Episode Transcript
Psalm 44 (NIV)
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.
...
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.
CONSIDER THIS
Today’s post is from A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. He holds the Methodist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School and served as president of Asbury Theological Seminary for fifteen years. She is a gifted musician and was one of the driving forces that helped bring to fruition the Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. We will share some of their writing on the Psalms on Sundays.
This psalm begins with the robust strength found when we remember God’s past acts of faithfulness: “We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago” (v. 1). The psalm goes on, in particular, to recall the way God went before them in the conquest of the Promised Land (vv. 2–8). Then there is the word inserted into the text that we often overlook. It is the word selah. While we do not know precisely how to translate the word, it is generally understood to be a pause or a reflective break in the music before the song continues.
This pause, or selah, is crucial because it is here that the psalmist stops and fully accepts the fact that the past experience of the people of God does not seem to line up with his own experience. Verse 9 marks a stark change in tone, introduced by the word “but.” But we are now “rejected and humbled.” We have “retreat[ed] before the enemy” (v. 10) and been “devoured like sheep” (v. 11). We are in “disgrace” and are “covered with shame” (v. 15). In short, our experience seems to be nothing like those grand days of the past, when the Red Sea was parting, God was speaking from Mount Sinai, the walls of Jericho were falling, and we were routing our enemies. The psalmist is even so blunt as to say that in his experience (in contrast to the past), God seems to be asleep (v. 23). The psalm doesn’t end on any high note, where God finally breaks through the silence and rescues his people. It ends in the dust, clinging to the ground and crying out for God to rise up and help.
Have you ever felt like this? Miracles and divine intervention seem to be the experience of those people who lived back in the days of the Bible. There are times when we feel as if nothing is going right and our prayers are unanswered. Our faith is withering, and we just want to give up. Sometimes, this is exactly where we need to be. Even Christ experienced this during his passion. Because, in the end, our faith is not based on what we see or experience, but on God himself. Even when our own faith collapses, God carries us and becomes our strength. In fact, this is the insight given at the end of Psalm 44. Even though he is experiencing none of the deliverance he has been praying for, the psalm closes with a prayer of hope “because of your unfailing love” (v. 26). It is God’s unfailing, covenantal love that, in the end, redeems us. It is not our experiences, our feelings, or even our strong faith. It is God alone who saves and redeems his people.
This is precisely the application of this psalm that the apostle Paul makes in Romans 8:36. He quotes verse 22 of this psalm: “Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” This was Paul’s experience. He is asking in this passage if anything can separate us from God’s love. And like Psalm 44, he concludes by declaring that our deliverance is based on the deep reality that nothing can separate us from God’s love. We may be suffering in the present because there are so many things we need to be taught, but we are sustained by knowing that nothing can “separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).
For the Awakening,
Timothy and Julie Tennent
THE HYMN
Sing Psalm 44 with the Seedbed Psalter today. We suggest the tune FOUNDATION ("How Firm a Foundation") for vv. 1–16, which you can hear online played by Julie here. We'll switch to "My Jesus, I Love Thee" for vv. 17–26. For your convenience, the words from the Psalter are printed below.
1 O God, we have heard what our fathers have told,
What You did in their days, days glorious of old.
2 With Your hand You drove out the nations and gave
our fathers their land; crushed all foes in the grave.
3 It was not by sword that they took all the land,
Their arm brought no vict’ry—it was by Your hand;
Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face;
You loved them so truly, and showed them Your grace.
4 For You are my God, and You are my great King;
And vict’ries for Jacob You plan and You bring.
5 Through You all our enemies we can depose;
Through Your name we trample on all of our foes.
6 I trust not my bow or my sword for my fame,
7 For You give the vict’ry; put our foes to shame.
8 In God we will boast throughout all the day long;
We’ll give praise to Your name forever in song. Selah
9 But now You’ve rejected and humbled us too;
You no longer go out when our armies do.
10 You made us retreat, as the enemy closed,
And we have been plundered by vi-o-lent foes.
11 You’ve given us up; we’re devoured like sheep;
You’ve scattered us; among the nations we weep.
12 You sold us, Your people, and nothing did gain;
You gave up Your people for others to reign.
13 We’re now a reproach to our neighbors and friends;
The scorn and derision of them never ends.
14 You’ve made us a byword among nations all;
They shake their heads at us, and mockingly call.
15 Disgrace is before me throughout all the day;
My face must be covered; shame won’t go away.
16 They taunt and revile me; reproach never ends,
Because of my foes who are bent on revenge.
17 Now all this has happened, though we had been true;
We broke not Your cov’nant; did not forget You.
18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed;
19 You crushed us in darkness; a jackal’s haunt made.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,
Or spread out our hands to a false, foreign god—
21 Would God not have seen it, since He knows our heart?
22 For Your sake we face death, like sheep torn apart.
23 Awake, Lord! Why sleep? Don’t reject us again.
24 Why hide Your face, forgetting our oppression?
25 We’re brought down to dust, our life’s flung to the ground.
26 Rise up now and help us! Let Your love abound!
