LHC Midday Word: PSALM Forty Four

For the director of music.

Of the Sons of Korah.

A maskil.

We have heard it with our ears, O God;

our ancestors have told us

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.

With your hand you drove out the nations

and planted our ancestors;

you crushed the peoples

and made our ancestors flourish.

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.

You are my King and my God,

who decrees victories for Jacob.

Through you we push back our enemies;

through your name we trample our foes.

I put no trust in my bow,

my sword does not bring me victory;

but you give us victory over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.

In God we make our boast all day long,

and we will praise your name for ever.

But now you have rejected and humbled us;

you no longer go out with our armies.

You made us retreat before the enemy,

and our adversaries have plundered us.

You gave us up to be devoured like sheep

and have scattered us among the nations.

You sold your people for a pittance,

gaining nothing from their sale.

You have made us a reproach to our neighbours,

the scorn and derision of those around us.

You have made us a byword among the nations;

the peoples shake their heads at us.

I live in disgrace all day long,

and my face is covered with shame

at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,

because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

All this came upon us,

though we had not forgotten you;

we had not been false to your covenant.

Our hearts had not turned back;

our feet had not strayed from your path.

But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;

you covered us over with deep darkness.

If we had forgotten the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

would not God have discovered it,

since he knows the secrets of the heart?

Yet for your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?

Rouse yourself! Do not reject us for ever.

Why do you hide your face

and forget our misery and oppression?

We are brought down to the dust;

our bodies cling to the ground.

Rise up and help us;

rescue us because of your unfailing love.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Psalm 44 : “victories” (v.4)

Over the past two days we’ve seen how inner conflict is faced and defeated through trust in the Lord. This psalm starts with a recollection of past triumphs gained by the preceding generations: “we have heard … our fathers have told us what you did in their days … long ago … not by their sword … it was your right hand” (vv.1-3).

Second-hand information isn’t enough. One has got to say in one’s own ex-perience, “you are my King … who decrees [i.e. commands] victories” (v.4). Note the plural – his help isn’t just a one-off.

Believers are designed to be routine over-comers (see Revelation 2 & 3). U2!

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READING

Psalm Forty Four

Read by David Suchet