Psalm 44 is very interesting. As I have been working my way through the Psalms off and on for the past year or so, one recurring theme is that often plaintive "complaining Psalms" start with just that, complaints or the telling of the dire circumstansces surrounding the psalmist's life. However, in many of them, there is at lease one "transition point," where the Psalmist expresses that deliverance has happened, or an attitude of trust and thankfulness in God takes over the tone.
In Psalm 44, we have a bit if a backwards approach. Vs. 1-8 express that attitude of trust, thanking God for His historical deliverance of Israel. Vs. 9-26 then begins the litany of woes and complaining. It's almost as if the psalmist is laying a foundation to God to prove what He's "supposed to be doing," then proceeds to complain about why He's not doing it.
You know, at first I thought this was backwards. However, as I write this, I think we strategize our arguments with God in the same way. We have victories and we have things to praise Him about. I think sometimes we "hold those over His head" by saying. "Well, last year you delivered me from this, and this year you haven't - what's the deal?" So, I can't be too critical of "the descendents of Korah," whom this psalm is attributed to. We're just as backwards now.
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