RETURN TO
SYLLABUS
PSALMS 44
LESSON #03/P2
IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?
MEMORY VERSE: PSA 44:8
THE SUB-TITLE:
"TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN FOR THE SONS OF KORAH, MASCHIL"
SOME SEEM TO THINK THAT THE SONS OF KORAH WROTE THIS PSALM, WHILE OTHERS BELIEVE DAVID
WROTE IT FOR THE SONS OF KORAH TO PERFORM.
REMEMBER THAT THE WORD, "MASCHIL" MEANS = TEACHING, WISDOM, OR UNDERSTANDING.
READ PSA 44:1-8 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
OFTEN PSALMS WERE WRITTEN TO COMMEMORATE SOME IMPORTANT HISTORICAL EVENT. THAT IS TRUE
OF THIS PSALM. IT WAS WRITTEN AT THE TIME OF THE DEFEAT OF THE EDOMITES. (2SAM 8:13-15
1KIN 11:15-16)
A LOOK AT THE PAST: (1-3)
THE AUTHOR CONSIDERS HOW GOD MIRACULOUSLY GAVE THEM THE PROMISED LAND AND HELPED THEM
DEFEAT THEIR ENEMIES.
GOD’S RIGHT HAND:
THE RIGHT HAND IS CONSIDERED THE HAND OF POWER.
IN THE BIBLE GOD’S RIGHT HAND IS THE POWERFUL HAND OF GOD’S SALVATION.
A DECLARATION FOR THE PRESENT: (4)
"THOU ART MY KING, O GOD; COMMAND DELIVERANCES FOR JACOB"
THE NAME, JACOB, REFERS TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
REMEMBER THAT THE MAN, JACOB, WAS A DECEIVER BEFORE GOD GOT HOLD OF HIM. THEN GOD
CHANGED HIS NAME TO ISRAEL AND A NATION WAS BORN FROM HIM.
WHEN THE BIBLE CALLS THE NATION OF ISRAEL, JACOB, IT IS REFERRING TO A SINFUL NATION
THAT HAS FALLEN AWAY FROM GOD.
AT THE WRITING OF THIS PSALM, ISRAEL WAS PLAGUED WITH DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF THE
EDOMITES.
A HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: (5-8)
THE HOPE IS THAT GOD WILL INTERVENE IN THE AFFAIRS OF MAN AS HE DID IN THE PAST TO
DELIVER HIS PEOPLE OUT OF THE HAND OF THEIR ENEMIES.
A DETERMINED FAITH FOR FUTURE VICTORIES (6-8):
GOD WILL BE THEIR AMMUNITION AGAINST THE ENEMY (THE EDOMITES).
THE CHRISTIAN’S ENEMY IS SATAN AND HIS DEMONS.
GOD’S PEOPLE WILL BOAST IN GOD.
FAITH MEANS YOU ARE TRUSTING GOD FOR FUTURE VICTORY BASED ON GOD’S PAST REPUTATION.
THEREFORE, YOU CAN BRAG ABOUT GOD’S POWER AND LOVE THAT WILL PROTECT AND PROVIDE FOR
HIS CHILDREN.
THE WORD, "SELAH" (8):
AS MENTIONED IN OUR INTRODUCTION FOR OUR STUDY, THE WORD, "SELAH", IS VERY
IMPORTANT IN THE PSALMS. BECAUSE IT IS AN ENGLISH WORD THAT HAS NO MEANING FOR US, WE HAVE
A TENDENCY TO OVERLOOK IT.
HOWEVER, THE WORD, SELAH, HAS A BEAUTIFUL SIGNIFICANCE.
IN MUSICAL NOTATION THERE ARE MARKS TO TELL THE SINGERS AND THOSE PLAYING INSTRUMENTS
HOW THEY MUST PLAY AND SING THE MUSIC. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE NOTATIONS TO TELL A MUSICIAN
TO PLAY THE MUSIC FAST OR SLOW, SOFT OR LOUD. THEN THERE IS THE SELAH. IT IS A MUSICAL
REST. IT TELLS ALL THE SINGERS AND INSTRUMENTS TO STOP PLAYING AND STOP SINGING SO THAT
THERE IS A SHORT, PERFECT SILENCE.
