Psalms 44:23

Psalms 44:23 is a powerful and direct plea from a community in deep distress, questioning God's apparent inaction in the face of their suffering. It's part of a communal lament where the people recall God's past mighty acts but confront their present humiliation and defeat, despite their faithfulness to the covenant.

Context

Psalm 44 is a unique psalm of national lament. Unlike many psalms that confess sin as a reason for suffering, this psalm asserts the people's innocence and faithfulness (verses 17-22). They have not forgotten God or His covenant, yet they are suffering immensely. This makes their desperate cry in verse 23 all the more poignant, as they cannot reconcile their loyalty with their current plight. They feel God has seemingly abandoned them, even though they are "killed all the day long" for His sake (Psalm 44:22).

Key Themes

• Divine Silence and Apparent Inaction: The core of the verse is the cry for God to act. The anthropomorphic language of God "sleeping" expresses the profound human experience of feeling that God is distant, unconcerned, or unresponsive during a crisis.
• Desperate Plea for Intervention: "Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise" is an urgent call for God to break His perceived silence and intervene decisively on behalf of His people. It's a bold, almost confrontational prayer born of deep anguish.
• Fear of Permanent Abandonment: The phrase "cast [us] not off for ever" reveals a profound fear that God's perceived rejection is not temporary but eternal, threatening their covenant relationship. This echoes the divine promises of not forsaking His people.

Linguistic Insights

• "Awake" (קוּמָה - qūmāh): This is an imperative, meaning "rise up" or "stand." It's a common call for God to take action, found in other laments like Psalm 7:6 and Psalm 35:23. It is not an accusation of literal sleep but a passionate plea for divine activity.
• "Sleepest" (יָשֵׁן - yashēn): This verb signifies inaction or non-responsiveness. It's a vivid metaphor expressing the human perception of God's silence or delay in intervention, rather than a theological statement about God's nature. God neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4).
• "Cast [us] not off" (זָנַחְתָּ - zānachṭā): This verb means "to reject," "abandon," or "forsake." The plea is for God to remember His covenant and not permanently withdraw His favor or presence.

Practical Application

Psalms 44:23 offers profound relevance for believers today:

• Validation of Honest Prayer: It validates the human experience of feeling abandoned or confused when prayers seem unanswered or when suffering persists despite faithfulness. The psalmists demonstrate that it is permissible, even healthy, to bring raw, honest complaints and questions before God.
• Persistence in Faith: Even in their desperate questioning, the psalmists continue to address God, demonstrating a persistent faith that believes He can and will ultimately hear and act. This encourages us to continue praying even when God seems silent.
• Trust in God's Character: Despite the feeling of being "cast off," the very act of praying this prayer implies an underlying trust in God's character – that He is a God who listens, cares, and ultimately does not abandon His people, even if His ways are mysterious or His timing is not ours. This passage reminds us that our feelings do not always reflect God's unchanging nature, which promises He will never leave us nor forsake us.