Psalms 43 and 44
"Judge me," in verse 1 is in effect, "Do me justice." The ungodly nation is of course the mass of the Jews who by this time are following to their ruin, the man variously called "the beast" (Rev. 13:1111And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (Revelation 13:11)); "the man of sin" (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 43Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3‑4)); "the wicked king" (Daniel 11:3636And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. (Daniel 11:36)); "the Antichrist" (1 John 2:2222Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)) him who "shall come in his own name" ( John 5:4343I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43)); the "foolish shepherd" (Zechariah 11:15-1715And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. 17Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. (Zechariah 11:15‑17)), and in our psalm, "the deceitful and unjust," or unrighteous man.
"The God of my strength" (verse 2), and "the God of the gladness of .my joy" as the fourth verse should be read (see the margin), are titles which indicate that there will be (as there should be) a growing knowledge of Him, for these expressions go beyond those we noticed in the 42nd psalm. God, there, was the life giver, and the immovable rock of His people's defense; here, He is their strength for life's battles, and He who is the source of their happiness, though they be in the furnace of affliction.
Verse 4 looks for a return to Jerusalem, as the same verse in Psalm 42 looked back to former days there.
Psalm 44 is the remnant looking with the understanding of faith at the nation as it was, and as it then will be, with an appeal to God at the close. They will recall that it was God's power that gave Israel her land; He had by His hand dispossessed the nations that were occupying Palestine, and had planted Israel there; He had afflicted the races of mankind, but caused the children of Israel to spread out (verses 1-3).
Looking to God as their King, as He was of old their King, the godly here await the hour when He will again lead them to battle. Already they have been separated from those who were their adversaries (the godless Jews with their Gentile associates), and are rejoicing in the partial deliverance (verses 4-8).
Verses 9-16 consider the then present state of the people, suffering because of the greatest of all their many sins—the rejection of their Messiah (Matthew 27:21-2621The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 22Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 26Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (Matthew 27:21‑26); Zechariah 13:6-96And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. 7Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. 8And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (Zechariah 13:6‑9)).
In verses 17-22 The remnant acknowledge their true place, but having through divine mercy been converted to God, they look to Him in confidence as those who walk in His ways ( James 5:16,16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16) last sentence).
Verse 22 as quoted in Romans 8:36,36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (Romans 8:36) began when Christ was crucified, rose again and ascended; there was severe persecution then, and there will be again in the day for which this psalm was written.
The last four verses contain the appeal of the remnant for God to come to their help. In verse 26, observe, it is "for Thy mercy's, (or loving-kindness) sake," not for any measure of faithfulness in those who plead.
Messages of God’s Love 10/5/1930