Psalms 44:23

THEIR RESPONSE

"Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?

Arise, cast us not off forever.

Wherefore hidest thou thy face,

And forgettest our afflictions and oppression?

For our soul is bowed down to the dust;

Our body cleaveth unto the earth.

Rise up for our help,

And redeem us for thy lovingkindness' sake."

This is a precious response, limited though it is. In the dark and tragic hours of undeserved suffering, they did not turn away from the Lord, but simply laid their sorrows upon his infinite bosom. They knew, of course, that, "He that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalms 121:4); but they still used the old anthropomorphic metaphor of "God's being asleep" to express their distress.

During the times of the Maccabees, there was a group of singers who had as their theme song, "Awake, Why Sleepest thou, O Lord?" These singers were called "The Wakers," indicating their purpose of waking up God. Such things as this, no doubt, influenced Calvin in accepting the times of the Maccabees as the date of this psalm.

"Rise up for our help ... Redeem us for thy lovingkindness' sake" (Psalms 44:26). Yes, they did exactly what every distressed soul should do; they brought the problem to God, pleading neither their innocence nor their merit, but basing their appeal upon the stedfast love and lovingkindness of God. In this particular, not even the blessed children of the Father "in Jesus Christ" today can do anything better.