For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. A contemplative psalm.
1We have heard with our ears, God;
our fathers have told us what work you did in their days,
in the days of old.
2You drove out the nations with your hand,
but you planted them.
You afflicted the peoples,
but you spread them abroad.
3For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword,
neither did their own arm save them;
but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face,
because you were favorable to them.
4God, you are my King.
Command victories for Jacob!
5Through you, we will push down our adversaries.
Through your name, we will tread down those who rise up against us.
6For I will not trust in my bow,
neither will my sword save me.
7But you have saved us from our adversaries,
and have shamed those who hate us.
8In God we have made our boast all day long.
We will give thanks to your name forever. Selah.
9But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor,
and don’t go out with our armies.
10You make us turn back from the adversary.
Those who hate us take plunder for themselves.
11You have made us like sheep for food,
and have scattered us among the nations.
12You sell your people for nothing,
and have gained nothing from their sale.
13You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.
14You make us a byword among the nations,
a shaking of the head among the peoples.
15All day long my dishonor is before me,
and shame covers my face,
16at the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses,
because of the enemy and the avenger.
17All this has come on us,
yet we haven’t forgotten you.
We haven’t been false to your covenant.
18Our heart has not turned back,
neither have our steps strayed from your path,
19though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals,
and covered us with the shadow of death.
20If we have forgotten the name of our God,
or spread out our hands to a strange god,
21won’t God search this out?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long.
We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.
23Wake up!
Why do you sleep, Lord?
Arise!
Don’t reject us forever.
24Why do you hide your face,
and forget our affliction and our oppression?
25For our soul is bowed down to the dust.
Our body clings to the earth.
26Rise up to help us.
Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.
Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah, born immediately after Esau, and Abraham was his grandfather. He achieved the right of the firstborn by trickery, in offering his older brother, Esau, food in exchange for the birthright, who cared little for this position. He also received the blessing of firstborn from his father Jacob before his death by cunning, and with the assistance of his mother Rebekah.
After his deception of Esau, receiving the blessing from his father, Jacob escaped to his uncle Laban, who in turn deceived Jacob into working for fourteen years for the marriage of Jacob to Leah, and then his beloved Rachel. Laban also sought to deceive Jacob of wages, but God intervened to ensure he would prosper. In a time of trial, when he feared the wrath of Esau, upon returning to the land of Canaan, Jacob had an encounter with God, and his name was changed to Israel, the one who wrestles with God. Even though his early life was characterized by deception, God worked through the situation to ensure that Jacob would be the one in the line of the patriarchs, to create a great nation and ultimately fulfill His purposes in the earth, especially through the future Messiah. The Messiah would guarantee the promise of the land to Abram and a person who would rule over Abraham's descendants, but also He would bring blessings to all the people of the earth (Gen 12:1-3).
In spite of Jacob's early failure by deception, God worked through him, and finally, Jacob became a different type of man after his struggle with God. As one has said,
"Despite Jacob’s faults, God chose him to be the leader of a great nation that still bears his name today. But for this, it is unlikely that we would know much about Jacob, who appears to be in the middle of events while the key players are those around him. There is no great wisdom or bravery in Jacob to speak of, and we are tempted to see him as little more than God’s passive instrument. If we are tempted to think that, because we aren’t in the spotlight performing great acts for God, we are unimportant to Him, then we should consider the life of Jacob and know that, in spite of our failings, God can and will still use us in His plan."
For more on Jacob, see "Who was Jacob in the Bible?", https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Jacob.html