seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Psalm 77[a]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.
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.[b]
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:
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b]
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 forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
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.”
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.
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.
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.
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
a. Psalm 77:1 In Hebrew texts 77:1-20 is numbered 77:2-21.
b. Psalm 77:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 9 and 15
This is the commentary from the easy English site. I still go to the other sites but it would take all day to read that long winded stuff.
We do not know who wrote Psalm 77. Something bad had happened to him or to his people, the Jews. God let the bad thing happen, and did not give help. Did this mean that God had forgotten his people? No! The end of the psalm tells us that God gave help in the past. He can send help again to the psalmist, if the psalmist waits. The psalmist may have read the Book of Habakkuk before he wrote Psalm 77. This tells a story like that in Psalm 77. The Jews could not understand why God did not give them help. The prophet Habakkuk wrote that they must have faith. This means they must believe that one day God will send help.
Study the psalm in 4 parts:
· Verses 1 – 3: The psalmist thinks about the bad things that happened to him or his people.
· Verses 4 – 9: He asks God if God will ever send help again.
· Verses 10 – 15: The psalmist remembers what God did a long time ago.
· Verses 16 – 20: The psalmist remembers when God led his people through the Red Sea when they left Egypt.
I know so many people who think this is all hooey. They say it's all a hoax.... published to keep the people in line and the money coming in. Back in Connecticut, when I was a first grader.... sitting up in the apple tree talking about life with my buddies.... eating green apples.... I heard "all that stuff doesn't happen anymore" "That's all 'old time stuff'... it's not real anymore". I know a lot of people who grew up and still think that. I have to say.... songs that remind me of the past are cathartic. They remind me of all the times things could have gone horribly wrong... but didn't. They remind me of all the things that did go horribly wrong.... but they also remind me how I survived those horrific events. God's been my guide. What I learned in Sunday School has been my guide [even if it was wrong]. What I have studied in the NIV has been my guide. What I post here every morning.... well it's held me together for a long time.
When life gets to be too big for human consumption.... talk to God about it.... He will help. It probably won't be a burning bush experience..... I've never had a burning bush experience.... but if you open your heart.... talk to God about it.... and wait.... wait.... don't tap your foot or cross your arms in defiance... just wait.... He'll reply.... quietly. Don't dismiss it as something you made up.... and don't make up something.... wait. It's worth the wait... faith grows as I wait.... even when I'm ready to give up.... faith keeps me hanging on for one more day.
In Lothian.... one of my daughter's friends was curious about planting flowers. I let my daughter and some of her friends plant some seeds and they watched them grow. A couple of her friends were all excited... but on the second day when there was no flower to adore... they grew disinterested..... and when the first green popped through.... a couple of her friends were a little excited... they wanted to dig it up and see the flower underneath "where it's hiding". Only one friend watched the flower every day.... and even when there was only a bud.... they hung out.... until the flower bloomed..... it took a while.... and yep... turns out not every seed produced a flower.... but we enjoyed the experiment......
This is a faith song.....
