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Psalm 44, Part 1 of 2
Verses 1-8
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.
1      We have heard with our ears, O God;
our fathers have told us
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.
2     With your hand you drove out the nations
and planted our fathers;
you crushed the peoples
and made our fathers flourish.
3     It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face, for you loved them.
4     You are my King and my God,
who decrees victories for Jacob.
5     Through you we push back our enemies;
through your name we trample our foes.
6     I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;
7     but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.
8     In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever.      
Selah1
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                1 “Selah” is one of the most frequently used, but most enigmatic, terms found in the Book of Psalms. The majority of the time “selah” is interpreted as a signal for a break in the singing and an instruction for the instrumentalists to play an interlude (the modern day “instrumental solo”).
When this Psalm was composed, Israel was facing a time of distress.  Most likely written during the reign of King David, the Psalmist looks back on the way God dealt with them in days gone by.  As a nation, they learned to put their trust in the Lord. 
The parallels between this Psalm and Psalm 60 suggests that Edom and the Arameans were the enemies involved here.  And although Israel finally won great victories over these enemies, it wasn’t without some crushing defeats.
These defeats caused Israel to question: where is God?  If He is truly going before them and protecting them, how can they be defeated?  If He gave them the land, why are they having such difficulty defending it?
Although the answers are not clearly given, the first eight verses (which we study tonight)…
Your Future in Your Past
Verses 1-3: Celebrate the Past Deliverances
·        It was the Lord alone wh
o promised the land of Israel to Abraham.
·        It was the Lord alone who renewed that promise with Moses and the people at Mount Sinai.
·        It was the Lord who secured their passageway into the promised land
o   They defeated armies which out classed and out sized them.  Why?  The Lord declared they would win.
·        It was the Lord who loved us to the point of sending His Son to die so that we might live.
·        It was Jesus’ resurrection which guaranteed our ultimate deliverance.
·        It was the Lord that brought us through our own wanderings in the desert of life.
·        There is much to remember from our past that is worth celebrating.
·        When times get tough, it is great to remember the past and celebrate all that God has done there.
·        If He did it once (twice, 100 times before), He’ll do it again!!!
Verses 4-8: Celebrate the King of our Past, Present, and Future.
·        Notice the declarations here:
o   You are King (verse 4).
o   You are God (verse 4).
o   You decide the outcome of wars (verses 5-7)
o   We boast in His name alone (verse 8)
o   We praise His name forever (verse 8)
So, regardless of whether we are on the victory side of the battles, or we are licking our wounds from losing a battle (like Israel was)…
Whether we are riding high on success or crawling in shame…
Whether we are dancing the streets or dying all alone…
We remember that our future hope can be found in past deliverance.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He has not forgotten you.  Your deliverance is coming!