THE AUTHORS OF THE PSALMS PUT IN THESE MUSICAL RESTS TO EMPHASIZE WHAT WAS PLAYED AND
SUNG JUST PRIOR TO THE REST. IT IS AS THOUGH YOU ARE LISTENING TO A PIECE OF MUSIC AND
HAVE JUST HEARD SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. YOU WANT TO STOP AND MEDITATE ON THIS
WONDERFUL THING YOU JUST HEARD BEFORE THE MUSIC CONTINUES ON TO OTHER THINGS. THAT IS THE
PURPOSE OF THE "SELAH".
WE WILL CONSIDER THEM AS AN EMPHASIS SO THAT WE STOP AND THINK ABOUT THE IMPORTANT
STATEMENT JUST PRIOR TO THE SELAH.
WITH THAT EXPLANATION OF THE WORD, SELAH, WE SEE THAT THE WONDERFUL STATEMENT MADE JUST
PRIOR TO IT IN THIS PSALM IS VERSE 8.
"In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever"
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS STATEMENT:
THE AUTHOR SAYS HE TAKES EVERY OPPORTUNITY DURING HIS DAY TO BRAG ABOUT GOD WITH ANYONE
WHO CROSSES HIS PATH.
IMMEDIATELY I ASK MYSELF, "WOW! DO I DO THIS?"
THE AUTHOR SAYS HE WILL BE PRAISING AND BRAGGING ABOUT GOD THROUGH ALL ETERNITY.
READ PSA 44:9-16 THE BLATANT REALITY OF CURRENT NEEDS:
BECAUSE OF THEIR DEFEATS AT THE HANDS OF THE EDOMITES, THE ISRAELITES THOUGHT GOD HAD
ABANDONED THEM. (9)
THE ISRAELITES WERE IN RETREAT WHILE THE ENEMY PURSUED TAKING SPOIL. (10)
THE ISRAELITES WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE PROMISED LAND WITH ENEMIES LIVING IN THEIR
MIDST. (11)
THIS WAS THEIR CONDITION THROUGH THE BOOK OF JUDGES AND INTO DAVID’S REIGN.
THE ISRAELITES COMPLAIN THAT THEY ARE SOLD FOR MONEY BUT THEY DON’T SEE ANY OF THE
PROFIT. (12)
GOD’S REPUTATION IS AT STAKE BECAUSE THE PAGAN NON-BELIEVERS AROUND THEM MARVEL
THAT THE ISRAELITE GOD IS POWERLESS TO PROTECT AND PROVIDE FOR HIS PEOPLE. IN FACT, IT HAS
BECOME A JOKE AMONG THE NON-BELIEVERS. (13-14)
THE AUTHOR IS CONFUSED AND ASHAMED TO BE AN ISRAELITE WORSHIPPING A POWERLESS GOD.
(15-16)
READ PSA 44:17-22 VINDICATION
THE AUTHOR SAYS THAT THE ISRAELITES HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN GOD AND FORSAKEN THEIR COVENANT.
(17-18)
THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE MAJORITY OF ISRAELITES DID FORGET GOD AND DID FORSAKE
THEIR COVENANT. THEY CONSTANTLY FELL INTO IDOLATRY AND DISOBEDIENCE. THEN, WHY DOES THE
AUTHOR SAY THEY ARE FAITHFUL?
IN THIS PASSAGE, THE AUTHOR IS SPEAKING FOR THE FAITHFUL MINORITY THAT TRUSTED GOD AND
KEPT HIS COVENANT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE FAITHFUL MINORITY SUFFER FOR THE SINS OF THE
NATIONAL MAJORITY. (19-22) SUCH IS ALWAYS THE CASE, AND IT WAS TRUE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE CRY OF THE FAITHFUL HEART IS THAT GOD WILL MAKE ALL THINGS RIGHT IN
THE END. AND SO HE DOES!
READ PSA 44:23-26 REPENTANCE AND PETITION
THE RIGHTEOUS MINORITY OF ISRAELITES REPENT FOR THE MAJORITY AND PETITION GOD TO HELP
THEM JUST AS HE DID IN THE PAST.
NOTICE THE CRY IS FOR REDEMPTION. (26)
REDEMPTION IS WHAT ISRAEL NEEDED WHEN THEY WERE SLAVES IN EGYPT.
GOD BOUGHT THEM WITH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB ON THE DOORPOST.
