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what specific experiences of exile might have led israel to feel hidden or disregarded by god?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Psalm 44:23-24

Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever. Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?

This psalm is a communal lament, meaning it's a prayer or song expressing distress on behalf of the whole community. It comes from a time when the people of Israel are suffering greatly, possibly during a period of national defeat, oppression, or exile, and they are questioning why God seems distant despite their perceived faithfulness.

When have you felt forgotten or overlooked in a time of deep distress?

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Read alongside it

  • Lamentations 5:20

    This verse directly asks 'Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us so long a time?' reflecting a similar cry from exile.

  • Isaiah 49:14

    Zion laments, 'Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me,' expressing the very fear of being disregarded.

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