The thick clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound, yea, thine arrows went abroad
Psalm 77 ends in a storm: rain bursting from the clouds, thunder rolling out of the sky, arrows of lightning flashing in every direction. The scene raises a hard question — where is God when the sky turns black?
The first thing to settle is who was in command of the weather.
Here the fifth section opens. God showed Himself to be with His people and to be acting for their deliverance. In doing so He showed that the powers of nature, behind which He so often hides Himself, are still completely at His disposal, and that they work for those He is with. The psalmist is plainly picturing the deliverance at the Red Sea. Yet the history itself gives no account of the violent upheavals in nature that he describes. The lesson drawn from it applies very widely.
The same writer contrasts how the elements behaved with how the people behaved.
Nature acknowledged His power, while men doubted the Arm they leaned on, or else defied it after plenty of experience. Nature did not only tremble and give way. The elements also yielded themselves to His will: "The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side."
Commentators differ on the timing. Some keep the verse in the past. One reads the storm forward, to a coming time of worldwide trouble, and hears something other than blessing in the downpour.
Verse 16 reminds us of Israel's passage through the Red Sea, when the waters responded to God's action. But the main point of this section is what He does during the Great Tribulation. Then creation itself will tremble because He steps in. The clouds pouring out water (v. 17) stand in contrast to a gentle, refreshing rain. The water stands for the Word of God. It is a great blessing to the earth that drinks it in. But a flood of water is devastating, and so is God's Word in judgment. The lightning flashes that come with it can be terrifying, and so can the thunder of the voice of God.
Two verses on, the psalm says God's way was in the sea. That tells the reader where to look for Him.
But there is another side to this. God's way (v. 19) is in the sea, and His paths in the great waters. Thunder, lightning, storm, and rain come before this verse, and the earth itself shakes. We would very much like to go on to glory in calm weather, with no storms, but this can never be. God's way lies in the very middle of the storm and the trackless sea.
The psalm gives God two ways — one in the sanctuary, one in the sea. The difference decides whether a storm ends in trust or in blame.
The comfort of the soul is that God's way is in the sanctuary, in keeping with the nature and ways of God Himself, as far as He is revealed. If I look at things and judge as a man does, His way is in the sea. I cannot trace it. His footsteps are not known, for who can follow the One who arranges all things with a thought? By faith we do know God's own nature and character toward us, and we can count on it as faithful and unchangeable in everything He does. But we cannot know and judge His ways in themselves. So the unbeliever is discontented and blames God. The believer is happy, because he has the key to it all: he knows what his God is, and he can count on how that God orders everything.
The last word is for the reader still in the storm.
The devil might try to make the believer think that God is indifferent to the trials of His people and has cast them off. Yet faith knows that no amount of failure can thwart the purposes of God's grace. It encourages us to know that, however great the confusion, God has a way through it all — a path through the wilderness — by which to lead His flock. It is good, then, for us to stretch out our hands to Him, even though at times we may have to do so in the dark.
- Storm — The rain, thunder and lightning picture the night of the Red Sea. The history itself never records violence like this.
- Servants — The powers of nature that hide God from view are fully at His disposal. They worked for the people He was with.
- Judgment — A flood is not a gentle rain. Read forward, the downpour pictures God's Word falling as judgment, not as refreshment.
- Sea — His way lies through the storm, not around it. No one who judges as a man judges can trace His footsteps there.
- Sanctuary — We cannot trace His way, but we can trust it, because we know His character. So we keep our hands stretched out to Him, even in the dark.
The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind, lightnings lit up the world; the earth was troubled and it quaked.
The psalmist has been sleepless and crushed. Then he turns his eyes off himself and onto God, and what he sees is a storm. Commentators read it as a memory of the night God split the Red Sea, and they ask what that storm teaches a believer whose own sky is black.
Verse 18 sits in the second half of the psalm. One writer catches the shift by counting the pronouns.
In verses 2 to 6, it was all "my" — my this, that and the other. In verses 10 to 20, it is all "Your" — "Your years… Your wonders… Your work… Your doings… Your way… Your strength… Your arm… Your arrows… Your thunder… Your path… Your footsteps." What deliverance, what blessing, what strength there is in looking at God's things, after the weakness and humiliation of looking at our own.
Scripture gives the word "thunder" one settled meaning, from the Old Testament through to Revelation.
Thunder happens rarely in Palestine. Scripture treats it as the voice of God in power — both in the Old Testament of the past and in the Revelation of the future.
One writer gives the storm of verses 17 and 18 an hour on the clock.
"The Lord looked through the pillar of fire and cloud, and troubled the Egyptians." That was about two o'clock in the morning — about the middle of that stormy night. (Ps. 77:17-18.) Israel had reached the far shore. It was early morning, and God told Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea again, and "the sea returned to its strength." So the sea covered Pharaoh's army; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Another writer weighs what the storm proves. Nature obeyed God, while people would not.
Nature owned His power, while men doubted the Arm they leaned on, or else defied it, after plenty of experience. Nature did not only tremble and give way. The elements gave themselves up to His will: "the clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flew in every direction." But one thing has always seemed to man more like God showing Himself, and Scripture treats it in this way: "The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the earth trembled and quaked."
