Monday Reflection – May 11, 2020 Storytellers of our Faithful God

Monday Reflection – May 11, 2020
Storytellers of our Faithful God

We have heard with our ears, O God, our ancestors have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old. Psalm 44:1

Psalm 44 speaks of the nation of Israel in a season of great defeat, calling out to God for rescue. David begins by reminding God, or rather more so himself, of the great victories of God for Israel in the past i.e. in the days of Joshua’s conquest. So he says, “We have heard with our ears, O God, our ancestors have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old. You drove out the nations with your hand…it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your countenance that saved them, because you favoured them.” The Psalmist and his fellow people received a special legacy from their ancestors, their elder generation. Their ancestors were careful to tell them what God did in generations past. Trapp says, “They made their mouths as if it were books, wherein the noble acts of the Lord might be read to his praise, and to the drawing of their children’s hearts unto him.”

I imagine that the ancestors spoke excitedly and vibrantly about the great work God did when he drove out the Canaanites and planted Israel in the land promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was the hand of God. Those ancestors did not just speak about what they personally experienced of God, but they also taught what God did many generations before. This was the oral tradition at work being passed from one generation to the next. What an example for us to follow!! What of us? What have we inherited and were told about the wonder working power of God? What have we done with this knowledge? What are we passing on to this generation? If we are not sharing about what we have heard and experienced, then this and generations after us will have little or nothing to offer to generations yet unborn. In this Child’s Month, we have to recommit to the holistic development of our children. Thus, while we must offer education, health care, proper nutrition, and the psychosocial support, we cannot and dare not fail to facilitate the spiritual development of our children. They must know that the God of the past, is the same God of the present and the future.

There is another point in this text that is necessary to note. At this point, Israel was in crisis and experiencing disappointment. Infact, the Psalmist posits that Israel’s defeat and crisis is not just in the hand of God, but instituted by God. Hear the Psalmist in verses 9 and 10, “But you have cast us off and put us to shame, and you do not go out with our armies. You make us turn back from the enemy, and those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.” The assertions of the Psalmist don’t stop here. He protests that Israel has remained faithful to God and Israel’s obedience is answered with defeat. Thus, he closes with a plea and a hopeful prayer for help. In essence, the Psalmist is projecting the innocence of Israel and the unfairness of God.

It is clear that the Psalmist has not come to fully understand God and know that God cannot be unfair; afterall he is God! God’s people are not immune from trouble and punishment. The God of grace and mercy is also the God of justice. The Israelites were receiving what they justly deserve and should respond in repentance and humility. So, as we grow and share about God’s work with others, including our children, let’s reveal the full nature of God. Our God is a God of grace and of justice, and what he has done in the past, he can and will do again!

Jermaine Gibson