19_Psalm/19_Psalm_044.html
Some psalms express what it’s like to be disciplined because of sin and some express what it’s like to experience evil or injustice undeservedly. This psalm expresses what it’s like in times of spiritual testing which may come even when we are walking faithfully. The Psalmist notes what we may feel during those times.
Man can’t live victoriously in his own strength but by God’s grace. How well do we separate what are works of men vs the reality of God’s work. God is just as sovereign and in control now as he was in the past; just as He provided victory in the past, so He is able to provide it now; just as the outcome was in God’s hands then, so it is today. God is in control of the circumstances whether they’re “positive” and leading us to victory or whether they seem “negative” to us because it’s a time of testing and trials. We can’t make a judgment about what is happening based on the circumstances. It is the same God in charge regardless of external appearances one way or the other.
We hold on during a crisis by holding firmly to his Word (covenant). Regardless of external conditions – good or bad – we are to remain faithful to God’s Word and ways. Do we believe that if we’re “good” that we won’t experience bad things in life or that we won’t be tested? Do we recognize that in every circumstance – good or bad – God is effecting something greater in our life spiritually?
Nothing can come about except by God’s hand. God had control in the past and, regardless of how things look now, He is still in control. But it’s okay to speak frankly to God in times of trial, and to seek His grace and strength to get through it.
Three points I’d like to make: First, is this is one of 55 psalms that are addressed to a “Chief Musician.” Habakkuk 3:19 also references the man who held this position. So this “Chief Musician” must be a “position” rather than an individual, since he’s referenced through a long span of time. Second, this psalm is one of 11 psalms that are “to the sons of Korah.” Third, this psalm is one of 13 psalms that – at the beginning of the psalm – tell you that it is a “Maschil” which may mean a well-written song.
A point in this psalm is God performed mighty deeds in ancient times for Israel – not because they were great – but because he favored them. And that’s the case for Christians. The only way we will prevail on a spiritual level is if God decides to favor us. And any success we have won’t be by our own devices – but by his strength at work.
Thou has handed us over like sheep to be eaten and has scattered us among the nations. This statement, makes me wonder if this psalm was written during the Babylonian exile when Israel was scattered among the heathen. Yet, since the psalmist mentioned the presence of “armies” of Israel, the setting is probably not the Babylonian exile. Israel didn’t have armies then. This psalm must have occurred before the exile to Babylon – after the conquering of Canaan. It could have happened under the reign of any of the wicked kings of either northern Israel or southern Judah. God would have been displeased with his people and allowed enemies to come in and take things and people captive. Yet, later in this psalm it indicates that the people weren’t being scattered and chastened for their own sin. So, many have struggled to pinpoint the background to this psalm.
Have you experienced something similar to what this psalmist experienced? Has your family recently fallen on hard times – even though in past times God has been gracious? Are you experiencing defeat in your life? It may be for the Lord’s sake. Just like Job and this psalmist, we don’t know why that happens. We cannot fathom God’s plans. His ways are higher than ours. When we experience trials and defeat this may be just as much of God’s plan as giving us success.
Note that the psalmist expresses how he feels – but it’s not literal reality. Does God sleep? No. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. Does God reject or cast off his people? No. He will never leave or forsake us. Does God hide his face or forget his people’s affliction? No. Yet, this is how the psalmist feels. We all know that God’s power is awesome. God is very patient with our weakness. Even if we feel God has forsaken us, remember he has not. God is not done with us yet. He is still with us and working in us. Let’s call on him to do wonders among us and rest in the fact that nothing can separate us from his love.
My Reflections:
My pastor used the following story to illustrate the point that no matter what happens in our life, God is at work. Whether we think things look good or bad, we need to remember God sees the big picture and is working everything out for our good, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the time.
One day, an old farmer was working in his field with his only horse. But the horse got loose and ran away to the mountains. The farmer’s neighbors said, “What a shame. Now your only horse is gone. How unfortunate you are! You must be very sad. How will you live, work the land, and prosper?” The farmer replied: “Who can tell whether it’s good or bad.” (my reflection: we sometimes quote from the bible passage “all things work together for good” or Job might say “am I to accept only the good things from God and not the bad?” In the end, do we really know what is good or bad for us. We con’t judge. We don’t see the big picture or have the perspective God does.)
Two days later the horse returned. But he came back with twelve horses which had followed him to the corral. Word got out in the village of the farmer’s good fortune and people stopped by to congratulate him on his good luck. “How fortunate you are!” they exclaimed. You must be very happy!” Again, the farmer softly said, “Who can tell whether it is good or bad.”
The next morning, the farmer’s only son set began to try to train the new wild horses, but the son was thrown to the ground and broke his leg. One villagers came by and remarked “Oh, what a tragedy! Your son can’t help you farm with a broken leg. You’ll have to do all the work yourself, How will you survive? You must be very sad.” The farmer answered, “Who can tell whether it is good or bad.”
Several days later a war broke out. The Emperor’s men arrived in the village demanding that young men come with them to be conscripted into the Emperor’s army. The farmer’s son was deemed unfit because of his broken leg. “What very good fortune you have!!” the villagers exclaimed as their own young sons were marched away. “You must be very happy.” “Who can tell whether it is good or bad,” replied the farmer as he headed off to work his field alone.
As time went on the broken leg healed but the son was left with a slight limp. Again the neighbors came by saying “Oh what bad luck.” But the farmer simply replied; “Who can tell whether it is good or bad/”
As it turned out the other young village boys had died in the war and the farmer and his son were the only able bodied men capable of working the village lands. The farmer became wealthy and was very generous to the villagers. They said: “Oh how fortunate we are, you must be very happy”, to which the farmer replied, (you fill in the rest!)
When things happen that I think are terrible I know that God is aware of my situation. I realize he is not punishing me. I haven’t lost my standing as God’s beloved child. I’m always aware God loves me, has my back, sees my tears and is at work even if it doesn’t seem that way. But unlike that farmer in the story, even if I recognize this—I’m more like the psalmist who cries out to God with many tears! Still this story is good because it helps me reflect that even when things happen that we believe are the end of the world for us, God has a plan. I may see something as bad but God sees the big picture. God sees all and knows all. He is in total control and he is a good and loving God. So I feel free to cry out to God and express how I feel. But I always know in back of my mind that God is working things out and nothing can separate me from God’s love for me. He’s in control of what looks like an out of control situation and that brings me great comfort in those trials.
I can’t always judge what is good for me and what is bad for me. I’ve heard of people missing an airplane flight when they are trying to get somewhere important. At the time they feel that’s a terrible thing. Then the flight crashes and they realize how lucky they were to have missed that flight. There are similar stories I’ve heard. Once a pastor’s house burned down with everything in it. She shared with us that it was the most blessed day of her life, even though at the time it seemed like the end of the world. She came to realize how much value she had put on material things. And when everything was gone, what truly mattered most was still left: her family, her friends, her faith in God, her church. These are what were truly most important to her and those were still there. What an amazing testimony! She said it was a lesson in life she was happy to learn and it strengthened her and made her a better pastor.