Remember the Past in Present Lament

Part 1 of a two-part series. Taken from the sermon “Questioning Under the Clouds: Has His Steadfast Love Ceased Forever?” Read Part 2.

Psalm 77

¹ I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.

² In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.

³ When I remember God, I moan;
when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

⁴ You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

⁵ I consider the days of old,
the years long ago.

⁶ I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;
let me meditate in my heart.”
Then my spirit made a diligent search:

⁷ “Will the Lord spurn forever,
and never again be favorable?

⁸ Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?

⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

¹⁰ Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

¹¹ I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

¹² I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.

¹³ Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?

¹⁴ You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.

¹⁵ You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶ When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
indeed, the deep trembled.

¹⁷ The clouds poured out water;
the skies gave forth thunder;
your arrows flashed on every side.

¹⁸ The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.

¹⁹ Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.

²⁰ You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 77 is a lament that illustrates both the journey and the destination of lament. From this psalm, we can see where biblical lamentation ends—the cry of the cross yields to the empty tomb. Lament eventually leads to joy and resolution, but getting there may not come quickly, easily, or in a time frame that fits your expectation.

In Psalm 77, verses 1-9 set up the tension, and verses 10-20 resolve it. The text demonstrates clearly that, in our pain, we need to remember. In verse 10, Asaph, the psalmist, makes a significant shift with the word “then.” What follows is an appeal to the history of God’s powerful deliverance. Notice the language connected to his remembering:

• (v. 10b) – “appeal . . . to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
• (v. 11a) – “will remember the deeds of the Lord;”

The reflection then shifts to a more personal appeal, as if Asaph is talking directly to God:

• (v. 11b) – “yes, I will remember your wonders of old.”
• (v. 12) – “I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds.”

Asaph is looking back and reflecting on the works of God in Israel’s past. His lament has brought him to the place where he is now remembering the numerous ways in which God has indeed proven himself to be trustworthy. Then, the focus shifts from the historical works of God to the very character of God:

• (v. 13) – “Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?” (Notice this rhetorical question and how different it is than the previous six questions.)
• (v. 14) – “You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples”

Asaph’s remembering is now becoming more and more focused. Do you see where it is headed? Verse 15 provides a hint, which becomes fully evident in verses 16-20.

This prayerful lament finds its hope-filled resolution in the ultimate moment that defined the people of Israel and their relationship with God: the exodus. Verse 15 talks about redemption and the children of Jacob and Joseph, a clear reference to their time in Egypt. And verses 16-20 talk about the Red Sea crossing—a defining moment in the life of Israel—using similar language to the song of Moses which the people sang after witnessing the defeat of Pharaoh. These verses are filled with powerful and comforting language:

“When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled. The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side. The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (vv. 16–20).

In the exodus and the Red Sea crossing, God’s power and care for his people are clearly seen.

Do you see what Asaph does here? He anchors his questioning, his hurting heart, to the single greatest redemptive event in the life of Israel. He takes his heart back to the foundation of everything. And as he talks about this moment, he uses words that are so incredibly precious: “Your way was through the sea . . . yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock . . .” (vv. 19-20).

The exodus is an anchor for Asaph’s soul in the midst of lament. There is no greater moment in Israel’s history. It defines his understanding of God’s character and gives Asaph hope in the midst of the dark moments of lament, when it seems as though God has forgotten about his people. Remembering leads him through his lament.

For the Christian, our exodus event—the place where we found deliverance—is the cross. It is where our questions should be taken. It is the foundation of our hope and confidence that no matter how dark, bleak, or difficult life may be, God has already proven himself to be for us and not against us.

Remember: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:31-32).

Therefore, we can lament the pain, the brokenness, and the sufferings of this life while anchoring our hearts to the bedrock truth of the grace of God. We can lament and join in the lamentation of others as they wrestle with difficult emotions and challenging questions. We can keep praying, keep seeking, and keep wrestling. We can cry out to God in our human pain, and we can do so with a hope that one day God will make everything right. In our lament, we can still trust.

To learn more about lament, check out the sermon series Lamentations: Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy.