His Footprints Were Not Seen

The Unseen Footprints of God
Psalm 77:19
Brother Charley Buntin

“… yet your footprints were unseen…”

1. The Psalm

a. A psalm of Asaph, a man of God who had trials in ministry—see Ps 73

b. A psalm of remembrances Asaph is taught and admonished by recalling God’s exploits in the history of Israel.

c. A psalm of deep sorrow, bitterness and near hopelessness—77:4-9

d. A psalm of doctrinal instruction about the attributes of God

e. A psalm of God’s self-revelation

f. A psalm of covenant relationship (Your people…)

g. A psalm of redemption—“…15 You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph…”

h. But in all of this…“… yet your footprints were unseen.£…”

2. A basic exposition

a. (Psa 77:1-3)

(1) The intensity of the cry—"I cried out to God with my voice; To God with my voice…” The problem this man faces brings forth great cries…this is no ordinary problem, but one which involves deep anguish of soul.

(2) The surety of the response “…And He gave ear to me…”

(3) Seeking God in a day of trouble—“…2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord…”

(4) Prayer into the night—“…My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing..”

(5) A soul that will not accept light comfort—one that means business with the Lord—“…My soul refused to be comforted…”

(6) “…3 I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah" The Meditation on God—not an easy thing, after all, “He is not a tame lion…”

b. The Terrible State of the Psalmist (Psa 77:4-9)

(1) He is sleepless—"You hold my eyelids open…” How often in times of ultimate stress, where life’s decisions hang in the balance, has sleep been denied me, but if given to God, that sleeplessness itself can be turned to great advantage—

(a) Psa 119:148 "My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word."

(b) Psa 63:6-7 "When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice."

(2) He is choked up with emotion—“…I am so troubled that I cannot speak…” I have been there—in such distress that when I opened my mouth to pray, only sobs came out—when I sought to say something, all I could get out was a moan—and this is Asaph, the choir director, a man of God saying this.

(3) He goes back to earlier days in his walk with God, and even further back, to the times of the patriarchs and heroes of the faith. He remembers when he had a song to sing—he searches through his whole experience, diligently looking for relief. “…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…”

He ransacked his experience, ,his memory, his intellect, his whole nature, his entire self, either to find comfort or to discover the reason why it was denied him. That man will not die the hand of the enemy who has enough force of soul remaining to struggle in this fashion…Spurgeon, Treasury of David , Vol 2, Page 314

(4) Six Rhetorical Questions—These are like a mirror image to the great positive promises in Romans 8:31-39, and to the great comment in Heb 13:5. The Rhetorical Question is a way of stating with effect that something is NOT true—it is a question intended to either invoke mystery or a required negative answer

(a) Question 1—“…7 Will the Lord cast off forever?...”

(i) The direct Biblical answer is found in (Heb 13:5) "…He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."" In the Greek, the double negative is powerful, but this is the only instance of a triple double negative in the Greek, meaning that there is absolutely, positively no way that a saved person will be lost, or forsaken by God.

(ii) Christ was forsaken by God the Father for us, so that we will know that we will never be forsaken— (Mat 27:46) "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "… "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?""

(Rom 8:31-39)

(Jer 31:37) "Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD."

(Jer 33:20) "Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;"

(Jer 33:25) "Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;"

(b) Question 2— …And will He be favorable no more?...” We often think, after trials, or falls or failings, that God will never again shine his face of favor upon us. We ask this question in earnest—and God is already saying to us—“I will again favor you…”

(c) Question 3 “…8 Has His mercy ceased forever?...” Not only has His mercy NOT ceased forever, IT NEVER CEASED AT ALL FOR EVEN ONE MOMENT—God’s mercy, His Chesed, His “love that will not let me go, is continuous from before time was made—

(i) God’s mercy was exercised before the trial, during the trial, and after the trial. Before the Trial, God’s mercy strengthened us and made us ready for the battle to come, as in Pilgrim’s Progress, God had outfitted Christian for battle before he met Apollyon the Dragon

(ii) God’s mercy was exercised during the Trial, as we were not overwhelmed, though we surely thought we would be.

(iii) God’s Mercy has been exercised since the Trial, to recover us and make us new

(iv) God’s Mercy will be exercised forever, and if you are a child of God, if you know the Lord, you will never be in any measure separated from God’s Mercy and lovingkindness—Rom 8:38-39 "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

(d) Question 4—“…Has His promise failed forevermore? 9…” NO! Again, not only has His promise not ceased forevermore—it has never ceased at all! Lam 3:22-23 "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

Psa 36:5 "Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds."

