For the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song.
This song was written for the music director of the Levitical choir. The sons of Korah were to sing this song to Israel at their annual celebrations.
44:1 O God, we have clearly heard; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in ancient times.
The nation of Israel was chosen by God to become priests to the nations. They heard about how Jehovah delivered them with miracles in ancient times.
44:2 You, by your power, defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land; you crushed the people living there and enabled our ancestors to occupy it.
Jehovah used His omnipotent power to defeat other nations who were more numerous than Israel. He crushed the people who were living in Canaan. He allowed the Jewish people to take the land and live in it.
44:3 For they did not conquer the land by their swords, and they did not prevail by their strength, but rather by your power, strength and good favor, for you were partial to them.
The weapons of Israel were not strong enough or numerous enough to take Canaan. Israel took the land only by the grace and omnipotent power of God.
44:4 You are my king, O God! Decree Jacob’s deliverance!
Jehovah was the King of Israel. The sons of Korah sang and asked God to deliver them from their enemies.
44:5 By your power we will drive back our enemies; by your strength we will trample down our foes!
Jehovah has the omnipotent power to help Israel win this battle.
44:6 For I do not trust in my bow, and I do not prevail by my sword.
The bows and swords of Israel are not numerous enough to give them victory over their Gentile enemies.
44:7 For you deliver us from our enemies; you humiliate those who hate us.
Jehovah is the only One who can deliver Israel from her enemies. Israel is protected by the Abrahamic Covenant. Jehovah will humiliate any nation who hates Israel.
44:8 In God I boast all day long, and we will continually give thanks to your name. (Selah)
Israel does not boast in their own military strength. They boast in Jehovah. For this reason, Israel will continually praise His name. The chorus asked the congregation to meditate upon this doctrinal truth.
44:9 But you rejected and embarrassed us! You did not go into battle with our armies.
Jehovah rejected Israel. This caused them to be embarrassed in defeat. Jehovah allowed the army of Israel to fight on their own without His presence.
44:10 You made us retreat from the enemy. Those who hate us take whatever they want from us.
Israel was forced to call a military defeat. The enemies came in and plundered Israel.
44:11 You handed us over like sheep to be eaten; you scattered us among the nations.
The Scriptures often compare the Gentile nations to beasts who wish to devour Israel. Jehovah the Great Shepherd handed over His sheep to the Gentile beasts. He scattered them among the nations. The beasts began to devour the sheep.
44:12 You sold your people for a pittance; you did not ask a high price for them.
The Gentile nations sold the Israelites into slavery for a very cheap price.
44:13 You made us an object of disdain to our neighbors; those who live on our borders taunt and insult us.
The Gentile nations were a part of the satanic world system, so they hated Israel. They were tired of hearing that Israel was “God’s chosen people.” They were glad to see Israel defeated. They began to taunt and insult Israel.
14 You made us an object of ridicule among the nations; foreigners treat us with contempt.
The Gentile nations ridiculed Israel.
44:15 All day long I feel humiliated and am overwhelmed with shame, 16 before the vindictive enemy who ridicules and insults me.
These Gentile defeats caused Israel to feel humiliated and overwhelmed with shame. The enemies continued to ridicule and insult Israel.
44:17 All this has happened to us, even though we have not rejected you or violated your covenant with us.
Israel claimed that they were defeated, even though they had not rejected Jehovah nor violated the Mosaic Covenant.
44:18 We have not been unfaithful, nor have we disobeyed your commands.
Israel claimed that they had not been unfaithful to Jehovah. They had not worshiped other gods. They had not disobeyed the Mosaic Covenant.
44:19 Yet you have battered us, leaving us a heap of ruins overrun by wild dogs; you have covered us with darkness.
Jehovah battered Israel. He left their cities in a heap of ruins. The cities were so desolated, that wild dogs were running through their cities. Darkness had covered the land of Israel.
44:20 If we had rejected our God, and spread out our hands in prayer to another god, 44:21 would not God discover it, for he knows one’s thoughts?
God is omniscient. He can read the thoughts of man. He would know if Israel had actually rejected Him.
44:22 Yet because of you we are killed all day long; we are treated like sheep at the slaughtering block.
Since Jehovah rejected Israel, then they are being killed all day long. The Gentile nations are treating Israel as sheep at the slaughtering block.
44:23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Wake up! Do not reject us forever!
The Levites sang and asked Jehovah to wake up. They asked Jehovah why He was sleeping while they were being slaughtered? They asked Jehovah to not reject them forever.
44:24 Why do you look the other way, and ignore the way we are oppressed and mistreated?
The chorus sang and asked Jehovah why He was looking the other way while the Gentiles were oppressing and mistreating them?
44:25 For we lie in the dirt, with our bellies pressed to the ground.
Israel was lying in the dirt. Their bellies were lying flat to the ground. They were about to be exterminated from the earth.
44:26 Rise up and help us! Rescue us because of your loyal love!
The Levites sang out loudly, asking Jehovah to rise up and help them. The chorus asked Jehovah to rescue them, because of the loyal love which was promised to them through the Abrahamic Covenant.
This is an important song for Israel, because it teaches them how to react when armies of the satanic world system gang up and attempt to destroy them. The Canaanites, Amorites, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, Philistines, Assyrians, Persians, Syrians, Greeks, Romans, the European Catholic Church, the Arabs, the Muslims, the Spaniards, the Germans, the Turks, the PLO, Iran, Iraq, and ISIS have all attempted to destroy Israel. All of these nations violated the Abrahamic Covenant. They all received a kind-for-kind judgment. The price for these types of attacks on Israel was extinction or a demotion to third-world status. Israel is still here, only because God made a promise to His friend Abraham,