Big Shoulders

Monday January 19, 2015

The Bible is not propaganda. Unlike some governments that share only positive reviews, Scripture records the words of people who are frustrated with God. Psalm 44 begins by remembering conquests that inspire trust in Him. "O God... our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day... You crushed their enemies and set our ancestors free" (vv.1-2). The psalmist concluded, "You are my King and my God" (v.4).

But something had gone wrong. The psalmist complained that God no longer defended His people. "You have butchered us like sheep and scattered us among the nations. You sold your precious people for a pittance" (vv. 11-12). The reader assumes that Israel must be guilty of some sin against God, such as idolatry. But the psalmist says no. "All this has happened though we ahve not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant" (v.17).

What´s going on? The psalm concludes by imploring God to wake up and rescue His people, because "for your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep" (v.22). God inspired the descendants of Korah to write this lament, then left it unresolved for a thousand years. Its anguished cry gave generations of God´s children a model for the way to respond when they felt they´d been wrongly treated. Even Jesus encouraged us to keep knocking (Matthew 7:7-11).

It´s appropriate that Jesus weighed in, for His resurrection finally resolved this lament. Paul quoted Psalm 44 in Romans 8:36-39, declaring that though "we are killed every day", nothing - not even death - can separate us from the love of Jesus. God´s love is stronger than death, and it´s strong enough to bear our lament. Cry out to God; He has big shoulders. - Mike Wittmer

Read
Psalms 44:1-26
We have heard with our ears, O God;
our fathers have told us
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.
With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers;
you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.
It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm, 
and the light of your face, for you loved them.

You are my King and my God,
who decrees victories for Jacob.
Through you we push back our enemies;
through your name we trample our foes.
I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.
In God we make our boast all day long, 
and we will praise your name forever.

But now you have rejected and humbled us;
you no longer go out with our armies.
You made us retreat before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered us.
You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and
have scattered us among the nations.
You sold your people for a pittance,
gaining nothing from their sale.

You have made us a reproach to our neighbours,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
You have made us a byword among the nations;
the peoples shake their heads at us.
My disgrace is before me all day long,
and my face is covered with shame
at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

All this happened to us,
though we had not forgotten you
or been false to your covenant.
Our hearts had not turned back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.
But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals
and covered us over with deep darkness.

If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
would not God have discovered it,
since he knows the secrets of the heart?
Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?

We are brought down to the dust;
our bodies cling to the ground.
Rise up and help us;
redeem us because of your unfailing love.

Job 3:1-26
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said :
"May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!'
That day - may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine upon it.
May darkness and deep shadow claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it,
may blackness overwhelm its light.
That night - may thick darkness seize it;
may it not be included among the days of the year
nor be entered in any of the months.
May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy be heard in it.
May those who curse days curse that day,
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
May its morning stars become dark;
may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn,
for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
to hide trouble from my eyes.

Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?
Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed?
For now I would be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
with kings and counsellors of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,
with rules who had gold, 
who filled their houses with silver.
Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child,
like an infant who never saw the light of day?
There the wicked cease from turmoil,
and there the weary are at rest.
Captives also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver´s shout.
The small and the great are there,
and the slave is freed from his master.

Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,
to those who long for death that does not come,
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?
Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,
who God has hedged in?
For sighing comes to me instead of food; 
my groans pour out like water.
What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil."

Question to Ponder
Do you think God is letting you down?
Tell Him about it, and then worship Him for who He is

**Article taken from ODJ (Our Daily Journey with God) Dec 2014 -Feb 2015 issue