Psalm 44's Time and Judgment

As I was listening to Psalm 44 today and it popped out at me as an excellent example of "time and judgment" for every believer who ever lived. No, I don't mean every Churchite who goes to church. I mean every believer who ever lived.

A foundational principle believers should bear in mind at all times is that the body of Christ is always one whole, complete body made up of many members. The OT era believers represented the entire body and believers living today represent the entire body, dead and alive. All believers were in the Garden of Eden, the Red Sea, the early churches, etc. and they are all scattered today. We find this doctrine in 1st Corinthians 12 and Romans 12.

Ro 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Believers are all one at all times. There is no pre-church age body and post-church age body. There is no Old Testament body and New Testament body. The great multitude is the 144,000. Believers are so intimately united, we all suffer and rejoice together. If we understand the doctrine correctly, we will understand that souls rejoicing in heaven while believers suffer in tribulation on earth is an impossible idea, although it is accepted by many.

1Co 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

With this foundational principle in mind, I would like to analyze Psalm 44 which reveals the judgment part of "time and judgment" on the entire body of believers.

The first eight verses of Psalm 44 is a look back in time and an acknowledgement of God's great mercy upon His people who trust in His might alone for their salvation.

PSALM 44:1-8 ¶ To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

The Psalmist returns to the present:

PSALM 44:4 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

Next comes the "But":

PSALM 44:9 ¶ But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.

Are believers "cast off" and "put to shame"? This is where I see a paradox. On one hand, believers are cast off and put to shame. I believe I am to fully relate to verses like Psalm 74:1:

Ps 74:1 ¶  Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

On the other hand, at the same time, I also fully relate to these verses in Romans 11:

Ro 11:1 ¶ I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

In verse 5, Paul shows how God's grace in his day was the same grace in Elijah's day. There is the remnant at all times, but the remnant still needs saving.

PSALM 44:10-11 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

What elect believer does not feel the intense burn of being scattered among the heathen?

De 4:27  And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.

Eze 12:15  And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.

PSALM 44:12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.

Isa 52:3  For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

PSALM 44:13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

The Psalmist is not talking about church members. He is talking about "us", which includes the Psalmist, himself.

Jer 24:9  And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

PSALM 44:14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

La 2:15 All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

La 2:16 All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.

La 2:17 The LORD hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.

PSALM 44:15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

Sight of sin, shame for sin, confession of sin and repentance.

Jer 3:25  We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

PSALM 44:16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.

Ps 74:23  Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

PSALM 44:17 ¶ All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.

18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;

19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

More time and judgment.

Ps 60:3  Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

Ps 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

PSALM 44:20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Job 31:4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

PSALM 44:22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.

Believers are not cast off, but nevertheless, we pray in humility to not be cast off as we await our completed salvation.

PSALM 44:24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.

Ps 26:11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

Ps 130:7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.