Over the last few weeks I have had several conversations about a lack of happiness in the state of our country and the voting options available. It feels like the country is in distress, and needs something drastic to change. Whether that is true economically is for another time; certainly we could do with some drastic social change driven by hearts turned to Christ.
Times of distress come on individuals (as we saw in Psalms 42 and 43), and they come on groups like countries and the Church. Psalm 44 is a corporate psalm, sung to God and asking him to step in again for his Covenant People. The psalm speaks of God’s past saving acts, weeps for present defeat, and calls on God as Warrior to save. Looking back to the Cross, we can see how God did answer that prayer in Jesus Christ, and will answer it for us when Jesus returns.
Psalm 44 is another psalm by the Sons of Korah. The psalm is written to express the feelings of a group, rather than the individual pain and longing in Psalms 42 and 43.
Psalm 44 begins by retelling God’s past saving acts which “you performed in their days”, which they had heard from their parents (v.1). God won great victories for their parents, driving out the nations while setting them free from bondage and planting them in the land (vv.2-3). While they may have fought, it was ultimately God’s “right hand and your arm” that won (v.3).
The psalmist identifies the God of past saving victories as his own God, who gives victories for them and in whom they place their trust (vv.4-8).
Sadly the crushing victories of the past are not what God’s People currently experience. They have experienced his rejection and disgrace (v.9), because God has “made us turn back from the foe” (v.10). They have been slaughtered and scattered, and sold into slavery at bargain basement prices (vv.11-12). They have suffered taunting and mockery from the surrounding nations, and become a laughingstock (vv.13-14).
This situation is clearly attributed to God’s rule and reign, rather than the surrounding nations. The People’s state is the cause of great distress and shame for the psalmist, especially when confronted with taunting and the vengeful acts of their enemies (vv.15-16).
To add to their distress, the psalmist proclaims that God’s People have not acted to deserve this suffering. They have “not been false to your covenant” (v.17) which would definitely bring down God’s curse for disobedience, nor have their “steps departed from your way” (v.18).
They do not deserve to be abandoned, or have the land turned into a wasteland where jackals roam or deprived of the light of life (v.19). God would know if they had forgotten him and started worshiping other idols, because “he knows the secrets of the heart” (vv.20-21). But despite their faithfulness, they are like sheep at the meatworks being slaughtered all day long (v.22).
Now comes the bold prayer. The psalmist shakes God like he is sleeping, asking God to “rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever” (v.23). The psalmist questions God’s withdrawal of his presence (hiding his face) and apparent failure to remember their present state of “affliction and oppression” (v.24-5).
The psalmist calls on God to “Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!” (v.26). He wants God to aid them in their distress, based on his own unfailing covenant love for his people rather than any special deeds they have performed (v.26).
In life, we often assume that good activity equals good outcome. Then real life hits us in the face. In broad strokes, the covenant which God made with Israel at Sinai operated similarly; blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. But Psalm 44 reminds us that a strict one-to-one relationship between our deeds and outcomes is not immediately guaranteed.
The psalmist and his people, despite their faithfulness to God and his commands, still underwent trials and difficulties, and times of distress. The answer is not to reject God but to place our hope in him, despite our current conditions. God’s past goodness and powerful deliverance shows that he is ready, willing, and able to intervene for our good.
From our vantage point, we see this most fully at the Cross. Jesus’ perfect life of obedience was met with suffering on the Cross, a sacrifice on our behalf. The Gospel reminds us that God has worked powerfully to deliver us from bondage to sin, and has defeated the grave. The prayer of the psalmist did find its truest and best answer – at the Cross.
And so, like the psalmist, we still go through troubles and trials which come upon us despite our following Christ. But in our distress, we should not give up hope. Jesus will return to finally defeat sin and death forever, and redeem us for the sake of his covenant love.
Jesus is God’s answer to our hopeful cry in distress.