(The older wording there, "the voice of Your thunder," is "the crash of Your thunder" in the ESV.)
Not every writer stops at the Red Sea. One reads these verses as looking ahead to a coming time of trouble on earth. So commentators differ on how far the picture reaches.
Verse 16 reminds us of Israel's passage through the Red Sea, when the waters answered God's action. But the main point of this section is what He does during the Great Tribulation, when creation itself will tremble because He steps in. The clouds pouring out water (v. 17) are the opposite of a gentle, refreshing rain. The water stands for the Word of God, a great blessing to the earth that drinks it in; but a flood of water destroys, and so does God's Word in judgment. The lightning flashes that come with it can be terrifying, along with the thunder of the voice of God, making the earth tremble and shake (v. 18).
The next verse says God's way is in the sea. One writer points to what comes just before it.
God's way (v. 19) is in the sea, and His paths in the great waters. Thunder, lightning, storm, and rain come before this verse, and the earth itself shakes. We would very much like to travel on to glory in calm weather, but that can never be. The way of God lies right in the middle of the storm and the sea that has no path.
The storm is a covering God puts on. One writer draws out what that means for His people.
God clothes Himself in these forms of nature, and now comes the lesson. His footsteps may not be known, yet this "way" is with His people and on their behalf: "You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." So in the dark as in the light He is the same. And in the dark, we can still trust Him.
- Thunder — Scripture makes the crash a picture of God's voice in power, not a weather report.
- Whirlwind — the psalm sets that voice in the storm of the night God split the Red Sea.
- Trembling — sea, sky and earth all yield to His will, and He uses them for the people He is leading.
- Turning — the sufferer moves from "my" to "Your," and finds strength the moment he stops looking at himself.
- Trusting — the way of God runs through the storm, not around it. He is the same in the dark as in the light, and there we can still trust Him.
Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths are in the great waters; and thy footsteps are not known.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
The psalm has been a night of hard questions about God. It ends not with a rescue but with a memory: a whole nation walked through the sea, led by the hand of two men.
Just before this closing line, the psalm admits that no one can trace God's footsteps. The last verse does not cancel that; it stands beside it.
Here is the lesson of God clothing Himself in these forms of nature. "Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters; Your footsteps were unknown." True as that may be, yet this "way" is with His people and on their behalf: "You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." So in the dark as in the light He is the same. And in the dark, we can still trust Him.
How do you trust a God whose path leaves no mark? One writer answers from what God has revealed of Himself.
The comfort of the soul is that God's way is in the sanctuary, according to the nature and ways of God Himself, as far as He is revealed. If I look out to judge as a man, His way is in the sea — I cannot trace it. His footsteps are not known. Who can follow out the One who disposes of all things with a thought? By faith we do know God's own nature and character toward us. We can count on it in all He does, as faithful and unchangeable. But we cannot know and judge His ways in themselves. So the unbeliever stays discontented and will blame God. The believer is happy, because he has the key to it all in what the God is whom he knows. God is for us, and so He orders all things for us. He leads His people like sheep.
Sheep do not choose the route; they only follow. And the psalm says He led His people — a detail one writer will not let pass.
In all their troubles He led His people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron; note, the whole people. Confidence returns, and it is well grounded.
God led, but He led by a hand — through two named men. Moses spoke for God to the people; Aaron went in to God for the people.
Once He led His people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron — the one the apostle, the other the high priest of that era. Neither apostle nor high priest was perfect, yet He brought them into the promised place. Today we are called to "consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession," and in Him we find perfection. He never fails.
One writer weighs those two men against a greater Shepherd.
God of old had led His people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron (Psalm 77:20). Would their countrymen remind them of that? The Hebrews could tell of a Shepherd who far surpassed them — the Lord Jesus Christ, at once the great, the good, and the chief Shepherd. A great High Priest He is, a great Shepherd too.
Why does remembering the Red Sea settle the psalmist's questions?
By redeeming power at the Red Sea, God became their God, and they became His people. Light now breaks in on him in his trouble (13-20), and we hear no more doubts about his God. A saint, and one of the redeemed nation — how could God forsake him? So he should expect deliverance, though he may not see how it will come.
Read forward, the verse is not only history. One writer takes it to the trouble still ahead for Israel.
In days of old He led His people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. So He will lead them through the Tribulation by His sovereign power. It will not depend on whether any leaders arise at the time.
The comfort reaches our own day too:
We are encouraged to know that however great the confusion, yet God has a way through it all — a path through the wilderness — by which to lead His flock. Good then for us to stretch out our hands to Him, even though at times we may have to do so in the dark.
- Untraceable — no one could trace His footsteps in the sea. At that very moment He was walking His people through it.
- Led — sheep never see the map; the shepherd brings them. The psalm answers doubt with a leading, not an explanation.
- Whole — He led the whole people, not a favoured few. That is why confidence is "well grounded."
- By hand — God used two imperfect men and still brought His people to the promised place. Commentators point on to Christ, in whom both offices are perfect.
- Still — the leading did not stop at the sea. Whatever the confusion, God has a path through it for His flock. We can stretch out our hands to Him in the dark.