I. (77:1–3) Opening Statement: I Cry Aloud to God. This section describes earnest prayer coming from a troubled heart: the statements “I cry aloud to God” (v. 1), “I moan,” and “my spirit faints” (v. 3) convey deep feeling, and “my hand is stretched out” (to God) is a common posture of prayer (cf. Job 11:13; Pss. 44:20; 88:9; 143:6; 1 Tim. 2:8). Here, however, it is not limited to prayer in public worship; it preoccupies the singer’s private moments as well (“in the night”; 77:2; cf. v. 4). In such a setting the singer’s “soul refuses to be comforted” (v. 2); no easy answers will do. The psalm presents this distress as one stage in a process, in which even to “remember God” and to “meditate” (v. 3) do not yield instant quiet of soul. But the song proceeds.

II. (77:4–9) Specific Complaint: Has God Forgotten to Be Gracious? Now the psalm describes that which gives so much unrest to the singer: during the night, when he cannot sleep (vv. 4–6), he ponders the question of whether God will “spurn” his people “forever” (vv. 7–9).

The song leads the faithful through what they can do in such times of sleeplessness: they can “consider the days of old, the years of long ago,” the earlier times, when the condition of the people of God seemed to be better. This leads them further to “remember” and “meditate” (v. 6), going beyond the level of verse 3. The subject of the remembering and meditating is the faithful’s “song in the night”; since the word for “song” (Hb. neginah) occurs often in the sense of “stringed instruments” used in public worship (titles of Psalms 4; 6; 55; 61; 67; 76; Hab. 3:19; cf. Isa. 38:20), it is reasonable to suppose that these songs are worship songs celebrating God’s mighty deeds for his people, which the faithful Israelite might recall in his sleepless agitation.

This leads to a “diligent search” (Ps. 77:6), presumably of the records of those long-ago years. Can it be possible that the God who has made himself known could “spurn forever, and never again be favorable” (v. 7)? The answer will come more fully in verses 10–11, repeating parts of the expressions “years of the right hand of the Most High” and “wonders of old.”

The congregation is not to think that God is offended when his troubled people raise these questions if they do so with an interest in the explanation. Indeed, merely putting the questions invites the answer, since they touch on the points of Exodus 34:6, the key confession of the OT, which describes the enduring benevolence of God toward his people. If God abounds in “steadfast love,” then it cannot cease, nor can his promises be at an end; if God is gracious, he cannot forget to continue that grace, nor can he shut up his compassion. The key matter is the last line: has he done this in anger? God’s anger is a response to unfaithfulness on the part of his people and will remain only if they remain impenitent.521 Hence this calls the people to examine themselves and lay hold of the covenant afresh.

III. (77:10–20) The Appeal: What God Has Done in the Past for His People. Now the psalm directs attention to what God has done for his people in the past, especially in the exodus and in the wilderness, as grounds for confidence that he will not abandon his purpose for his people. The spiritual condition of any particular generation will not derail his purpose, though it may indeed prevent members of that generation from receiving saving benefits from God or participating constructively in the outworking of that purpose in the world. This is why the “appeal” is not to the people but to the “years of the right hand of the Most High” (Ps. 77:10).522 God’s “right hand” is the expression of his power for the sake of his people (Ex. 15:6, 12), which the rest of the section will go on to describe.523

God’s “deeds,” “wonders,” “work,” and “mighty deeds” (Ps. 77:11–12) are likewise great things he has done to save and preserve his people. Now the remembering and meditating has taken on a fresh tone (cf. vv. 3, 6; comments on 77:1–3; 77:4–9).

Verses 13–15 echo the Song of Moses (Ex. 15:1–18), which celebrates the Israelites’ passage through the Red Sea. We can display the resonances in a table (cf. table 1.2).

TABLE 1.2: Resonances between Psalm 77 and Exodus 15

God has shown his distinguishing love by redeeming one people, making his might known among the rest of the peoples. (On “redeem” cf. comment on 25:22.524) This is an irreplaceable part of the story of God’s people, one that should fill them with courage and renewed commitment to their calling among the other peoples. The mention of the “children of Jacob and Joseph” probably stresses the unity of the whole people, or perhaps that the present community (however diminished it might be) is the proper heir of the whole of Israel (and may also allude to the way in which God’s mysterious providence figures in the Joseph story in Genesis).

Psalm 77:16 offers a colorful recollection and embellishment of the Red Sea crossing, personifying the waters, being potentially dangerous but retreating from the mighty God (cf. 114:3); in 77:17–18 we are led to imagine a powerful thunderstorm as well (perhaps inspired by the “strong east wind”; Ex. 14:21).525 The summary in Psalm 77:19 stresses not the dry feet of the Israelites but the Lord’s powerful “path”—powerful but “unseen” (lit., “unknown”; i.e., beyond nature). This whole recollection comes to a soft landing in verse 20 with the simple statement that God “led” his people “like a flock” through the wilderness “by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” (For the image of God’s people as sheep and God as their shepherd cf. comments on 23:1–4; 74:1–3.)

The singing congregation is left to draw the conclusion for itself: the God who has done these great things certainly has the power to do them again if need be, and all the records of these events (the Pentateuch) speak clearly of God’s unwavering commitment to bring blessing to Abraham’s children—and through them to the world. Thus this song helps God’s people to refresh their hope and renew their commitment to be a holy people, an attractive advertisement of the true God to the rest of the world, and in that frame of soul to ask God for relief from the present distress (cf. 74:2).