READ EXO 6:6
THE NEW TESTAMENT SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PSALM:
PAUL QUOTES PSA 44 IN TWO OF HIS LETTERS.
READ ROM 8:31-39
PAUL QUOTES PSA 44:22 IN ROM 8.36
READ 2COR 4:8-18
PAUL QUOTES PSA 44:11 IN 2COR 4.11
PAUL TELLS US THAT GOD NEVER ABANDONS HIS PEOPLE, EVEN WHEN IT MAY SEEM AS THOUGH GOD IS
ASLEEP WHEN HIS PEOPLE SUFFER.
PAUL TELLS US THAT NOTHING WILL SEPARATE US FROM GOD’S LOVE.
PAUL TELLS US THAT WE ARE THE CONQUERORS IN THE END.
PAUL TELLS US THAT ALL ISRAEL’S SUFFERING AND ALL OUR SUFFERING WILL PROFIT THE
KINGDOM OF GOD EVENTUALLY.
WHEN PAUL USES PSA 44 TO MAKE THESE POINTS, HE IS TELLING US THAT GOD DID NOT ABANDON
ISRAEL, HE NEVER WILL ABANDON ISRAEL, AND HE WILL NOT ABANDON THE BELIEVER IN JESUS
CHRIST.
THE PROPHETIC ASPECT OF THIS PSALM:
IN REFERENCE TO JESUS CHRIST:
BECAUSE PAUL USED THIS PSALM TO REFER TO JESUS SUFFERING THAT PROFITED GOD’S
KINGDOM WHEN GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, THIS PSALM IS ALSO PROPHETIC IN THAT IT
PREDICTS JESUS’ SUFFERING JUST AS ISA 53 PREDICTED IT.
READ ISA 53:7
IN REFERENCE TO THE TRIBULATION PERIOD:
DURING THE FUTURE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE JEWS WILL SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF THE
ANTI-CHRIST. HE WILL ENSLAVE THEM IN EGYPT ONCE AGAIN (DEU 28:64-68), AND THEY WILL CRY
OUT TO HIM FOR REDEMPTION. (11)
IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY, THEY SUFFERED BECAUSE OF THEIR IDOLATRY. HOWEVER, IN THE
TRIBULATION PERIOD, THEY WILL NOT SUFFER BECAUSE OF IDOLATRY. QUITE THE CONTRARY. THEY
WILL SUFFER BECAUSE THEY WILL REJECT THE WORSHIP OF THE ANTI-CHRIST WHO WILL PLACE HIS
IDOL IN THE JEWISH TEMPLE.
THE PURPOSE OF THEIR TRIBULATION SUFFERING WILL BE TO BRING THEM TO JESUS CHRIST AT THE
SECOND COMING. (ZEC 12:10)
BUT THEY, TOO, WILL BE MORE THAN CONQUERORS WHEN JESUS CHRIST RETURNS AT THE SECOND
COMING.
SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
THE SPECIFIC WISDOM THAT WE FIND IN THIS PSALM IS THAT WHICH IS MORE FULLY EXPLAINED BY
PAUL:
NOTHING SEPARATES GOD FROM HIS CHILDREN.
WHILE SUFFERING MAY SEEM DIFFICULT WHILE YOU ARE IN IT, GOD WILL SOMEHOW USE IT FOR HIS
GLORY AND FOR OUR GOOD.
THAT IS THE DEEP MYSTERY WE CAN’T FULLY GRASP, BUT WE CAN KNOW IT IS TRUE. IT IS
THE WISDOM THE AUTHOR OF PSA 44 DISCOVERED.
HOMEWORK
PSALMS 45
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR
CORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF PSA 44
WHAT SPECIFIC STATEMENT IN THE LESSON FOR PSA 44 WAS THE MOST ENCOURAGING TO YOU IN YOUR
PRESENT SITUATION? WHY?
WHEN YOU GET DISCOURAGED IN THE COMING MONTH, RETURN TO THIS PSALM AND THIS LESSON FOR
ENCOURAGEMENT.
PREPARATION FOR PSA 45:
READ PSA 45:1-17
WHY DO YOU THINK WORSHIP OF GOD MUST BE ACCURATE?
WHY DO YOU THINK WORSHIP OF GOD MUST BE AUTHENTIC?
TO WHAT FUTURE TIME PERIOD DOES THIS PSALM REFER? HOW DO YOU KNOW?