Psalm 44

Illus: Undeserved Suffering—innocent people dying (natural disaster, ISIS, the Holocaust)

From an individual's struggles in we now turn to a corporate Psalm and the struggles facing the nation of Israel.

The question lingers...Where is God? Is He asleep?

1. 44:1-8 Praise for God's deliverance in the past.

begins as if the author has just read .

1-3

From "I remember" to "We Remember" Salvation History. Exodus--Joshua

We have heard--? and etc made it clear that salvation history was to be passed down. So that the coming generations would know what God has done.

Deuteronomy 4:9 ESV

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—

--King was supposed to make a copy of the law and read and teach it to the people. David in his Psalms is fulfilling this and so is Solomon in Proverbs.

Job 42:2–5 ESV

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;

,

Even in the NT period we are still dependent on the testimony of Jesus and the apostles.

Plant--Edenic imagery for Israel. God planted a Garden.

Genesis 2:8 ESV

And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:8

Joshua--Conquest was by God not by man. One of the greatest testimonies we have is the nation of Israel--the Exodus and the conquest.

12 spies. Rahab.

History is filled with divine Grace. Our God is a God full of grace and mercy, slow to anger and full of justice.

It was not by their swords. It was because God's favor--His Love--was on Israel.

Deuteronomy 4:37–38 ESV

And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day,

Freeing to know that God is not bound by our actions. He is free. Moses "I am who I am" I will be who I will be--I cannot be manipulated, even by Moses.

Freeing to know that God is not bound by our actions. He is free. Moses "I am who I am" I will be who I will be--I cannot be manipulated, even by Moses.

4-8

4-8

The community is following the instructions of and put their hope in the Lord by remembering what He has done.

Singular Voice: King or leader, leading his people to recognize the absolute dependence of kings on the mercy of God.

The King and the people acknowledge that it was God who drove away the nations. Joshua was commanded in

Joshua 1:9 ESV

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

2. 44:9-22 Questioning of present circumstances.

9-16

Radical shift in tone in verse 9. A strong "BUT NOW" Rejection. Defeat. Humiliation. Severe destruction, societal dislocation, and even deportation has happened.

Severe destruction, societal dislocation, and even deportation has happened.

Who was in charge of these things? God. This is a high view of God. He is not weak and unable to save them...but He is silent towards them.

It is too much to bear. The words of lament pile up like flowers marking a place where a love one has died. And now the enemy (Assyria or Babylon--major/but also lesser enemies like Edom ).

17-22

17-22

Joshua--Judges. Obey=peace, apostasy=chaos-->repentance-->Judge-->salvation. Repeat.

Joshua--2 Kings recounts the history of Israel as to how they obeyed or disobeyed Deuteronomy. and /28 prepare us for this. In fact the whole OT is predicted in those chapters.

The community of protests innocence of any guilt that would have justified their punishment.

The people are not deceived they know if they had breached the covenant with God then this would have been worthy.

Job like subpoena for God to testify.

22--key To be the people of God entails undeserved suffering. That is the core what Israel is saying in verse 22. We are innocent, faithful to you alone, and yet we are becoming martyrs for your sake. "Because of you"

Job 13:15 ESV

Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.

Job is not ultimately a book about the reason for the suffering of the righteous. The deeper question underlining the book "Is a God who allows the righteous to suffer worthy of continued loyalty and worship?" And the end of Job answer that question with a resounding...yes.

Paul quotes verse 22 in

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. 44:23-26 Prayer for deliverance.

The people want God to bring this period of rejection to an end. That want God to remember and be active.

The enemies has cause Israel to cling to the ground a reference to "from the dust" and to the dust you shall return.

Israel calls God to respond with the covenantal love that they have known.

While willing to accept the mystery of righteous suffering, they are not without hope that God will ultimately set things right. This hope displays a conviction that God's final purpose is a restored creation in which righteousness receives blessings and and not cursing.

Already-not-yet reality in the coming of Christ--we still long for His return and for His Kingdom to be realized completely.