1 We have heard with our ears, O God,
our fathers have told us,
what work Thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
2 How Thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them;
how Thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword,
neither did their own arm save them:
but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance,
because Thou hadst a favour unto them.
4 Thou art my King, O God:
command deliverances for Jacob.
5 Through thee will we push down our enemies:
through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow,
neither shall my sword save me.
7 But Thou hast saved us from our enemies,
and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8 In God we boast all the day long,
and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame;
and goest not forth with our armies.
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy:
and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat;
and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12 Thou sellest thy people for nought,
and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
Comments by Joan Boney
There was a point in time when the people chosen by God went into captivity and God gave them over to their enemies because they left HIM and stopped trusting in HIM and worshiped the flesh of man and other gods. (This is an example to us.)
Eventually God ended the captivity but for a season the chosen were left in captivity.
Deliverance came at the appointed time.
The first part of Psalm 44 shows how our victories are not by our own wisdom or strength. Our victories are by the hand of God.
Gideon is an example ...
Judges 7 ... 2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there:and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 So he brought down the people unto the water:and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. 6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men:but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand:and let all the other people go every man unto his place. 8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets:and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men:and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
I always laugh when I read this scripture. When Gideon told those who were afraid to leave, 22,000 left him! God eliminated even more of the army so Gideon went to battle with only 300. The enemy was very strong. But God was going to show HIS strength and God arranged this so the people of God would marvel in HIM and not in themselves.
God does test HIS people. God tested Abraham to see if Abraham would follow HIM. God has tested me more than once to see if I would do what HE said without wavering. I've seen God test people among our group and many have left as a result of the test. Only a few remain.
And as we go forward, we know we are not doing these works ... God has authored the work and God is doing the work.