trusted online casino malaysia
Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
The Scriptorium

Something to Think About

Set aside time for contemplation. Psalm 44, superscription

Arise and Redeem Us! (1)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 44.1, 2, 23-26
We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out…
Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?
Arise! Do not cast us off forever.
Why do You hide Your face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
Our body clings to the ground.
Arise for our help,
And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.

Sing Psalm 44.1, 2, 23-36
(Faithfulness: Great is Thy Faithfulness)
O God our ears have heard, ancients have taught us, all that You did for them long years ago,
how by Your hand You defeated the nations, and to the promised land let Israel go.
Refrain vv. 23-26
Rise up, awake, O Lord! Hide not Your face from us,
see our affliction, our suffering and pain!
See how our soul is sunk down with oppression;
Rise up and help and redeem us we pray!

Read Psalm 44 (don’t forget the superscription!)

Preparation
1. For whom was this psalm composed?

2. What kind of psalm is it? 

Meditation
The mind is one component of the soul, and for that reason, it must be brought into subjection to the Lord and His calling (2 Cor. 10.3-5). If we don’t work at training our mind to serve the Lord, other influences will rule it, and it will serve whatever shiny or flashy thing that gets its attention next. Then you become distracted, annoyed, perhaps even confused – all because your environment is ruling your mind rather than your mind being in submission to the Lord.

The key discipline for training the mind to serve Jesus is contemplation. Psalm 44, like Psalm 42 and other of the psalms by the sons of Korah, is written as a “contemplation”. It’s a gift to God’s people to aid them in shaping their minds for serving Him. The sons of Korah wrote it for the Chief Musician – probably Asaph – so that he would incorporate it into the worship of God’s people, and they would all be instructed in the discipline of contemplation.

The word “contemplation” (Hebrew: מַשְׂכִּֽיל, maschil) comes from a root that means to be prudent, attentive, understanding, and wise. It also carries the meaning of “cause to consider” or “give insight” and appears in the superscription of several psalms. These ideas help us understand the discipline of contemplation, suggesting focused thought, careful consideration, patient waiting, and more. The superscriptions of the psalms should be read as part of the inspired text; they are treated that way in the Hebrew Bible. 2 Samuel 22.1 is the superscription for Psalm 18, and this suggests that all superscriptions should be treated with equal regard.

Psalm 44 is especially included to help in training our mind to think God’s thoughts after Him. We who believe in Jesus have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16), and Psalm 44 will teach us how to exercise the discipline of contemplation, so that we can put that mind to God-honoring use.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
In conveying the idea of contemplation, the psalmists used terms of remembering: “But we have not forgotten You”, and “If we had forgotten the name of our God” (vv. 17, 20).

Several other verses come to mind regarding contemplation and its uses and outcomes:
Daniel was considering things when visions of the future came to him. (Dan. 7.8; 8.5)
Joseph was in thought about Mary when an angel appeared to him in a dream. (Matt. 1.20)
Jesus perceived in His spirit the unguided thinking of the scribes. (Mk. 2.8)
Paul was considering the objects of worship of the unbelievers of Athens to ready himself to speak a most memorable sermon. (Acts 17.23)

We too, can consider and think about and perceive as we meditate in God’s word and contemplate the Word.
God’s Word is pure. (Ps. 119.140)
God’s Word is proven. (Ps. 18.30)
God’s Word is like a burning fire in our hearts. (Jer. 20.9)
God’s Word is from the very beginning. (Jn. 1.1)
God’s Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (Jn. 1.14)
God’s Word dwells richly in our hearts in wisdom. (Col. 3.16)
God’s Word is living and powerful and discerns our thoughts and intents of our hearts. (Heb. 4.12)
God’s Son is called The Word of God. (Rev. 19.13)

We will get a vision of Christ in glory, and dream about good actions, perceive wise thoughts, and use creation to share God’s goodness, when we stop forgetting, and start remembering to contemplate this wonderful, active Word.

Reflection
1. How do you understand what it means to contemplate the Word of God? How often do you do this?

2. Why is the Bible such a rich source for contemplation? As we contemplate Scripture, what should we be looking to discern?

3. How can you make contemplating Scripture more a part of your walk with the Lord?

As to the meaning of the word משכיל, maskil, it…is sometimes found in the inscription of psalms whose subject is cheerful; but it is more commonly used when the subject treated of is distressing; for it is a singular means of leading us to profit by the instruction of the Lord, when, by subduing the obduracy of our hearts, he brings us under his yoke. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on the Psalm 44

Closing Prayer: Psalm 44.17, 18, 23-26
Spend some time allowing the Lord to search your soul. Meditate on Psalm 139.23, 24. Ask Him to show you any sins, any negligence, or any stubbornness which is keeping you from growing in and serving Him. Call on the Lord to revive you and send you forth in His Name.

Psalm 44.17, 18, 23-26
(Faithfulness: Great is Thy Faithfulness)
All this has come on us, but we remember: You are our covenant God and our King!
Turn back our hearts to adore and extol You;  Lord, keep our steps as Your praises we sing.

Refrain vv. 23-26
Rise up, awake, O Lord! Hide not Your face from us,
See our affliction, our suffering and pain!
See how our soul is sunk down with oppression;
Rise up and help and redeem us we pray!

T. M. and Susie Moore

You can listen to our summary of last week’s study by clicking here.

If you find Scriptorium helpful in your walk with the Lord, please seek the Lord, asking Him whether you should contribute to the support of this daily ministry with your financial gifts. As the Lord leads, you can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 360 Zephyr Road, Williston, VT 05495.

Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

Subscribe to Ailbe Newsletters

Sign up to receive our email newsletters and read columns about revival, renewal, and awakening built upon prayer, sharing, and mutual edification.