Table of Contents
Background and Context
Psalm 77 is a deeply moving psalm of Asaph that masterfully charts a journey from the depths of personal despair to a place of renewed and stable faith. The specific cause of the psalmist’s “day of trouble” is not mentioned, making this a timeless prayer for any individual or community wrestling with a crisis so profound that it leads to a dark night of the soul.
The psalm is a two-part masterpiece. The first half is one of the most honest and raw depictions of spiritual depression and doubt in the entire Bible. The psalmist is sleepless, comfortless, and tormented by a barrage of agonizing questions about whether God has abandoned him forever.
The second half records the dramatic turning point. The psalmist makes a deliberate and conscious decision to stop focusing on his own feelings and circumstances and to start remembering and meditating on the great saving acts of God in history. This act of remembrance becomes the pathway out of his despair, as he recounts the power and mystery of God revealed in the Exodus, ultimately finding peace in the character of the God who saves.
Theological Themes
This psalm is a vital guide for navigating seasons of doubt and spiritual darkness, highlighting several crucial theological truths.
The Reality of the Dark Night of the Soul: The psalm gives full and honest expression to the experience of feeling abandoned by God. Asaph does not pretend to be strong; he details his inability to be comforted, his groaning when he thinks of God, and the terrifying questions that haunt him. This validates the experience of believers who go through seasons where God feels distant and His promises seem to have failed.
Remembrance as a Spiritual Discipline: The solution to the psalmist’s crisis is not a sudden emotional shift, but a disciplined act of the will. He says, “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago” (verse 11). He chooses to redirect his mind from the turmoil within to the testimony of God’s power in history. This teaches that a key to enduring faith is the active, intentional practice of remembering God’s character and His past faithfulness.
The Mystery of God’s Ways: The psalm marvels at the way God works. The psalmist concludes that God’s path was “through the sea” and His “footsteps were not seen” (verse 19). This is a profound statement about the mysterious nature of God’s providence. He often works in ways we cannot trace or understand at the time. His path to deliverance may lead through the very waters that threaten to overwhelm us, and yet He is leading us all the same.
God is the Shepherd Who Redeems: The psalm’s remembrance culminates in the foundational story of Israel’s faith: the Exodus. The ultimate comfort for the psalmist is the memory of God redeeming His people and leading them “like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (verse 20). This affirms that our great God, the creator of wonders, is also our personal Shepherd, who tenderly and faithfully guides His people through the wilderness.
Literary Structure and Genre
Psalm 77 is an individual lament psalm that transforms into a hymn of praise. Its structure is one of the clearest and most dramatic in the Psalter, pivoting entirely in the middle.
- Part 1: The Anguish of the Present (verses 1-9): A raw and emotional description of the psalmist’s current distress, characterized by comfortless sorrow and a series of agonizing questions.
- Part 2: The Anchor of the Past (verses 10-20): A deliberate turn to remember God’s character and His mighty deeds in the past, focusing on the power and mystery of the Exodus, which brings resolution and hope.
Verse by Verse Commentary on Psalm 77
Verses 1-9: The Unanswered Questions of a Sleepless Night
“I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in my day of trouble, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted… Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compa1ssion?”
The psalm opens with the psalmist in deep distress. He is crying out to God, seeking Him relentlessly day and night, but his soul “would not be comforted.” Even the thought of God, which should bring peace, instead brings groaning and a faint spirit.
He is kept awake at night, too troubled even to speak. His mind searches the past for comfort but finds none. This leads to the heart of his crisis in verses 7-9: a rapid-fire series of six devastating questions. He asks if God’s rejection is final, if His unfailing love (hesed) has vanished, if His promise has failed, and if His compassion is gone forever. These are the foundational pillars of faith, and from his perspective, they all seem to be crumbling.
Verses 10-20: The Conscious Decision to Remember
“Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High.’ I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on your mighty deeds… You were the God who performed miracles; you displayed your power among the peoples… Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footsteps were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
Verse 10 marks the great turning point of the psalm. The psalmist makes a conscious decision to change his mental focus. He will stop dwelling on his feelings of despair and will instead “appeal” to God’s history of action—”the years of the right hand of the Most High.“
He puts this decision into practice in verses 11-12, committing himself to remember, consider, and meditate on God’s past works. This disciplined act of remembrance is the antidote to his emotional turmoil.
This meditation immediately bears fruit. He declares that there is no god as great as the God of Israel (verse 13). He is the God of miracles who has redeemed His people.
The rest of the psalm (verses 16-20) is a majestic, poetic retelling of the Exodus. The Red Sea itself is personified as seeing God and writhing in terror. The whole of creation is depicted as convulsing at the presence of the mighty God—clouds pour rain, the sky resounds with thunder, lightning flashes, and the earth trembles.
Verse 19 contains the psalm’s profound conclusion about God’s ways. God’s path of deliverance for His people led right through the sea, the very symbol of chaos and death. And in this miraculous deliverance, His “footsteps were not seen.” We cannot always trace the “how” of God’s work, but we can trust the “who.” The psalm ends not with the terrifying display of power, but with the tender image of God the shepherd, who led His people like a flock safely through the danger and into the wilderness, under the care of His appointed leaders.
Practical Lessons for Today
Be Honest with God About Your Doubts: Psalm 77 gives us permission to be completely honest with God when we are struggling. He is not afraid of our questions, our pain, or our feelings of abandonment. A real relationship allows for raw honesty.
When Feelings Fail, Rely on Facts: The psalmist’s feelings were telling him that God had forgotten him and that His promises had failed. He chose not to trust his feelings. Instead, he chose to trust the historical facts of God’s faithfulness. In our own dark nights, we must anchor our faith not in our fluctuating emotions, but in the unshakable truth of God’s character and His saving work in history, especially in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Practice the Discipline of Remembrance: The turning point for Asaph was an intentional act of remembering. We can practice this discipline by reading Scripture (especially the stories of God’s faithfulness), recounting God’s past answers to prayer in our own lives, and singing hymns that declare His mighty deeds.
Trust the Shepherd, Even When You Can’t See the Path: God’s path often leads through the sea, and His footsteps are often unseen. We will face situations where we cannot understand what God is doing or why. In those moments, we are called to trust the character of the Shepherd. He is the one who redeemed us, and He is the one who is leading His flock safely home.
Cross References
Lamentations 3:19-23: “I remember my affliction and my wandering… Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” Like Asaph, Jeremiah finds himself in deep despair but makes a conscious choice to “call to mind” the truth of God’s unfailing love (hesed) as the only basis for hope.
Habakkuk 3:2, 17-18: “LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known… Though the fig tree does not bud… yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” The prophet Habakkuk, facing national disaster, also looks back to God’s mighty deeds in history (especially the Exodus) as the basis for his present trust and joy, even in the absence of any visible blessing.
Exodus 14: This chapter provides the historical narrative of the Red Sea crossing, which is the event that Asaph poetically describes in Psalm 77:16-20. Reading the historical account enriches the understanding of the psalm’s climax.
Hebrews 11:29: “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.” The New Testament looks back on the Exodus as a supreme example of faith, reinforcing the psalmist’s choice to remember this event as a cornerstone of his own trust in God.