Psalm 44

A Prayer for God to Remember And Rescue

This psalm is also attributed to the sons of Korah (see notes from Psalm 42). 

Some scholars believe David wrote these psalms for the sons of Korah to perform. Others believe the sons of Korah composed them. There is great similarity between the content of these psalms and the ones David wrote.              - Thomas Constable

The psalmist acknowledges God’s provision in the past but laments His perceived absence in the present. Psalm 43 is both a prayer of praise and a plea for protection. 

Past Defense

Vs. 1 - God, we have heard with our ears—our ancestors have told us—the work you accomplished in their days, in days long ago

Vs. 2-3 - In order to plant them, you displaced the nations by your hand; in order to settle them, you brought disaster on the peoples.  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.

The psalmist acknowledges that all of Israel’s past protection and provision was providential.  God had chosen them, guided them, and continuously fought their battles. 

At this point we would expect the psalm to be a thanksgiving psalm, a praise psalm, or a psalm of confidence. (Boice) The first word of Psalm 44:9 will change the tone completely. (Guzik)

Present Defeat

You Have Rejected

Vs. 9 - But you have rejected and humiliated us; you do not march out with our armies.

The song makes a dramatic pivot here from praise to a plea for help.  We are not told the exact events that the psalmist describes, only that Israel is under some enemy attack that had left the writer feeling defeated and defenseless.  He used strong and vivid language to express his perplexity and what he viewed as abandonment. Why would God have defended His people so miraculously in the past while leaving them so vulnerable in the present? 

We Have Not Forgotten

Vs. 17 - All this has happened to us, but we have not forgotten you or betrayed your covenant.

The psalmist received a gift from his fathers – telling of God’s great work in the past. There was a price for that gift; it made the psalmist dissatisfied with any sense that God wasn’t doing the same works in his own day. Therefore he prayed that God command victories for Jacob in the present day, as well as in the stories of the past.     

We might call this an honest, anti-penitential psalm. Several psalms are deep with a sense of personal sinfulness and contrition. In Psalm 44, we sense the psalmist honestly (and not self-righteously) makes the case that their present distress was not due to unaddressed sin or rebellion.          - David Guzik 

What makes the insults hard to bear is that the people can see no reason why God has allowed this calamity to befall them. They do not feel as if they have forgotten God or been unfaithful to him. If they had worshiped foreign gods they could understand such severe divine punishment, but they can see nothing at all of which they have been guilty.         - Don Fleming

Prayer for Deliverance

Vs. 23 - Wake up, Lord! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don’t reject us forever!

Vs. 26 - Rise up! Help us! Redeem us because of your faithful love.

The psalmist cried out to God to act for His people. He pictured God as asleep and in need of arousing. Yahweh could not be angry because His people had not sinned by turning to another god. Israel had come to the end of her rope and was almost dead. Since Yahweh had pledged to protect His people, the writer concluded with an appeal to His loyal love.              - Thomas Constable 

The psalmist did not understand the reason for his people’s suffering, but he made his final appeal for help based upon the covenantal love of God.