This Psalm is headed «To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun,» He was one of the great singers; there is opportunity given in the Psalms for each of the sinners to take his turn.; it does not do for any of us to be idle in reference to the praise of God. It is called, «A Psalm of Asaph.» His Psalms have usually a dark tinge about them; he was a meditative man, «a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief»; but also a man of strong faith, and of an exulting spirit. You need to do business in great waters to understand Asaph; he is one who does not wade, but he gets into «waters to swim in.»
Thus he begins:
Psalms 77:1. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
The use of the voice in prayer is not essential; but usually, when men grow earnest, they use the voice as well as the mind. It was because of the intensity of his prayer that the psalmist felt compelled to cry, not to use stilted, stately language, but the natural cry of pain: «I cried unto God with my voice.» You will find it very helpful in private prayer to use the voice; many of us do. Some have not the opportunity of doing so; but if you can be unheard of men, and can use your voice, you will find it helpful. Twice says the psalmist, «I cried unto God with my voice.»
Psalms 77:2. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord:
This is the best place to go in the day of your trouble.
Psalms 77:2. My sore ran in the night,
A better rendering would be, My hand was stretched out in the night.» The psalmist continued to pray.
Psalms 77:2. And ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
Rightly so, if the comfort came from man, if the comfort were doubtful and ineffectual; wrongly so, when right comfort was presented to him, comfort from God. I am afraid that, in the time of our trouble, we often increase it by being unwilling to be comforted.
Psalms 77:3. I remembered God, and was troubled:
What! trouble even from remembering God? Then this is trouble indeed.
And yet this has been the experience of the saints of God many a time:
I remembered God,» his holiness, his justice, my offenses against him, and was troubled.»
Psalms 77:3. I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.
Turned over, overwhelmed; without comfort, or hope of comfort.
Psalms 77:3. Selah.
Screw up the harp-strings; they have gone flat through such hard striking.
These deep notes have put the strings out of order. The man in his grief cannot sing well; and he had need to say «Selah.» Sursum corda. Lift up the heart; prepare yourself again for song.
Psalms 77:4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
Yet he was speaking; but it did not seem to him like speaking. It was rather an inarticulate wail than the language of a man.
Psalms 77:5. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
A little holy history is good reading for a heavy heart. You will often stumble on a record of God's providential dealings, or a paragraph concerning his wonderful love, that will cheer your heart. Yet it did not cheer the heart of the psalmist just then.
Psalms 77:6. I call to remembrance my song in the night:
«How I used to sing like the nightingale, with the thorn at my breast, I call that to remembrance.» But we cannot always sing old songs. Old experiences may have but little fire in their ashes, though often in their ashes live their wonted fires.
Psalms 77:6. I commune with mine own, heart:
A very proper thing to do; but not much comfort generally comes of it. It is like stirring water that is already muddy; the more you stir it, the more muddy it becomes.
Psalms 77:6. And my spirit made diligent search.
When a man can deal with himself like this, his trouble will not last long. God save me from a dumb sorrow, sorrow that cannot think, and cannot judge, and cannot weigh itself!
Now listen to the psalmist's questions. Does doubt question your faith? Then let faith question your doubts. Here is a catechism for a desponding heart. I commend it to you who are in trouble. Put your soul through its paces, ask these questions.
Psalms 77:7. Will the Lord cast off for ever?
Has he ever done so? He may seem to cast off for a little while; but «Will the Lord cast off for ever?»
Psalms 77:7. And will he be favourable no more?
It is a long lane that has no turning. The Lord may take down the rod; but will he always use it? Will he always chide?
Psalms 77:8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever?
If his favor is gone, yet is his mercy gone? Does not the Psalm say, «His mercy endureth for ever»? If I cannot claim favor as a saint, may I not hope for mercy as a sinner? «Is his mercy clean gone for ever?»
Psalms 77:8. Doth his promise fail for evermore?
Oh, what a question that is! God's promise may tarry, but it never fails; and if it seem to fail for the time being, will it fail for evermore?
Psalms 77:9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious?
What hot shots these are for unbelief! I warrant you that, however deep your unbelief may be tonight, if, by earnest prayer, with the help of the Holy Spirit, you ply it with these questions, it will have to yield.
Psalms 77:9. Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.
Can it be so? Was it ever so to any of God's people? Now comes «Selah» again. Turn those screws once more; put the harp-strings might again. We shall have sweeter music from this time.
Psalms 77:10. And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
«But I will remember» is added by the translator. Surely it was to the psalmist an infirmity to be thus in trouble; he called it Benoni, son of sorrow; but it was not infirmity to God; he called it Benjamin, son of the right hand. There is a sort of parallel between Asaph and the woman who named her child Benoni. Certainly it is a great infirmity, it is a sin, to doubt God, and to be cast down, and troubled.
Psalms 77:11. I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
Think of what God has done for his people, how he has delivered them, how he has lifted them from the dunghill, and set them among the princes, even among the princes of his people. Think of his wonders of grace, and be no more discouraged.
Psalms 77:12. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
Those who talk ought to meditate; otherwise they grind wind. Those who meditate will talk; otherwise the miller grinds only for himself.
Psalms 77:13. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:
Or, «in holiness.» God's way is always a holy way, a righteous way.
Psalms 77:13. Who is so great a God as our God?
When we think of the greatness of God, if we simply dwell upon his power, we make a mistake. The greatness of God lies mainly in his moral attributes, in his completeness, his wholeness, his holiness.
Psalms 77:14-15. Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
«Selah» again. In looking back, the psalmist has remembered the history of the whole nation. He thinks of what God did for his ancient people; indeed, he is on the verge of a great song; well may he tune the strings again. He has in thought gone back to the Red Sea. He is standing like Miriam, by the waters that devoured the foes of Israel, and he must sing as she did. In a high poetic strain he writes:
Psalms 77:16. The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.
At the very sight of God the sea began to flee, to lay bare its depths. «The floods stood upright as an heap,» in their fear and dread of the presence of God, «and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.»
Psalms 77:17. The clouds poured out water:
The floods above answered the floods below; and came to the help of the Lord, «to the help of the Lord against the mighty.»
Psalms 77:17-18. The skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
There was a great storm; thunder and lightning gathered about the sea.
When God spoke, the waters rolled back, and swallowed up all the chivalry of Egypt. Heaven and earth joined in battle against God's foes; not only did the sea flee, but there appears to have been also an earthquake.
Psalms 77:19. Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
Not foreknown. Who could have foretold that God would lead his people through the sea? His footsteps are not now to be found. God's ways we cannot guess; and even when we have seen them, we cannot understand them. Child of God, does the sea roll before you tonight? Are you in extreme distress? Are you crying as the psalmist did? With your voice do you cry unto God? Then expect deliverance from him.
Psalms 77:20. Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Moses and Aaron did not lead them; God led his people, «like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.» Here the Psalm breaks off with great abruptness. Had it been a human composition, it would have been rounded off with great discretion; but God knows best where to stop. I sometimes wish brethren would do the same in their prayers; they need not keep on till they have worn us out; they may break off short if they like. So may we in our sermons; perhaps they would be better remembered if the second half was never spoken.