Psalm 44b

Psalm 44:9-26
Protection

But now we’re rejected and humbled to dust,
You no longer march out, our armies repulsed.
Before all our foes you have made us retreat,
Our enemies plunder and we face defeat.

You’ve given us up, they devour us like sheep,
To all the world’s nations your people you sweep.
You sold off your people, a pittance retail,
Receiving no profit as gain from the sale.

To all of our neighbours we’re made a reproach,
The scorn and derision of all who approach.
You’ve made us a byword the nations among;
The people their heads shake at what has been done.

Disgrace is before me; I’m covered with shame,
All through the long day as each one takes his aim -
Reproaching, reviling, how their taunts torment,
The enemy railing, he's on vengeance bent.

All this has now happened, though faithful to you,
Rememb’ring your covenant, staying still true.
Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed
Away from the path that before us you laid.

But you crushed and made us for jackals a lair
And covered us over with darkest despair.
As if we’d forgotten the name of our God
Or spread out our hands to praise a foreign god.

But God would have seen that, he knows the heart deep,
Yet for you we face death; we’re slaughtered as sheep.
Awake, Lord! Arise now! O why do you sleep?
Don’t leave us for ever, your face hid don’t keep.

Forget not our misery, our troubles all round,
We’re brought down to dust; bodies cling to the ground.
Rise up, Lord, and help us; O show us your face,
Redeem us and show us your unfailing grace.

Psalm 44a

Psalm 43:1-8
Protection

O God, our ears have heard; our fathers have told
What you did in their days, in great days of old.
Your hand drove out nations, our fathers to sow;
The peoples you crushed and our fathers made grow.

Their winning the land was not done by their sword,
Nor did such a victory their own arm afford;
No, your right hand, your arm, the light of your face,
These did it for love’s sake, you did it by grace.

You’re my King and my God, the one who decrees,
Who decrees for Jacob such great victories.
Through you we push back those who us do oppose,
Through your name we trample on all of our foes.

My sword brings no vict’ry, I don’t trust my bow,
You shame my opposers, you bring down each foe.
In God we are boasting through all of our days,
For ever and ever your name we will praise.

Catechism 4

Q&A 22-27
CM

In what condition had God made
Adam and Eve at first?
Holy and happy they were made,
That's how they were at first.

Happy and holy did they stay?
No, they against God sinned.
Our parents sinned in just what way?
They ate the fruit God banned.

Forbidden fruit, why did they eat?
Because they'd not believe
What God had said. Let us repeat:
No, they would not believe.

Who tempted into sin this pair?
The devil tempted Eve,
And she with Adam did then share,
He took the fruit from Eve.

What was it to our parents came
When they sinned at the tree?
They sinful, mis'rable became,
Happy not, nor holy.

Psalm 43

CM

Me vindicate, O God, and plead
My cause against a state
That wicked is; relief I need
From men who lie and cheat.

You’re God my stronghold, my relief,
Why am I turned away?
Why must I go about in grief,
Oppressed by foes all day.

Send forth your truth, send forth your light,
And let them be my guide
And bring me to your holy height,
The place where you reside.

Then at God’s altar I’ll be found,
With God, my joy, my bliss,
And with the harp I there will sound,
O God, my God, your praise.

Why are you, O my soul, downcast?
Within, why so disturbed?
Put hope in God, you'll praise at last,
My Saviour and my God.

Psalm 42

CM

As pants the deer for streams that flow,
I pant for you, O God.
My soul the God who lives would know,
When can I meet with God?

My tears my food both day and night,
While ‘Where's your God?’ men shout.
These things my memory brings to light
As I my soul pour out:

How to God’s house I would progress,
Lead multitudes in song,
With shouts of joy and thankfulness
Among the festive throng.

Why are you, O my soul, downcast?
Within, why so disturbed?
Put hope in God, you'll praise at last,
My Saviour and my God.

My soul’s downcast within again,
So I’ll remember you
From Hermon’s heights, from Jordan’s plain
And from Mount Mizar too.

Deep calls to deep beneath the roar
Of your high cataract;
Your waves and breakers on me pour,
Across me they have swept.

By day the Lord directs his love,
At night his song’s with me -
A prayer to my life’s God above,
To God my rock I flee:

I - ‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I mourning go?
Why is it that I’m constantly
Cowed by the enemy?’

My bones in mortal agony,
My foes all taunting me,
They all day long still say to me
‘Where is your God? Where’s he?’.

Why are you, O my soul, downcast?
Within, why so disturbed?
Put hope in God, you'll praise at last,
My Saviour and my God.

Psalm 41

CM

Blessed he who to the weak shows care;
The Lord in times of strife
Will save; the Lord that man will spare,
He will protect his life.

The Lord will bless him in the land,
Yield not to his foes’ will.
When sick, the Lord will strength command,
Raise him from bed when ill.

