Click here to read PSALM 77 in poetic form.
Background
Psalm 77 is in the Leviticus book of the Psalms (73—89). The Old Testament book of Leviticus focuses on matters in the sanctuary: the priesthood, ceremonial laws, and feasts. Almost all of these 17 Psalms mention the sanctuary and God’s relation to it. Psalm 77 shows the heartache of those who are outside God’s “sanctuary” and His blessings.
This Psalm has the title “of Asaph.” Psalm 50 in the Exodus book of the Psalms also has this title. There are 11 Psalms (73-83) with this title in the Leviticus book of Psalms. Regarding Asaph, Nehemiah 7:44 speaks of “The singers: the children of Asaph.” They were responsible for worship in the Temple. For further study on Asaph, see II Kings 18:18,37; I Chronicles 6:39; 9:15; 15:17,19; 16:5,7,37; 25:1,2,6,9; 26:1; II Chronicles 5:12; 20:14; 29:13,30; 35:15; Ezra 2:41; 3:10; Nehemiah 2:8; 7:44; 11:17,22; 12:35,46; Psalms 50:1; 73:1; 74:1; 75:1; 76:1; 77:1; 78:1; 79:1; 80:1; 81:1; 82:1; 83:1; Isaiah 36:3,22.
Psalm 77 is divided into four sections by the Hebrew term “Selah,” which means to pause. Some Bible teachers say this connected the truths that come before and after the term.
Like Psalm 73, this Psalm deals with the heartache of man. Looking without, we see that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse” (II Timothy 3:13). Looking within, we see that “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26). Thus man is tossed about with his emotions. But when we look to God, through His Son Jesus Christ, we are enlightened (II Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:18). We have “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding…through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
Structure
(Verses 1-3) Cry to God when feeling troubled and overwhelmed
Pause
(Verses 4-9) Remembering God’s past goodness
Consider days of old (4,5)
My song in the night (6)
Will God help: with His favor, mercy, compassion? (7-9)
Pause
(Verses 10-15) Remembering God’s past goodness
Remember wonders of old (10-12)
God in the sanctuary (13)
God helps: does wonders, declares His strength, redeems His people (14,15)
Pause
(Verses 16-20) God troubles and overwhelms evil with His power
Key Scriptures
Verse 2—“my sore ran in the night.” The Hebrew can read, “My open hand I stretched out at night.” Eastern people, especially in Bible times, show their devotion to God by lifting their hands to Him. This is also a gesture of surrendering cares and worries, and of bringing God’s blessings (see Genesis 14:22; Deuteronomy 32:40; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalms 28:2; 119:48; 134:2; 141:2; Lamentations 3:41; Luke 24:50; 1 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 12:12). Here the Psalmist is lifting hands to God and making known his complaint.
Verse 4—“I am so troubled that I cannot speak.” At times, it is good not to speak, but rather to go to God. We do not trust in our selves or boast of our own strength. Psalms 75:5 says, “Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.” Isaiah said that without the light of God’s Word, people speak in vain. Isaiah 8:20: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
Jesus Christ always spoke what his Father wanted him to speak. John 14:10: “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”
Verse 6—“I call to remembrance my song in the night.” This is the only place in the Old Testament where these two Hebrew words for “song” and “night” are used together. The word for “song” is neginoth and is found elsewhere in the book of Psalms (4:1; 6:1; 54:1; 55:1; 61:1; 67:1; 69:12; 76:1; 77:6). The King James Version transliterates it as “Neginoth” in all other uses except for 69:12.
Verse 15—“Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people.” Jesus Christ is the great redeemer (Titus 2:14) who bought us back from the deceit and violence of the Devil. The Hebrew word for “redeem” refers to a next of kin in Eastern culture. This person could buy back land, carry on a relative’s family (as Boaz did in Ruth), avenge wrongdoing, and save those under duress. Ruth 4:14: “And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman [Hebrew word for “redeemer”], that his name may be famous in Israel.”
Verse 19—“Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.” The Psalmist spoke of God’s way in the sea and His paths through the great waters long before scientists did. God’s Word has been the source of great discoveries in the sea. American naval officer and oceanographer Matthew Maury (1806-1873) was a Christian who loved reading his Bible and had no doubts about its accuracy. And this led him to some remarkable discoveries in science. Beginning in 1842, Maury devoted 19 years to study the winds, clouds, weather, and ocean. While reading the Bible, the words of Psalm 8 aroused his interest, for it speaks of “the paths of the seas.” Maury set out to find these paths that the Creator spoke of. Using old ships’ logs, he compiled charts of wind and sea currents. He floated “drift bottles” and used the location and date of the returned bottles to develop charts of ocean currents. Thus the “paths of the seas” were known and greatly helped sailors and navigators. In 1855, he wrote the first textbook on modern oceanography, and later prepared charts of the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean between the United States and Europe, leading to the use of undersea cables.
Verse 20—“Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” These two great men of God were prototypes for the Messiah. Jesus Christ led God’s people as the “good shepherd” who laid down his life for the sheep (John 10:11-15). Jesus Christ was a prophet “like unto” Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18). And Jesus Christ was a high priest even greater than Aaron (Hebrews 7—10). Hebrews 10:11,12: “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”
FOR FURTHER STUDY
All 150 of The Psalms in Poetic Form are available from Amazon in a book, either Large Print or a smaller Bedside Reader. Also available for free with a Kindle Unlimited membership. Enjoy!
The entire blog series is now available in the publication The Psalms: Background & Structure with Key Scriptures Explained.
