Psa 77:13-20 | KingComments | STEP | In comes the turning point. The God-fearing has been so preoccupied with his affliction and problems that he has lost faith in the goodness and grace of God. This changed the moment he saw what the real problem was: that he only had an eye for himself and his circumstances. Look how often the psalmist uses the words ‘I’ and ‘me’ in this psalm. By doing so he had lost sight of God. When he became aware of this, his view of his situation changed completely. Then he discovers the cause, “it is my grieve”, that is, what wounds him inwardly, namely the thought “that the right hand of the Most High has changed”. That He is the Most High means that He is above everything and everyone. Asaph thus acknowledges that the problem does not lie with God, but with himself, with his understanding of God’s actions. God’s right hand speaks of His powerful actions by which His power becomes visible. God has done this in the past to redeem His people. Apparently, so he thought then, God does not do that anymore. Asaph thought that God is a changeable God. Indeed, God does not always act in the same way. His actions with us cannot always be traced and understood by us. However, He always acts with the same goal: He wants to have us closer to Himself, to connect us more closely to Himself, that is, that we may experience that closeness more and more. Once Asaph has discovered that the problem is with himself, thinking about himself is over. From now on he “shall remember the deeds of the LORD” ( ). He speaks here about “the LORD”, the God of the covenant and the promises, with Whom he has a relationship and Whom he can trust. The light breaks through in the darkness of his thoughts and feelings. In the midst of his wrestling of faith, the psalmist decides to turn his thoughts to what God has revealed in the past. For us, it is to focus our thoughts on what God has done in the past, that He “did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all” ( ). This helps us to remember in the midst of our wrestling of faith “that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” ( ). God is trustworthy. All His deeds prove it. He wants to think about those deeds. With this he can mean God’s acts of creation, but he will especially think of His acts to redeem His people. He wants to think of His “wonders of old”, such as the redemption of His people from slavery in Egypt. When the afflicted believer has risen above his distress and focusses on God again, he is able to “meditate on all Your work” and to “muse on Your deeds” ( ). His thoughts no longer circle around himself, but go out to God. And thinking about God is thinking about His works. God reveals Himself in His works, which here especially refers to His works in the redemption of His own. God takes care of His creation. Thereby the value of His own far exceeds the value of creation ( ). The believer can speak of God’s acts of care for him from his birth to his conversion and as long as he lives after that. He has gained an eye for the true character of life, that God governs everything. How He does that, he does not always understand, but he trusts God, that He will govern everything in a way that leads to wonder and worship. He testifies of this to others. Asaph is at the point where he can say to God: “Your way, O God, is holy” ( ). That God’s way is a holy way, a way that works sanctification of His Name. Literally it is: “Your way is in the sanctuary” (cf. ). That means that the ways and actions of God are higher than our ways. His ways are marked by wisdom, power and majesty. Therefore, this is followed with an exclamation of wonder: “What god is great like our God?” ( ) This section is about the way of God when He delivered Israel from Egypt ( ). The same cry of wonder is uttered in the song of Moses ( ). It’s God’s way. That is the best way. We may think differently about it if that way sometimes leads us into difficulties. When we come to the point that we agree with God’s way as the best way for us, there will be peace in our hearts. We then ask the question in amazement: “What god is great like our God?” He governs everything in His holy sanctuary. No one can be compared to Him, not in His power and not in His government. Any attempt at comparison with anything or anyone is in fact folly. There is no other living God. God is infinitely superior to the dead idols from whom men expect their help and who are worshiped by them.

‏ Psalms 77:13-20

God’s Way Is In the Sanctuary

In Psa 77:10 comes the turning point. The God-fearing has been so preoccupied with his affliction and problems that he has lost faith in the goodness and grace of God. This changed the moment he saw what the real problem was: that he only had an eye for himself and his circumstances. Look how often the psalmist uses the words ‘I’ and ‘me’ in this psalm. By doing so he had lost sight of God.

When he became aware of this, his view of his situation changed completely. Then he discovers the cause, “it is my grieve”, that is, what wounds him inwardly, namely the thought “that the right hand of the Most High has changed”. That He is the Most High means that He is above everything and everyone.

Asaph thus acknowledges that the problem does not lie with God, but with himself, with his understanding of God’s actions. God’s right hand speaks of His powerful actions by which His power becomes visible. God has done this in the past to redeem His people. Apparently, so he thought then, God does not do that anymore.

Asaph thought that God is a changeable God. Indeed, God does not always act in the same way. His actions with us cannot always be traced and understood by us. However, He always acts with the same goal: He wants to have us closer to Himself, to connect us more closely to Himself, that is, that we may experience that closeness more and more.

Once Asaph has discovered that the problem is with himself, thinking about himself is over. From now on he “shall remember the deeds of the LORD” (Psa 77:11). He speaks here about “the LORD”, the God of the covenant and the promises, with Whom he has a relationship and Whom he can trust. The light breaks through in the darkness of his thoughts and feelings.

In the midst of his wrestling of faith, the psalmist decides to turn his thoughts to what God has revealed in the past. For us, it is to focus our thoughts on what God has done in the past, that He “did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all” (Rom 8:32). This helps us to remember in the midst of our wrestling of faith “that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Rom 8:28).

God is trustworthy. All His deeds prove it. He wants to think about those deeds. With this he can mean God’s acts of creation, but he will especially think of His acts to redeem His people. He wants to think of His “wonders of old”, such as the redemption of His people from slavery in Egypt.

When the afflicted believer has risen above his distress and focusses on God again, he is able to “meditate on all Your work” and to “muse on Your deeds” (Psa 77:12). His thoughts no longer circle around himself, but go out to God. And thinking about God is thinking about His works. God reveals Himself in His works, which here especially refers to His works in the redemption of His own.

God takes care of His creation. Thereby the value of His own far exceeds the value of creation (Mt 6:26 ; Mt 10:31 ; Mt 12:12). The believer can speak of God’s acts of care for him from his birth to his conversion and as long as he lives after that. He has gained an eye for the true character of life, that God governs everything. How He does that, he does not always understand, but he trusts God, that He will govern everything in a way that leads to wonder and worship. He testifies of this to others.

Asaph is at the point where he can say to God: “Your way, O God, is holy” (Psa 77:13a). That God’s way is a holy way, a way that works sanctification of His Name. Literally it is: “Your way is in the sanctuary” (cf. Psa 73:17). That means that the ways and actions of God are higher than our ways.

His ways are marked by wisdom, power and majesty. Therefore, this is followed with an exclamation of wonder: “What god is great like our God?” (Psa 77:13b) This section is about the way of God when He delivered Israel from Egypt (Psa 77:13-20). The same cry of wonder is uttered in the song of Moses (Exo 15:11).

It’s God’s way. That is the best way. We may think differently about it if that way sometimes leads us into difficulties. When we come to the point that we agree with God’s way as the best way for us, there will be peace in our hearts.

We then ask the question in amazement: “What god is great like our God?” He governs everything in His holy sanctuary. No one can be compared to Him, not in His power and not in His government. Any attempt at comparison with anything or anyone is in fact folly. There is no other living God. God is infinitely superior to the dead idols from whom men expect their help and who are worshiped by them.

God’s Way Was In the Sea

God is “the God who works wonders” (Psa 77:14). This refers to the wonders that are made known among the nations, in this case the wonders by which Israel was delivered from Egypt (Psa 77:15-19). We also find this in the song of Moses (Exo 15:14-16).

God does things that work amazement. They are things that man cannot do and cannot understand. His wonders show of what He is capable. This can only be seen in retrospect, when He has done a wonder. We see it in creation, in His government of the world, and especially in the redemption of His own. He keeps all things alive, He, “who is the Savior [i.e. Maintainer] of all men, especially of believers” (1Tim 4:10b).

Well, in the deliverance of His people God made known His “strength among the peoples”. The peoples have heard of it (Jos 2:9-10). God will make His strength known again in the future, when Christ will deliver His people from the power of their enemies by judging those enemies.

Asaph speaks to God about the redemption of His people (Psa 77:15). He now looks back to the past as God wants the believer to look back to it. Then he remembers again that God redeemed His people by His strong arm – that is Christ (Exo 6:6b ; Exo 15:16). The believer, and we too, may say this to Him with a thankful heart. It is also an encouragement for the hopeless situation in which we may find ourselves.