'O Lord show mercy', this I said
'For I've wronged you. Heal me.'
'When will he rot, his name be dead?’
Harsh speaks my enemy.

Whenever one on me attends,
He lies. Meanwhile his heart
Amasses slander, then he spreads
These things to every part.

Against me all my foes conspire;
The worst for me conceive,
‘A vile disease will him bemire;
His bed he'll never leave.’

My close friend whom I learned to trust,
Who with me shared my bread,
Has his raised heel against me thrust
But you have mercy, Lord.

O raise me up, let me repay.
I know you’re pleased with me,
My enemy holds not full sway,
My ruler he'll not be.

You do in my integrity
Uphold me constantly
And in your presence you set me
For ever more to be.

So bring your praise the Lord before,
The God of Israel praise,
From evermore to evermore
Amen, amen, always.

Catechism 3

Q&A 14-21
SM

So where can you learn how
To love God and obey?
The Bible is the one place now,
Then read that book we say.

Who did the Bible write?
It was those holy men
Who had the Holy Spirit's light,
He taught those holy men.

Who were our parents first?
Adam it was and Eve.
How were they made our parents first?
What is it we believe?

God Adam's body made,
He made it from the ground,
Then from that body Eve he made
And so the two were found.

What else did God supply?
Besides their bodies, what?
He gave them souls that could not die
That's what from him they got.

And do you have a soul
Besides a body, say?
Yes. I've a never dying soul,
That's how it is today.

A soul - how do you know?
The Bible tells me so.
'What is my soul?' All that should know
And love God too – that's so.

Psalm 40b

Psalm 40:11-17
Ballerma CM

O Lord, your mercy don’t withhold,
With love and truth surround.
For troubles vast and manifold
All round me now are found.

My sins in front of me have sped
I cannot see ahead.
They’re more than hairs upon my head,
Within, my heart is dead.

Be pleased, O Lord, me safe to make:
To help me, Lord, make haste.
May all who seek my life to take,
Be brought down and disgraced;

May all who ruin for me seek
Turned back, lose their good name.
May those ‘Aha! Aha!’ who speak,
Be shocked at their own shame.

But all who seek for you, may they
Be glad in you with joy;
Let all who love your grace still say
‘The Lord be lifted high!’

Yet needy still I am and poor,
Lord, think of me, I pray.
My deliv'rer, my help, you are;
My God, O don't delay.

Psalm 40a

PSALM 40:1-11
Ballerma CM

I waited for the Lord did I,
With patience ’til his time;
Until he turned and heard my cry
And took me from the slime.

He lifted me out of the pit,
Out of the sinking sand.
My feet upon a rock he set,
Enabling me to stand.

He put a new song on my tongue,
Praise to our God, a hymn.
A host in fear see what God's done;
The Lord - they trust in him.

The man who trusts the Lord is blessed,
All false gods he denies.
He does not seek the proud for rest
Or turn aside to lies.

How many wonders you have done,
O Lord my God, what care.
For us you’ve planned a greater sum
Than any can declare.

A sacrifice you don’t desire
But pierce my ears instead;
Burnt offerings, too, you don’t require,
Or offering up the dead.

‘I’m here, I’ve come’ I said to you,
‘It’s written in the scroll.
Your will it’s my desire to do
Your law is in my soul.’

Proclaim I righteousness not woe,
My lips I do not seal.
In the assembly great, you know,
O Lord, I you reveal.

Your righteousness I don’t conceal;
Your saving love my song,
Your love and truth, yes, I reveal
To the assembled throng.

Psalm 39

SM

I said, I'll watch my way,
From sin keep my tongue free;
A muzzle on my mouth I'll lay,
While sinners are with me.

But when I silent stood,
From movement having ceased,
Not even saying one thing good,
My anguish it increased.

My heart grew hot in me,
As I did meditate,
The fire it burned; my tongue ran free
With words I now relate:

Lord, show me my life's end,
The number of my days;
Let me know just how soon I'll spend
My life, its earthly phase.

You've made my days to be
The merest hand in breadth;
My years' span you pass easily,
And each life's but a breath.

A phantom, that is man,
As he goes to and fro.
He heaps up wealth, bustles in vain -
For whom, he does not know.

Lord, what would I now see?
My hope to you it flies.
From my transgressions set me free;
Let fools not me despise.

Silent; my mouth was bound -
It's you who has this planned.
Remove from me your scourge. I'm downed
By blows from your own hand.

You charge men and you scold,
It is because of sin;
As a moth you consume their gold -
He's but a breath, each man.

Please hear, O Lord, my prayer,
My cry for help hear tell;
Be deaf not to my tears but care.
An alien here I dwell.

I am an alien,
Like those who came before.
Look from me, make me glad again
Before I am no more.