Psalm 77 Feb. 13 For the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm by Asaph.  1My cry goes to God! Indeed, I cry to God for help, and for Him to listen to me. 2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. My hand was stretched out in the night, and didn’t retract. My soul refused to be comforted. 3I remember God, and I groan. I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah.  4You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can’t speak. 5I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. 6I remember my song in the night. I consider in my own heart; my spirit diligently inquires: 7Will the Lord reject us forever? Will He no more be gracious? 8Has His grace vanished forever? Does His promise fail for generations? 9Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He, in anger, withheld His compassion? Selah. 10Then I thought, I will appeal to this: the years of the right hand of the Most High. 11I will remember Yah’s deeds; for I will remember Your wonders of old. 12I will also meditate on all Your work, and consider Your doings. 13Your way, God, is in the sanctuary. What god is great like God? 14You are the God who does wonders, You have made Your strength known among the peoples. 15You have redeemed Your people with Your arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. 16The waters saw You, God, the waters saw You, and they writhed, the depths also convulsed. 17The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder, Your arrows also flashed around. 18The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind, the lightnings lit up the world, the earth trembled and shook. 19Your way was through the sea, Your paths through the great waters; Your footsteps were not known. 20You led Your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.    

Commentary

77:10 I will appeal to this- The faithful have always known God as a God open to dialogue. Asaph feels that God has as it were forgotten His graciousness (:9), and so He appeals to God to remember how in the past He saved His people at the Red Sea, even though they were spiritually weak at the time. He thus appeals to God’s consistent love for His people as a basis for requesting God to act again in gracious salvation. If God has acted with His right hand over history, why not now? There was no unquestioning submission to the Almighty God as required by Islam and some legalistic forms of Christianity; rather do God’s people respectfully engage Him in dialogue and struggle with Him in prayer.