What the Lord Did in the Past

[Psalm 44:1-8]

It is said that in the Israel Museum, located in Tel Aviv, the administrative capital of Israel, three lines of text are written on the wall of a white building. These three lines say: "Remember the past, live the present, and trust the future." When I read these words, I think of the psalmist. The reason is that, as I continually meditate on the Psalms, I often notice that the psalmist, in the midst of present suffering and adversity, looks back to the past and is certain that he will praise God for what He will do in the future.

In today’s passage, the psalmist also shows us how he remembers the past. We can see this in Psalm 44:1: "O God, we have heard with our ears; our fathers have told us the deeds You did in their days, in the days of old." He speaks of having heard with his own ears the deeds that God did for his ancestors in the past. Through this, he recalls the marvelous works of God in ancient times. The "past" deeds that the psalmist refers to were indeed wonderful acts of salvation. In Deuteronomy 5:15, we also find this verse: "Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm..." In Psalm 44, the psalmist recalls the history of salvation that took place during the exodus of his ancestors, just as it is written in Deuteronomy. That history of salvation refers not only to the exodus from Egypt but also to the entry into the Promised Land, the land of Canaan.

In light of Psalm 44:1-8, I would like to meditate on the theme of "What the Lord Did in the Past," reflecting on three aspects of the marvelous salvation that the Lord accomplished. In doing so, I pray that we may receive the grace that God desires to give us.

First, I want to reflect on how the Lord accomplished such a marvelous work of salvation.

The Lord accomplished the work of salvation for the people of Israel during the Exodus by driving out the Canaanite nations, planting Israel in the land of Canaan, and making them flourish. Let's look at Psalm 44:2: "You with Your own hand drove out the nations; You planted our fathers; You afflicted the peoples and cast them out." This verse refers to how, during the Exodus, God led the people of Israel under Joshua's leadership, drove out the Canaanite nations, and allowed the Israelites to possess the land of Canaan.

An interesting point here is that God is compared to a planter, and the people of Israel are compared to the tree He planted. The psalmist uses the metaphor of God as the planter and Israel as the tree He planted, nurturing it and causing it to grow, just as a gardener cultivates a tree to make it flourish. To plant Israel, God uprooted the Canaanite nations—represented as weeds growing in the land flowing with milk and honey—and planted Israel in their place. In doing so, He nurtured the tree, making it grow and producing much fruit, that is, making Israel flourish. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy in 2 Samuel 7:10: "Moreover, I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them any more, as previously."

This expression also brings to mind the parable of the vine in John 15. Jesus is the true vine, and God the Father is "the vinedresser" (v. 1). As branches, we cannot bear fruit apart from Him (v. 5). Similarly, the people of Israel, during the Exodus, could not accomplish anything without the Lord who planted and made them flourish.

The Lord as the One Who Uproots and Plants

The God who works our salvation is also the One who uproots and plants us. In particular, our God is the One who uproots the bitter roots that exist within us. Hebrews 12:15 says, "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many." The "bitter roots" (Deut. 29:18) in us—like poisonous weeds—lead us to sin, such as idolatry, and aim to destroy our souls. In Isaiah 5:2, we see the results of not meeting God’s expectations: "He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine; He built a tower in its midst and also made a winepress in it; so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes."

The God who uproots the bitter roots desires that we be rooted in Jesus Christ, growing in Him and being built up. As Colossians 2:6-7 states: "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

The Second Reflection: "Why Did the Lord Accomplish This Wonderful Work of Salvation?"

The reason the Lord performed the miraculous work of salvation for the people of Israel is because the Lord delighted in them. Let’s look at Psalm 44:3: "For they did not get the land in possession by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them." The clear truth is that when the Lord allowed the people of Israel to conquer the land of Canaan, it was not by their own strength ("arm") or by their weapons and army ("sword"). The victory Israel had in conquering the land of Canaan was solely by the power of God (v. 3). Why did God fight on behalf of the Israelites, destroy the Canaanite nations, grant them victory, and allow them to conquer Canaan? The reason is that the Lord delighted in His people, Israel.

In Isaiah 5:7, the people of Israel are referred to as "the trees of His delight." God saved them because He delighted in them. The reason God extended such a special grace to Israel was not because Israel was righteous. It was because, according to His will, God took an unconditional liking to Israel (Park Yoon-Seon). See Deuteronomy 7:7-8: "The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt."

The Third Reflection: How Does One Who Remembers the Miraculous History of Salvation Act?

Like the psalmist, those who remember the miraculous work of salvation in the past respond in three ways:

(1) They Pray to the Lord.

Let’s look at Psalm 44:4: "You are my King, O God; command victories for Jacob." The psalmist confesses that the Lord alone is his King and pleads for salvation for Israel. Remembering how God, by His grace, granted salvation during the exodus, he asks the Lord to save Israel again. Similarly, we should have the same assurance as the psalmist, knowing that the same God who granted us salvation in the past can also save us today. Therefore, we must earnestly plead for His grace of salvation with faith.

(2) They Trust in the Lord.

In Psalm 44:5, we read: "Through You we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us." The psalmist, reflecting on the history of Israel’s salvation by trusting in the Lord in the past, continues to trust God even in the present times of difficulty and pain. The reason he trusts in God is that he is convinced that only the Lord can save the people of Israel. Therefore, he does not rely on himself (v. 6). How precious is this kind of faith! It is a faith that does not rely on oneself, that understands even one’s own bow or sword cannot save them. The psalmist did not rely on his own strength. Why? Psalm 44:7 provides the answer: "But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us."

(3) They Boast in the Lord All Day Long.

In Psalm 44:8, we read: "In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name forever." The psalmist, with the humility of not trusting in himself (v. 6), lived a life that placed God first and praised and thanked Him for His grace (Park Yoon-Seon).

As I was reflecting on "the works the Lord has done in the past," I remembered the gospel song "A Long, Long Time Ago":

"A long, long time ago, there was a plan for you in heaven.
God looked upon you and said it was good.
More precious than anything in this world, with His own hands, He created you.
I rejoice because of you, I love you.
I love you, I bless you,
We give our love to you in your heart."

And I thought about my beloved brother Yoo Ho-seong, sister Seongnam Shin, and the precious gift from God that is their baby Ji-seong. As I looked at baby Ji-seong, who is currently suffering from acute myelogenous leukemia, I thought of my first child, Ju-young, from the past.

I reflected on the God who had worked out the history of salvation in my life, remembering how God had received glory from my dear Ju-young, in the very moments that the meaning of his name was fulfilled. And with that, I thought of baby Ji-seong. I then applied the lyrics of "A Long, Long Time Ago" to baby Ji-seong:

"A long, long time ago, before Ji-seong was born,
God had a plan for him.
God looked upon Ji-seong and said it was good.
More precious than anything in this world, God created Ji-seong with His hands.
And God is rejoicing because of Ji-seong.
And God loves Ji-seong.
Therefore, I confess to Ji-seong:
I love you, Ji-seong.
I bless you, Ji-seong.
We give our love to you in your heart."

Just as God worked out the history of salvation in the life of my first child, Ju-young, I earnestly pray that He will also fulfill His plan of salvation for the beloved baby Ji-seong, for His glory alone.

Thinking of my beloved brother Ho-seong, sister Nam-shin, and baby Ji-seong,

Pastor James Kim
(After praying with trust in God)