The Waters Saw You, They Were Afraid

A few psalms that we have seen already include prayers in the format of describing God and His characteristics and then praising Him for them. This psalm continues with this pattern where the psalmist tells us that God hears him as he calls out to God. The psalmist describes his anguish where his soul refused to be comforted, his spirit overwhelmed, he cannot speak, but he did meditate in his heart.

He asks rhetorically has the Lord stopped showing favour and his mercy ceased? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Then he remembers God and His wonders. He meditates on it. God is the One who has redeemed His people. There is no one greater than God. Finally he describes God's total control of the seas, the sky, the thunder and lightning.

In particular, the psalmist describes "The waters saw You, they were afraid;". This is certainly fulfilled by Jesus's display of His powers as He commanded the seas and the storms to be calm.


Psalm 77
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

 1 I cried out to God with my voice—
         To God with my voice;
         And He gave ear to me.
 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
         My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
         My soul refused to be comforted.
 3 I remembered God, and was troubled;
         I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.  Selah
       
 4 You hold my eyelids open;
         I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
 5 I have considered the days of old,
         The years of ancient times.
 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night;
         I meditate within my heart,
         And my spirit makes diligent search.
       
 7 Will the Lord cast off forever?
         And will He be favorable no more?
 8 Has His mercy ceased forever?
         Has His promise failed forevermore?
 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
         Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?  Selah
       
 10 And I said, “This is my anguish;
         But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
 11 I will remember the works of the LORD;
         Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
 12 I will also meditate on all Your work,
         And talk of Your deeds.
 13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;
         Who is so great a God as our God?
 14 You are the God who does wonders;
         You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
 15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
         The sons of Jacob and Joseph.  Selah
       
 16 The waters saw You, O God;
         The waters saw You, they were afraid;
         The depths also trembled.
 17 The clouds poured out water;
         The skies sent out a sound;
         Your arrows also flashed about.
 18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
         The lightnings lit up the world;
         The earth trembled and shook.
 19 Your way was in the sea,
         Your path in the great waters,
         And Your footsteps were not known.
 20 You led Your people like a flock
         By the hand of Moses and Aaron.