Psa 37:3 "Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness."

Psa 40:10 "I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly."

Psa 71:22 "Also with the lute I will praise you; And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel."
Psa 89:1-2 "I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I have said, "Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.""

Psa 89:5 "And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints."

Psa 89:8 "O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You."

Psa 89:24 ""But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted."

Psa 92:2 "To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,"

Psa 98:3 "He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."

Psa 119:75 "I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me."

Psa 119:90 "Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides."

Psa 143:1 "Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness."

Isa 11:5 "Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist."

Isa 25:1 "O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth."

(e) Question 5—“…Has God forgotten to be gracious?...” Again, NO! Grace is what He is—His unmerited favor to us was and is, His plan (Ephesians 1:1-14) and His work (Eph 2:1-10). Omniscience has forgotten nothing, though He chooses to forget the Sin of those who have come to faith in Him.

(f) Question 6“…Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah" God’s wrath is against the Lost—Rom 1:18, John 3:36, Rev 6:16-17—but it is never against His people, because God’s Propitiation has forever removed the sin of God’s people from sight—Rom 3:24-26, 1 John 2:1-2, 1 John 4:10, 1 Thes 1:10

c. The Psalmist Recovers His Senses—(Psa 77:10-15)

(1) The Psalmist, wrestling in his mind, in the midst of spiritual warfare in his mind, (2 Cor 10:3-6), begins to remember all that God has done—(illustrating why we should often read and meditate on the mighty works of God in past generations, so that we will remember , as Asaph does here—

(a) He appeals to the Right Hand, to God’s Authoritative works—“…Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”£

(2) He remembers, then he meditates—Asaph thinks long on these ancient trophies of God—

(a) the Ox Goad of Shamgar

(b) The Jawbone of a Donkey with which Samson slew a thousand

(c) The shepherd’s staff that ruled Pharaoh

(d) The Harp of David that dismissed evil spirits

(e) The five smooth stones David took from the brook

(f) The Sling with which they were propelled

(g) The iron axehead that swam for Elisha

(h) The Earthen Altar to which God sent fire for Elijah

(i) Aaron’s rod that budded

(j) The abandoned hulk of the Ark, and a thousand more momentoes of God’s work—to THESE things Asaph appeals—

“…11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old, 12 I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.

(3) Asaph also meditates on the Person of God—His glories and His attributes.

(a) God’s Way is Holy— “…13 Your way, O God, is holy…”

(b) Our God has no competition—“…What god is great like our God?”

(c) Our God has revealed Himself to the world by His mighty acts—Ps 19! “…14 You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples..” Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Nazi Germany, etc.—He has made Himself known to all..

(4) And the purpose of all of this—to Redeem His People—circumcised and uncircumcised as well. “…15 You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

d. The Psalmist Remembers The Miracle At the Red Sea—77:16-20

(1) The same Voice that stilled the Sea of Galilee overwhelmed the natural elements at the Red Sea—“…16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled..”.

(2) We often, perhaps, do not pause to think of what the Red Sea crossing looked like, sounded like, smelled like, and felt like 17 The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side. 18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook.

(3) And lest we forget, it was into this opened sea that the people of Israel went. Most of them were not even true believers, as would be evidenced in numerous sequels to this event. It would take over 1,000 years and a Babylonian exile to burn Egypt from Israel’s heart. So, this slave people, this people, following the few faithful (Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, Caleb, etc.), facing the might of the most powerful army on earth, cut off against the sea, walked into the hand of God.

(4) Note, that God’s way of escape was not “safe,” was not rational, and mighty as it was, His footprints were not seen. “…19 Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.£

(5) His footprints were unseen, but the effects of His hand were impossible to miss

(a) His footprints were unseen, because He chose to work through the men He had appointed, prepared, called, and empowered. “… 20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron….”

(b) His footprints were unseen, but the children of Israel marched through on dry land

(c) His footprints were unseen, but Pharaoh’s army was drowned.

(d) His footprints were unseen, But God’s people sang “The Horse and Rider thrown into the sea…”

(e) His footprints were unseen, but Israel survived and survives today

(f) What about YOUR life? IN every crisis and every trial of a child of God, you will eventually see God’s Hand, and know His touch in your life, but His footprints will be unseen—John 3:8 ""The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.""