This one is a mixed bag, full of both praise and lament, disappointment and yet hopefulness.
Section 1 – Celebration of past victories: “You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. Through You we will push back our adversaries; Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me. But You have saved us from our adversaries, And You have put to shame those who hate us.” (v4-7) The Psalmist reminds everyone (including God) of the past victories of Israel, specifically through Joshua, when God delivered Canaan (the promised land) to His people and crushed/scattered the previous occupants.
Section 2 – Lament for God rejecting His people: “Yet You have rejected us and brought us to dishonor, And do not go out with our armies. You cause us to turn back from the adversary; And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. You give us as sheep [d]to be eaten And have scattered us among the nations. All day long my dishonor is before me And my humiliation has overwhelmed me…” (v9-11,15) This is clearly a period of time in which Israel is defeated (physically and/or spiritually), and the people fell like God has turned His back.
Section 3 – Psalmist intercedes for Israel: “All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You, And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant. Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Your way, If we had forgotten the name of our God Or extended our hands to a strange god, Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” (v17-18,20-21) Intercessory prayers like this are common in the Bible (especially Psalms and Paul’s letters) where someone pleads the case of one who is presumed to be innocent (Israel was seldom innocent in times of defeat, but it’s not impossible that God was allowing this period of defeat as a way to draw His people nearer to Him).
Section 4 – Plea for God’s return and salvation: “Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever. Why do You hide Your face And forget our affliction and our oppression? Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.” (v23-24,26) The Psalmist pleads with God to redeem His people, for no other reason than God being a kind and loving God. To be honest with ourselves, the only reason God ever redeems us is because of who He is (gracious, merciful and loving) not because of who we are (sinful wretches full of evil desires).
This is a hard Psalm to read and see a silver lining, but here are a few verses for encouragement: “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33) “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.” (Rom 7:24-25)
I will close with one of my favorite passages – every time I begin to feel defeated, like this Psalmist feels, I will turn to scripture, and recite verses like these: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Eph 6:12-13) I remember that physical defeat in this world is temporary, and spiritual defeat is a choice – we can choose to remain firm in Christ, and we will never suffer spiritual defeat, which is far worse than physical defeat. Take heart, for He has overcome the world.
~ Conqueror in Training