Psalm 88
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.
O Lord, God of my salvation,
I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry!
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draws near to Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am a man who has no strength,
5 like one set loose among the dead,
like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
for they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in the depths of the pit,
in the regions dark and deep.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves.
8 You have caused my companions to shun me;
you have made me a horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
9 my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O Lord;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the departed rise up to praise you?
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness,
or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, cry to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O Lord, why do you cast my soul away?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your dreadful assaults destroy me.
17 They surround me like a flood all day long;
they close in on me together.
18 You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;
my companions have become darkness.
Sermon quotes and references
Satan cannot ultimately destroy a Christian, but he is able to destroy our assurance & our joy. The most sinister thought Satan insinuates into our minds is not an enticement to gross sin but a deep-seated suspicion & distrust of God’s goodness. He seeks to distort our view of God & our understanding of His gracious character. His devilish plan is to crush our love for God & destroy all pleasure in His grace.
– Sinclair Ferguson, By Grace Alone
Anyone who has suffered devastating grief or dehumanizing pain has at some point been confronted by “miserable comforters”. They come with their clichés & tired, pious mouthings. They engender guilt where they should be administering balm. They utter solemn truths where compassion is needed. They exhibit strength & exhort to courage where they would be more comforting if they simply wept.
– DA Carson, “How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering & Evil”
The author’s name allows us, with hindsight, to see that his rejection was only apparent. His existence was no mistake; there was a divine plan bigger than he knew, & a place in it reserved most carefully for him. Thus, probably to his surprise, this painful psalm of lament is included, along with all the happier songs, in sacred Scripture. – Derek Kidner