The people of God are here called “the sons of Jacob and Joseph”. This is the only time in the Bible that God’s people are so called. The reason is that it is prophetically emphasized here that at its fulfillment in the future, not only Judah but also the ten tribes will be redeemed (Eze 37:15-22). Jacob is the patriarch from whom the twelve tribes originated. Joseph is mentioned because he is the most excellent among the twelve brothers. He is also the man through whom God sustained His people and who reigned in Egypt.

In Psa 77:16-18, Asaph describes in an impressive and poetic way how God has paved the way of His people to deliverance. He speaks of “the waters” as hostile persons who wanted to block the way of God’s people to deliverance. But then they saw their Creator and “were in anguish” (Psa 77:16; cf. Hab 3:10). “The deeps also” responded to the power of their Creator: they “also trembled”. Asaph says twice that the waters saw God.

The ‘waters’ are also a picture of the nations (Isa 17:12-13). With ‘the deep waters’ we can think of demonic powers that stir up the nations in their hatred of God’s people. Of the demons we read, as of the deep waters here, that they ‘shudder’ before God (Jam 2:19). Satan and his demons can only dispose of the elements of nature as far as God allows. We see this in Job (Job 1:12 ; 19). The supreme authority always rests with God or Christ, Who is God (Mk 4:39).

God’s appearance and its effect on the waters is followed by His performance (Psa 77:17-18). He rules the waters on earth and in the clouds. The clouds release the water at His command and pour it out on the earth. This is accompanied by a noise from heaven, or the sound of God’s thunder. Thereby God’s arrows, that is lightning, “flashed here and there” and illuminate the world. Underneath them the earth trembles and shakes. The entire creation, waters and earth, will tremble and shake when God appears in majesty on behalf of His people. This happens when the Lord Jesus appears to redeem His people.

After the imposing performance of God, His people have been brought into the rest. The great distress and trials are behind them. Now they can look back and reflect on the manner God has delivered them. They say to Him: “Your way was in the sea” (Psa 77:19). It’s “Your way”, it’s the way God has gone. He not only mapped out that way for them, but He went before them through the Red Sea. His paths were also “in the mighty waters”. They have been in the midst of great waters of distress and affliction. There, too, He has been with them (Isa 43:2a).

We cannot know in advance the way and the path of God for His people, for us. Even when we are on the way, we do not see His footprints, they are not known. Often we do not understand His way. God does not always explain to us why we get into difficulties. Just as there are no footprints at the bottom of the sea, we cannot see the way God is going with us. We may go in confidence that He does know and see the way and where that way ends up: with Him.

On the way He takes us by the hand and leads us. The psalmist reminds us of this in the last verse. The psalm ends with a retrospective glance at the wondrous dealings of God with Israel from the exodus from Egypt to the end of the wilderness journey (Psa 77:20). He, Who led His people as a flock “by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (cf. Gen 48:15), will do so again in the future.

It is one of those amazing facts that He carried and cared for a people of millions through the wilderness for forty years. Never did the people lack anything. Always there has been water and food, despite all the unbelief and failure of the people. God has remained faithful.

Both Moses and Aaron are mentioned here for the first time in Psalms. Moses is mentioned seven more times and Aaron eight more times after this. “Moses and Aaron” together are a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus as the Apostle (Moses) and High Priest (Aaron) of our confession (Heb 3:1). Moses is a picture of the Lord Jesus as the Teacher of righteousness Who spoke the Word of God to the people. Aaron is a picture of the Lord Jesus as the High Priest Who has compassion on the weaknesses of His people (Heb 4:12-16).

“The hand” of the Lord Jesus indicates that He took His people by the hand with His hand. Thus He has led them and led them safely through the wilderness. This is elaborated and explained in the next psalm, Psalm 78.

The psalmist, and in him the remnant, has come from the despair that controlled him at the beginning of the psalm to hope. In the psalm he has described the feelings he has gone through to get to this point. Likewise, we too may tell our distress and hopelessness and our why-questions to God. To whom can we better tell them than to Him? Then we will experience that He Himself is the answer to those questions and we will come to rest in His faithfulness and love (Rom 8:35-39).