Timeless Biblical Truth.
In difficult and painful times when God seems indifferent, believers may find hope in His love.
- Confidence in God: In difficult and painful situations believers may restore their faith in God by publicly confessing what He has done both in the nation’s past and in their own lifetime (1-8).
- Believers should publicly confess how God gave His people victory in the past (1-3).
- Believers should publicly confess how God gave them victory and inspired their faith (4-8).
- Complaint: motivation for the LORD to respond: In difficult and painful times believers may complain to God because their situation brings reproach to them and their faith (9-16).
- Believers may complain of their devastating defeat when God’s presence is not manifested (9-12).
- Believers may complain of their humiliation when their unbelieving enemies mocked them (13-16).
- Protest of Innocence: In difficult and painful times believers must examine their lives to be sure of their innocence (17-22).
- If believers have been loyal to God, they may protest their innocence (17-19).
- Believers can protest their innocence because God did not accuse them of sin (20-21).
- Believers may find that they are killed by their enemies as a sacrifice for the LORD’S sake (22).
- Petition for Victory: In difficult and painful times believers may appeal to God’s covenantal loyalty when they pray to Him for deliverance (23-26).
- Believers, in their innocence, may plead with God not to ignore them in their affliction (23-24).
- Believers may plead with God to deliver them because of His unfailing loyalty to His covenant with theme (25-26).
Questions for Second Milers
- What does the psalmist say about (a) God’s dealings in the past on behalf of His people, and (b) His relationship with them?
- Despite God’s past involvement with His people, what seems to be the situation in the present? How has this situation made them feel toward God?
- Does the psalmist explain how they became estranged from God?
- How do you react to apparently undeserved suffering? To the suffering of others?
- What solution or explanation does the psalmist give for the suffering of believers?
- What can this psalm teach us to do when it seems as if God has deserted us? Cf. Isa 50:10; Lk18:1.
- Give your own short title to this psalm.
An Interesting Parallel
Psalm 44:22 is quoted by Paul in Romans 8:36. It appears that Paul remembers this psalm and uses its main theme in his famous passage of spiritual victory (8:18-39). Note the similar pattern between Romans 8 and Psalm 44.
I. Confidence in God: The believer’s suffering does not compare with his hope of glory (Rom 8:8-21 and 28-30).
II. Complaint: Believers will suffer in this life and will be slaughtered like sheep all day long (Rom 8:22-25, and 36 which quotes Psalm 44:22).
III. Protest of Innocence: If believers deserved suffering (because of their sin), God would certainly bring a charge against them; but He does not because He has justified us (i.e., declared the believer innocent; Rom 8:31-34).
IV. Prayer for Victory: Believers often do not know how to pray (Rom 8:26-27), but they know that nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:35-39).
Lanny Tanton is the Pastor at The Bible Church of the Lakes in Horseshoe Bay, Texas – just outside of Marble Falls. Pastor Tanton welcomes you to our website and hopes that you’ll enjoy reading these insightful blog posts. Please contact us if you have further questions!!
