Hello, this is Pastor Steven Anderson from Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona,
and today I want to talk about Psalm 44. Let's start reading in verse number 4 where
the Bible reads, Thou art my king, O God, command deliverances for Jacob. Through
thee will we push down our enemies. Through thy name will we tread them under that
rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But
thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In
God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name forever. Selah. A lot of people
will point to scriptures like this about God defending Israel in battle in the Old
Testament, and they will try to apply that to the unbelieving, Christ-rejecting
nation of Israel today in the Middle East. I've even heard many people say that the
evidence for the legitimacy of Israel in God's sight is the fact that they've
won all these military battles, and that there were all these miracles where God
stepped in and fought for Israel, and that proves that God's still blessing Israel,
even though they blaspheme and hate the Lord Jesus Christ. God's still blessing
Israel. They're still God's chosen people, and they'll use those military victories
and so-called military miracles as evidence for that. But that is not a scriptural
teaching whatsoever. And in fact, if we keep reading a little further in Psalm 44,
you'll see why. It says in verse number nine, but thou hast cast us off.
See, in verses four through eight, he was talking about in the past how God
had defended Israel. In verse one of the chapter, he said,
We've heard with our ears, O God. Our fathers have told us what work thou didst
in their days in the times of old. So back in the old days, God was fighting for
Israel, and they were defeating their enemies. But then let's fast forward to
present day, verse nine. But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame,
and goest not forth with our armies. So at this time in Israel's history
that this Psalm is being written, the author is saying that God is not going
with their armies. Now let me ask you something. If God was not going with their armies at this time,
why in the world would God be going with their armies when they are worshiping a false
God, when they've rejected the Lord Jesus Christ? There's no way. It would be inconsistent
with all of the teachings of the Old Testament. He says in verse nine,
But thou hast cast us off, and put us to shame, and goest not forth with our armies.
Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy, and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat, and hast scattered us among the heathen.
Thou sellest thy people for naught, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people, and on and on.
According to Romans 11, one through seven, unbelieving Israel has been cast off.
It's only the remnant, the small remnant that has not been cast off,
and that is the remnant according to the election of grace,
the remnant that believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.
So this idea of God going with Israel's armies today when they're in unbelief,
when they reject the Lord Jesus Christ is a total fraud.
These miracles that they talk about are not miracles at all.
They're a hoax.
And so we need to get our doctrine from the Bible,
and realize that God only goes with your army when you are worshiping the true God,
not when you're in unbelief and worshiping a false god.