Psalm 44

This weekend is pretty big for myself and Julie. We are heading to Owen Sound for a "candidating weekend" regarding a youth pastor position at the Owen Sound Alliance Church. I'm really looking forward to it, and would appreciate any and everyone's prayers. I've been working on a devotional for the youth on Sunday morning and through the leading of the Holy Spirit I've landed on Psalm 44. Honestly it's a beautiful Psalm, written for the director of music of the Sons of Korah. It's incredible how much you can learn from one Psalm, and how much story surrounds one Psalm. Just for fun I've posted my devotional notes.

Devotional Notes:

Background Info

The opening of Psalm 44 says “For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil (this meant a psalm that teaches you something).

Korah was the great-grandson of Levi who was one of the sons of Jacob. The Levites had been set apart to minister in the tabernacle (the place God dwelt) but Korah didn’t think it was fair, he wanted the role of the priest. Korah was killed because of his disobedience (the earth split open and swallowed him, Numbers 16-1-35.) His sons didn’t follow his ways and lived. Korah’s decedent’s job was to direct music in the tabernacle, and then when the Temple was built by Solomon they served in the Temple. They led the worship services, instrumental and vocal praise. They had a book of songs and liturgy that they lead from. This psalm 44 has been taken from their book. In the book many Psalms would have been written by David, but most scholars say this Psalm doesn’t have the David ring to it, so it was probably written by an Patriotic Israelite experiencing war.

It is fairly certain that this Psalm was written during Kingdom of Judah. This Kingdom began in 930 BC and ended in 586 BC. It was formed after King Saul died, and was ruled by King David. Vs 17 says, they had not forgot God’s covenant. Judah as a nation did not break God’s covenant until late in its history. We know according to Chronicles that these decedents of Korah, would have had to organize and lead a total of 288 singers, and 4000 musicians in the Temple. Each week consisted of a different group of 12 singers and 160+ musicians.

The Psalm has four parts

1. The first reminds God of His past favours 2-9.

The Mosaic Law required the Israelites to teach their children their history, about how God had spoken and delivered them. There’s a cool verse in Deuteronomy 11:19 which says “teach them to your children, talking about them whey you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up”. The Psalm declares that it was God who gave them their promise land, not their power.

2. The second describes the disgrace and defeat they are experiencing on account of Him 10-17

Many of the Israelite armies had to retreat, they were taken captive in other lands, Israel had been defeated quite easily, seemed like they had had no help. These enemies could have been the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, Edomites, Ammonites, the Amalekites, Canaanites. We aren’t certain, whomever they were they were pagan, not God fearing.

3. The third shows how the people are not aware of the reasoning behind this situation, they haven’t sinned to deserve this 18-23,

The people are confused at the situation.

4. The forth deals with the struggle to be God’s people in His silence, yet they continue to pray 24-26.

Wierd stuff in the Psalm

Was God really sleeping?
Derision (the Hebrew word is keh-les, meaning laughing stock)
Pittance (the Hebrew word is poo-reem, meaning a broken piece, or nothing)
Byword (the Hebrew word is maw-shawl, meaning a simile) The name Jew had come to mean misery.

What does this Psalm mean for us?

• Do you wine when things aren’t going your way?
• Do you think that just because your living for God all’s supposed to be well?
• Do you ever wonder why things seem to be harder for you now then they were for me or your parents?
• What’s going be your response? Who will you seek for help?
• Is your love for God conditional upon what He does for you, upon how good your life is?
• Do you ever feel like this Psalmist, crushed by God, disgraced, made fun of because of your relationship with God?
• Does it ever seem unfair, you go to church, pray, read the Bible, your nice to people, you don’t do stupid stuff, and yet you face burdens, trials, troubles.
• Things aren’t easy! Does it ever feel like God’s just sleeping?
• What if things don’t get better? What if life just keeps getting harder? Then what?
• Have you set an alarm for God to wake up, and if He doesn’t do something, will you still praise Him?
• It’s okay to tell God about how your really feeling.
• It’s okay, in fact He wants you to be honest.
  

The challenge:

Write out a prayer or a song to God, telling Him honestly how you feel about what is happening in your life. Learn to respond to tuff situations like the Psalmist, and as the thousands of Israelites did when they sung this Psalm to God.