Psalm 44 For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.
1 God, we have heard with our ears—our ancestors have told us—the work you accomplished in their days, in days long ago: 2 In order to plant them, you displaced the nations by your hand; in order to settle them, you brought disaster on the peoples. 3 For they did not take the land by their sword—their arm did not bring them victory—but by your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable toward them.
4 You are my King, my God, who ordains victories for Jacob. 5 Through you we drive back our foes; through your name we trample our enemies. 6 For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring me victory. 7 But you give us victory over our foes and let those who hate us be disgraced. 8 We boast in God all day long; we will praise your name forever. Selah
9 But you have rejected and humiliated us; you do not march out with our armies. 10 You make us retreat from the foe, and those who hate us have taken plunder for themselves. 11 You hand us over to be eaten like sheep and scatter us among the nations. 12 You sell your people for nothing; you make no profit from selling them. 13 You make us an object of reproach to our neighbors, a source of mockery and ridicule to those around us. 14 You make us a joke among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. 15 My disgrace is before me all day long, and shame has covered my face, 16 because of the taunts of the scorner and reviler, because of the enemy and avenger.
17 All this has happened to us, but we have not forgotten you or betrayed your covenant. 18 Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from your path. 19 But you have crushed us in a haunt of jackal sand have covered us with deepest darkness. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God and spread out our hands to a foreign god, 21 wouldn’t God have found this out, since he knows the secrets of the heart? 22 Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Wake up, Lord! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don’t reject us forever! 24 Why do you hide and forget our affliction and oppression? 25 For we have sunk down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. 26 Rise up! Help us! Redeem us because of your faithful love.
Psalm 44 boldly questions the Lord to awaken and asks why He seems dormant. The psalmist doesn't shy away from expressing apparent accusations toward God, claiming rejection, disgrace, and being sold cheaply (Psa. 44:9, 11, 12). How do we approach such challenging psalms? Should our relationship with God also embody such boldness?
However, we must see that these accusations are not baseless. The psalmist begins by acknowledging the stories of God's past faithfulness passed down through generations, of victories in battles and God's favor upon His people. Yet, now the psalmist faces a different reality. Why has Israel become a subject of mockery and scorn among neighboring nations (Psa. 44:13)?
In the midst of grappling with his experiences, the psalmist clings to his knowledge of God's will. He appeals to God's faithfulness, love, and reputation among nations. This mirrors our own struggles with evil, grief, and the apparent silence of God in the world.
However, amidst confusion, trust in God remains imperative. Despite bold questioning, the psalmist affirms, "In God, we boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever" (Psa. 44:8). Even at the conclusion of the psalm, he beseeches God for help, grounded in His steadfast love: "Rise up! Come to our aid. Redeem us because of your unfailing love" (Psa. 44:26).
God's redemption stems from His unwavering love, and He is continually active, even when His presence seems elusive. Colossians 1 urges gratitude toward the Father who rescued us from darkness and ushered us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. It emphasizes that everything in heaven and on earth was created through Him and is sustained by Him, reconciling all things to Himself through the peace secured by the blood of His cross (Col. 1:12–20).