Psalms 44

Psalms 44THEME: Israel’s cry during the Great TribulationWe come now to another maschil psalm, a psalm of instruction, and it is from the sons of Korah. Although it is impossible to determine the historical condition in Israel that called forth this prayer, we do know the prophetic interpretation. This will be the final experience of the faithful remnant of Israel before their Messiah returns to deliver them.

Psalms 44:1

Gideon said the same thing. “And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” (Jdg_6:13). In that day of trouble, just when God is on the verge of delivering them again, Israel will refer to God’s help in the past. God has intruded in history before, and He will do it again.

Psalms 44:2

This refers to the time of Moses and Joshua. God evicted the inhabitants of Canaan because of their gross sin and planted His chosen people there.

Psalms 44:3

It was God who gave the land to the children of Israel. They did not capture it because of their own strength or cleverness. For our personal application, “Thy right hand” is the mighty bared arm of God in salvation, revealed nineteen hundred years ago at the cross. Then listen to his heart cry that comes from him:

Psalms 44:4

I hope you understand that “Jacob” is the man Jacob, and Jacob became the nation of Israel. When he cries, “Thou art my King, O God,” he is talking about Israel’s King. Our Lord Jesus is Israel’s King, and He will return to deliver His suffering people. Of course there is application for us, but let’s keep the psalms in correct perspective so that they will be more meaningful to us.

Psalms 44:5

In that day of tribulation the godly remnant is going to ask for revenge. They will be under Law, and they will have a right to do that. Today we are to pray for those who deceitfully use us; we are told even to love our enemies. That is a very difficult thing to do, but we can turn our enemies over to the Lord. We are not to avenge ourselves because the Lord says, “…Vengeance is mine; I will repay …” (Rom_12:19). There are many people we should turn over to the Lord, not only for salvation, but for reasons of vengeance. I am not talking about people who have caused us some personal grievance, but those who are trying to hinder the giving out of the Word of God. It is a terrible thing to try to blacken the name of a man or woman who stands for the things of God.

You should be careful before you criticize your pastor. Make sure your facts are true. To some people a pastor represents God’s cause on earth. They will judge God largely by what he says. If you discredit him, you discredit God in their eyes. I think this is why many young people have turned away from the Bible and the church.

Many of them have grown up in Christian homes, and their parents have served “roast preacher” each Sunday. It is wrong to discredit a man who is giving out the Word of God. If things seem to be wrong, we should ask God to intervene rather than to try to take matters into our own hands. Israel is in deep trouble. The enemy is raging against them; that “little horn” that Daniel mentioned “…shall wear out the saints of the Most High …” (Dan_7:25). These are Jewish saints, and Antichrist makes war against them to overcome them. They are warned not to fight back. They refuse the mark of the beast, and they are killed in large numbers. In their distress they cry out to God. I think this will be the darkest moment in the history of the world.

Psalms 44:22

This verse is not a picture of the church right now, would you say? There are many believers suffering for Christ’s sake; but by and large, the church is not under persecution. However, the remnant of Israel will be persecuted; and it is the remnant that is in view here. I want to keep that clear.

Psalms 44:23

Here is a cry for God to wake up. Well, God is not asleep. It is in their desperation that the remnant cries out. During the time of the Maccabees, between the Old and New Testaments, the enemies of Israel came to the foreground. As far as the past is concerned, it was the time that Israel suffered more than at any other time in their history; but it will be nothing compared to the suffering they will endure during the Great Tribulation period. During the Maccabean period there was a group of priests called the “wakers.” They were the ones who cried out to God saying, “Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?” During this time people felt like God was asleep.

But John Hyrcanus, one of the great Maccabees, a high priest, put an end to this practice. He asked the people, “Does the Deity sleep? Hath not the Scripture said, ‘Behold, the keeper of Israel slumbereth and sleepeth not?’” You don’t have to ask God to wake up even though there are times when you feel like it. In that future day the remnant will feel that He is asleep and say, “Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?” When that day comes, God will not be asleep. He will be ready to move. He will not cast off His people forever.

Psalms 44:24

From the darkest moment in the history of this world comes a cry from the remnant for God to redeem them for His mercies’ sake. This is a plea for help and justice.