From darkness to dawn.
So may this psalm be described. We have the night of weeping followed by the morning, if not of joy, yet of peace. It is a portraiture to which the experience of myriads of souls has answered and will answer. Hence, for the help of all such, the psalm has been given. We know not who the writer was, nor when, nor the special reason why, the psalm was written. We only know that it is the utterance of a heart that had been sorely troubled, but to whom light and peace came again. We are shown the darkness, the paling of that darkness, and the dawn.
I. THE DARKNESS.
1. It was very dark. There was great trouble. He tells of it in Psalms 77:2, Psalms 77:3, Psalms 77:4. And prayer seemed no good, notwithstanding it was very earnest, hence spoken aloud (Psalms 77:1) and prolonged all the night through (Psalms 77:2 : "My hand in the night hath been stretched out [the hand of entreaty and prayer] and ceased not"). Nevertheless, no comfort came.
2. His grief seems to have prompted distrust. As Jacob (Genesis 37:35) about Joseph, and David about his child (2 Samuel 12:17) and about Absalom (2 Samuel 18:1-33.), so here there was what there should not have been—the refusing to be comforted.
3. But this made the darkness yet deeper. He could not remember God (Psalms 77:3). He could not realize his presence and help; he could only sigh in distress. He could not commune with his own heart, but his spirit was too overwhelmed. He would sleep, but could not. He would speak to God, but his trouble was too great. The distressed soul, as it often does, utterly broke down. But a breakdown like that brings speedily the help of God. He will never leave his people in a strait like that, blessed be his Name! And so we see—
II. THE PALING OF THE DARKNESS. Those who ascend high mountains to witness the glory of the dawn are told of its advent by the paling of the darkness. And spiritually, we see this here. God sends the thoughts of his servant back to "the days of old" (Psalms 77:5), and to the bright joyous periods which were like a "song," and their sweet memories came back and talked to him, and set his spirit in "diligent search," so that he was compelled to come to the conclusion that all his dark and dreadful thoughts about the Lord's casting off forever, and being favourable no more (see Psalms 77:7, Psalms 77:8, Psalms 77:9), were all impossible of belief, mere nightmares of the soul, altogether false and untrue. Then in Psalms 77:10 he comes to see how he has been led to think such sad thoughts. "Then I said, This is my sorrow, that the right hand of the Highest hath changed." Yes, God's providence had changed, but not his heart. Before we pass on, let us ask—Why does God let his servants suffer such eclipse of all joy as is recorded here? Partly by way of reproof. The psalmist "refused to be comforted." We often do when, would we only say, "I will trust," then we should find that we should "not be afraid." It is the letting in of doubt and unbelief that works such harm. Or, if not for reproof, then for the sake of others, that when we find them in darkness, we may be able to tell them how God helped us.
III. THE DAWN. This came through his remembrance of, and meditation on:
1. The deeds, so wondrous, of the Lord (Psalms 77:11, Psalms 77:12).
2. What God himself was—so holy and so great (Psalms 77:13).
3. The recollection of God's special act of redemption (Psalms 77:15-19).
4. The shepherd care of God.—S.C.