April 17, 2024; Wednesday Night

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Psalm 44
• Sermon
• Pastoral Prayer

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Sermon Title: Questioning God Amidst Innocent Suffering

Scripture: Psalm 44

I. Amidst Intense Suffering, the Psalmist Does Not Forget the Goodness of God in the Past

(Psalm 44:1–3)

A. The psalmist's comfort rests not in what he has seen, but in what he has heard — the mighty acts of God passed down from faithful fathers

B. The absolute importance of passing down the truths of God to the next generation

1. Exodus 12:26 — children are to be taught the meaning of the Passover
2. Exodus 34 — the Lord reveals his name to Moses; steadfast love shown to thousands of generations who remember him, while unfaithfulness passes to the third and fourth generation
3. John 20:29 — "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed"; we in 2024 receive apostolic doctrine passed down generation to generation

C. Verses 2–3 most likely recall God's victories through Joshua (Joshua 1–12) — Israel fought, but it was ultimately God's right hand, arm, and the light of his face that gave them victory

1. The "light of his face" echoes the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:24–26 — God's countenance as blessing and strength
2. In contrast, verses 9–26 picture Israel sitting in darkness, the face of God turned away

D. The psalmist in weakness recalls Israel's past weakness, and the strength of God that upheld them — not success stories of great men, but of a great God who sustained weak, despairing men

II. Amidst Intense Suffering, the Psalmist Does Not Forget the Goodness of God in the Present

(Psalm 44:4–8)

A. Note the shift in pronouns: verses 1–3 speak of what God did for them; verses 4–6 move to the first-person singular (me), all in the Hebrew present tense

1. Upon reflecting on God's past might, the psalmist concludes his current dilemma does not rest in his sword but in the God who is my king

B. Verse 7 — the psalmist includes himself and the currently suffering people among those who have tasted God's saving hand in the past

1. A corporate identity with God's redemptive work, reminiscent of Hebrews 11 — surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses; God's work for his people across every generation belongs to the whole family of God

C. Verse 8 — the psalm pivots with confident doxology: "We will give thanks to your name forever"

1. Psalm 44 picks up where Psalm 43:5 ends: "Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God"

D. The fact that the lament of verses 9–26 follows the confidence of verses 1–8 is a comfort — we do not speak God's goodness into our souls like robots; there is full liberty to acknowledge the intense heat of present suffering

1. Illustration: Inside Out — it is Sadness, not Joy's forced cheerfulness, that gets Bing Bong back on his feet; meeting someone in their sadness is what restores them
2. Job's three friends ended at "verse 8"; what Job needed was someone willing to pray verses 9–26 on his behalf

III. Amidst Intense Suffering, the Psalmist Does Not Forget the Goodness of God's Promises

(Psalm 44:9–26, with focus on vv. 23–26)

A. Verses 9–22 — the psalmist defends Israel's covenant faithfulness, yet the suffering continues; he refuses the either/or logic of Job's three friends (either you sinned and deserve this, or you are righteous and God will fix it)

B. Verses 23–26 — the psalm does not end "redeem us for the sake of our steadfast love"; it ends "redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love" (hesed)

1. Even amid assurance of covenant fidelity on Israel's part, the psalmist's ultimate hope is not in Israel's faithfulness but in God's covenant faithfulness
2. His hope throughout is never in his own strength or works, but in the covenant promise of God

C. Christ is the ultimate example of this both/and reality

1. Hebrews 12 — Jesus marched toward the cross with utter resolve, the joy of resurrection life set before him
2. Yet under the weight of God's curse he cried out "Why have you forsaken me?" — questioning in the midst of innocence
3. He did not end in despair but in confidence, committing his spirit to his Father — the perfect model of Psalm 44

D. Paul quotes Psalm 44:22 in Romans 8:36, applying it to the suffering of believers in his own day

1. Romans 8:31–39 — "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?"
2. Paul's answer: recalling the past justifying goodness of God — the cross, where Christ bore the "Why have you forsaken me?" so we would not have to
3. Conclusion: the apostolic doctrine of Christ's shed blood, heard from parents, Sunday school teachers, and pastors, is the anchor for the soul — nothing in all creation will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39)