Psalm 77
Remembering
Who is like you, Lord?
Holy.
True.
Light undiminished.
Grace unabridged.
Above is from a prayer inspired by Psalm 77.
An abridged book is one that removes certain parts of the original full length treatment to make it shorter. Asaph here in this Psalm is fearful that the story of God’s grace has cut him out. This first half of this song captures the emotional turmoil of one who despairs that God’s grace has passed them by.
But as he looks back at the covenant faithfulness of God throughout history, he knows that God’s grace is unlimited and unending for all those guided by God’s Good Shepherd.
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:7 ‘Will the Lord reject for ever?
Will he never show his favour again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished for ever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?’10 Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.’13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.16 The waters saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
1-9
The first half of the Psalm closes with a cascade of questions (vv7-9). These are the questions of a believer. These are the queries of one who has previously tasted the riches of God’s grace and experienced his soul-melting love. They have known the faithfulness of God in their own life and cherished his unmerited mercy. Yet now those memories are siloed in the past and Asaph feels like he is cut off and forgotten. Maybe that describes where you are right now. Before we move to the second half of the Psalm, I want you to see that these questions are here in Scripture and God is big enough to hear them from us.
These questions come off the back of the opening of this song, where Asaph details the pain of unanswered prayer.
In other Psalms, this opening sequence of crying out to God is followed by the recording of how God answered the desperate prayers of his people (see Psalm 18.6 for example). But here in vv1-2, Asaph states that he stayed mired in grief, refusing to be consoled.
He attempts to bring to mind his old songs and memories (3-6), yet they do not bring the comfort for which he longs. He journeys back to the past, but he is not able to bring his former experience into the present. This is the song of a disquieted soul fighting with its last ounce of energy for rest.
10-20
And this rest is found in 10-12, when Asaph presses into the history of God’s faithfulness. He commits himself to considering, dwelling on, and meditating upon God’s wondrous works among his people throughout history. Notice that in v11, he calls God for the first time LORD. This is the way English translations render God’s name, the one he revealed first to Moses. He is the ‘I Am’. This is his covenant name, and whenever we encounter it, we remember not just that God never changes, but that he is forever unwavering and loyal to his promises.
And Asaph remembers this primarily in God’s redemption in the Exodus (13-20). The Holy God is peerless and his mighty works are matchless. He displayed his power when he rescued his people from back-breaking and hope-sapping slavery in Egypt (14-15). He demonstrated his strength when the waters of the Red Sea jumped back in fear at his presence (16). He highlighted his potency when at Mt Sinai, the thunder shook the ground and the lightening shook the souls of those gathered (17-18).
Often in the Psalms, the Exodus is remembered but where this one brings a new perspective is seen in the closing verses. Notice first how Asaph records that God’s footprints were not seen in the path through the Red Sea. As Asaph has struggled to see normal evidence for God’s activity in his life, so he didn’t leave behind normal evidence at the Exodus. God is unseen. But he leaves behind a people freed and enemies defeated.
Second, Asaph remembers how God acts through particular people. God led the people through his Prophet Moses and his Priest Aaron. And for us, God leads his people through the son of a Nazarene carpenter. He is our Good Shepherd. He is the one who lays down his life for his sheep. He is the one who leads us to new life through death.
And so as Asaph looks back to the first Exodus, we remember the Exodus Jesus leads us through in his death and resurrection. The same grace that saved them is the same grace that is at work in you and I.
Glory be to God the Father, the Most High who stretched out his right hand in salvation.
Glory be to God the Son, the Shepherd who leads us into new life.
Glory be to God the Spirit, who comforts and lifts up our fainting spirits.
Ever three and ever One.
Home Group: Healthy Gospel Church Week 5
How easy do you find it to tell others about your Christian faith? What makes it difficult?
Read 2 Corinthians 5.11-21
What does Paul says motivates him to share the gospel?
How do these verses inform and motivate us in our mission today?
Read 1 Peter 3.13-18
Why are we sometimes scared to tell others about Jesus?
Read Revelation 7.9-10
If you are able, share an example of a time when you worshipped with people from other nations?