Chapter: Psalm 44

Laments

More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.

Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others

44

Deus, auribus

¹ We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us *

what you did in the days of old:

² How you drove out the nations with your hand, and planted our fathers in the land; *

how you destroyed the nations and cast them out.

³ For they did not possess the land by their own sword, *

neither was it their own arm that helped them,

⁴ But by your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance, *

because you favored them.

⁵ You are my King, O God; *

you send help to Jacob.

⁶ Through you we will overthrow our enemies, *

and in your Name will we tread down those who rise up against us.

⁷ For I will not trust in my bow; *

it is not my sword that shall help me;

⁸ But you save us from our enemies *

and put to shame those who hate us.

⁹ We make our boast in God all day long *

and will praise your Name for ever.

¹⁰ But now you have cast us off and put us to shame, *

and you do not go forth with our armies.

¹¹ You make us turn our backs upon our enemies, *

so that those who hate us plunder our goods.

¹² You let us be eaten up like sheep *

and have scattered us among the nations.

¹³ You sell your people for nothing *

and take no money for them.

¹⁴ You make us the reproach of our neighbors, *

to be laughed to scorn, and held in derision by those who are round about us.

¹⁵ You make us a byword among the nations, *

so that the peoples shake their heads at us.

¹⁶ My disgrace is daily before me, *

and the shame of my face has covered me,

¹⁷ Because of the voice of the slanderer and blasphemer, *

because of the enemy and avenger.

¹⁸ And though all this has come upon us, yet we do not forget you, *

nor have we been unfaithful to your covenant.

¹⁹ Our heart has not turned back, *

nor have our steps departed from your way,

²⁰ Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, *

and covered us with the shadow of death.

²¹ If we have forgotten the Name of our God, and held up our hands to any strange god, *

shall not God search it out? For he knows the very secrets of the heart.

²² For your sake we are killed all the day long, *

and are counted as sheep appointed to be slain.

²³ Rise up, O Lord! Why are you sleeping? *

Awake, and cast us not away for ever.

²⁴ Why do you hide your face *

and forget our misery and trouble?

²⁵ For our soul is brought low, even to the dust; *

our belly cleaves to the ground.

²⁶ Arise, O Lord, and help us, *

and deliver us for your mercy’s sake.