Psalm 44
Few preachers choose to preach from Psalm 44. It is covered only by those who set out to preach through the whole book. Topical preachers and hopscotch preachers skip it. It is too difficult.
Not only is the topic difficult, but the difficulties raised are not resolved. That may be realistic in terms of how life really works, but we do not like it. We like order. We like difficulties resolved. It is not realistic to expect every difficulty to be resolved, but it is the way we like things to be.
Structure
Not only is the topic difficult, but the structure is rather complex.
The speaking in this psalm alternates between an individual and a chorus of people.1 At times this can be seen in the pronouns used. We will present the text as we judge the alternation to be – with the words of the individual in italic type and the words of the group in regular type.
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. 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!
Analysis
The people of God have been defeated in battle and they do not believe they have done wrong to deserve the defeat. Why has God allowed them to be defeated?
Let us consider three possible responses to an unjust defeat before looking at how this psalm responds.
First, we must realise that the general truth that God will bless the righteous with victory is not an absolute truth. This is made plain in passages like Deuteronomy 28. The entire Book of Job struggles with this reality. And certainly Christians should be able to look at the life of Jesus and realise that unjust defeat will take place at times on this earth.
Second, the belief that we are innocent may frequently be a mistaken belief. We personally may have guilt of which we are not aware. That possibility is presented in many places (Matt 27:24; 1 Cor 4:4 would be examples). Then there is the possibility of some kind of communal sin, what we call “structural injustice” in modern times. We see the possibility of communal responsibility in Joshua chapter seven (with regard to Achan’s sin).
The Bible, and the New Testament especially, teaches us that we must never claim to be innocent in God’s sight (Psalm 143:2; Romans 3: esp 23). So the innocence expressed in verses 17 to 22 is, at best, only relative innocence. They perceive of themselves as innocent, but that perception is at least to some extent a mistaken one.
Third, the idea that victory for the righteous is always best might be mistaken.
- It was best for Joseph, and for the whole family, that he be treated unjustly. His unjust suffering led to his exaltation as ruler of Egypt; and it saved the whole family.
- The defeat of Josiah in battle (2 Kings 23) allowed him to go to his grave in peace, not having seen the destruction the Babylonians would bring on his sinful kingdom (cf Isa 57:1-2).
- And Jesus is the supreme example for Christians. No one was more righteous than he. No one endured such unjust suffering. Yet it was all for the good in the end.
Other scriptures offer partial explanations. But no explanation is given here in this Psalm. The king has no explanation for his people. But what he does have is a plea to offer to his God. A plea that is itself, to an extent, an admission that not all is right with the kingdom. He says “Redeem us,” which is effectively an admission of wrong. He bases his pleas on God’s “steadfast love,” not on a claim of absolute innocence.
May we, when we are defeated and when we cannot understand why, have faith enough to appeal to God to forgive, to redeem even those wrongs of which we are not aware.
May we have faith to appeal to him based on his love rather than on our supposed worthiness.
Yes, things may look bleak at times, but the Lord who gave his Son for us has not and will not abandon us.
1 We will assume the individual was the king but it could have been a priest or a prophet. We will assume that the group was the whole nation, although it could have been the army.
Eswatini