SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
5/15/2012 9:04:18 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Troubles (Big Time)
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 88:1-9
Message of the verses: In today’s SD we will begin to look at Psalm 88 by first looking at several introductions from noted Bible Commentators in order to help us better understand what this psalm is about. “This psalm is a lamentation, one of the most melancholy of all the psalms; and it does not conclude, as usually the melancholy psalms do, with the least intimation of comfort or joy, but, from first to last, it is mourning and woe. It is not upon a public account that the psalmist here complains (here is no mention of the afflictions of the church), but only upon a personal account, especially trouble of mind, and the grief impressed upon his spirits both by his outward afflictions and by the remembrance of his sins and the fear of God’s wrath. It is reckoned among the penitential psalms, and it is well when our fears are thus turned into the right channel, and we take occasion from our worldly grievances to sorrow after a godly sort.” (Matthew Henry)
“TITLE. — A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah. This sad complaint reads very little like a Song, nor can we conceive how it could be called by a name which denotes a song of praise or triumph; yet perhaps it was intentionally so called to show how faith "glories in tribulations also." Assuredly, if ever there was a song of sorrow and a Psalm of sadness, this is one. The sons of Korah, who had often united in chanting jubilant odes, are now bidden to take charge of this mournful dirge like hymn. Servants and singers must not be choosers. To the chief Musician. He must superintend the singers and see that they do their duty well, for holy sorrow ought to be expressed with quite as much care as the most joyful praise; nothing should be slovenly in the Lord’s house. It is more difficult to express sorrow fitly than it is to pour forth notes of gladness. Upon Mahalath Leannoth. This is translated by Alexander, "concerning afflictive sickness," and if this be correct, it indicates the mental malady which occasioned this plaintive song. Maschil. This term has occurred many times before, and the reader will remember that it indicates an instructive or didactic Psalm: — the sorrows of one saint are lessons to others; experimental teaching is exceedingly valuable. Of Heman the Ezrahite. This, probably, informs us as to its authorship; it was written by Heman, but which Heman it would not be easy to determine, though it will not be a very serious mistake if we suppose it to be the man alluded to in #1Ki 4:31, as the brother of Ethan, and one of the five sons of Zerah (#1Ch 2:6), the son of Judah, and hence called "the Ezrahite": if this be the man, he was famous for his wisdom, and his being in Egypt during the time of Pharaoh’s oppression may help to account for the deep bass of his song, and for the antique form of many of the expressions, which are more after the manner of Job than David. There was, however, a Heman in David’s day who was one of the grand trio of chief musicians, "Heman, Asaph, and Ethan" (#1Ch 15:19), and no one can prove that this was not the composer. The point is of no consequence; whoever wrote the Psalm most have been a man of deep experience, who had done business on the great waters of soul trouble.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
“This lament is unusual in that it does not end on a happy note. The psalmist has been ill or injured since the days of his youth (v. 15)and bemoans God’s failure to hear his prayer for good health. He assumes that God is angry with him, but like Job, he knows of no cause for that anger. But through he does not understand God’s ways, the psalmist does turn to God, thus indicating an underlying trust.” (The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“Heman, the son of Joel, was a temple musician during the reign of David (1Chron. 6:33, 37; 16:41-42; 2Chron. 33:15) and is the most likely candidate for the authorship of this psalm. Second choice is Heman, the son of Mahol, one of the wise men during the reign of King Solomon (1Kings 4:31). The Hebrew words Mahalath and Leannoth mean ‘sickness’ and ‘for singing’ or ‘for humbling.’ The first word probably refers to a sad melody to accompany this somber song, and the second might identify the purpose of the psalm, to bring us low before the Lord. This is the last ‘sons of Korah’ psalm in the psalms and is perhaps the most plaintive song in the entire book. In Hebrew text, the psalm ends with the word hoshek, ‘darkness,’ and there is no closing note of triumph as in other psalms that begin with pain and perplexity. The psalm speaks of darkness (vv. 1, 6, 12, 18), life in the depts. (vv. 3-4, 6), the immanence of death (vv.5, 10-11), feeling of drowning (vv. 7, 16-17), loneliness (vv. 5, 8, 14, 18), and imprisonment why, yet he persisted in praying to God and did not abandon his faith. Not all of life’s scripts have happy endings, but that does not mean that the Lord has forsaken us. From Heman’s experience, as recorded in this psalm, we can discover four instructions to follow when life falls apart and our prayers seemingly are not answered.” (Warren Wiersbe”)
Last night as I was listening to this psalm one of the things that I noticed was that at the end of the psalm there was seemingly no answer to the problems of the psalmist like in other psalms that I have read and not when I read these different introductions I find that it is one of the unique characteristics of the psalm. Incidentally Warren Wiersbe has written a book entitled “When Life Falls Apart.”
Come to the Lord by Faith (vv. 1-2): 1 ¶ «A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director; according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.» O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You. 2 Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry!” Although we are not sure of the authorship of this psalm we will call the author Heman for reasons seen in Dr. Wiersbe’s introduction.
We can see as we got through the content of this psalm that life was difficult for Heman, but we will also see that he does not give up. He uses Jehovah four times in this psalm as he speaks to and of the Lord. Jehovah was the covenant name of God for the children of Israel and they would not even pronounce it for fear of breaking the forth commandment "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.’” (Ex. 20:7) In the psalm Heman also uses “Elohim” as God for this also is one of the names of God and this name emphasizes His power. In verse one we read that Heman was a believer for he writes, “O LORD, the God of my Salvation.”
Dr. Wiersbe points out that three times in the psalm that Heman cries out to the Lord, “and three different words are used: verse 1—‘a cry for help in great distress’; verse 2—‘a loud shout’; verse 13—‘a cry of anguish.’” “All of this evidence of faith in Heman’s heart, even though he spoke as though he was ready to give up. He prayed day and night (vv. 1, 9) and trusted that no obstacle would come between his prayers and the Lord (v. 2; 18:6; 22:24; 35:13; 66:20 79:11). No matter how we feel and no matter how impossible our circumstances, we can always come to the Lord with our burdens.” There is always hope in the Lord no matter what the circumstances.
Tell the Lord How You Feel (vv. 3-9): 3 For my soul has had enough troubles, And my life has drawn near to Sheol. 4 I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength, 5 Forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And they are cut off from Your hand. 6 You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths. 7 Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah. 8 You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out. 9 My eye has wasted away because of affliction; I have called upon You every day, O LORD; I have spread out my hands to You.” This surely reminds me of reading the book of Job.
“3 For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. 4 I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. 5 They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from your care. 6 You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. 7 Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me. Interlude 8 You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. 9 My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O LORD; I lift my hands to you for mercy.” (NLT)
As we read this section of the Psalm we must be reminded that during the Old Testament times the people did not have the full understanding of what happened when one died. We as New Testament believers and having the New Testament to read, we understand more fully what happens to a person when they die. Paul writes to the believers at Corinth “6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord- 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight- 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” (2Cor. 5:6-8) There are indications of a resurrection from the book of Job and also from the book of Daniel. Right before Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead we see an indication from his two sisters that they knew about the resurrection of the dead, but Jesus then told them that He was the resurrection and the life.
Daniel 12:2 says “"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”
Job 19:25-27: “25 "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. 26 "Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; 27 Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!’”
Dr. Wiersbe points out that Heman was actually blaming God for the trouble that he found himself in: “But Heman also told the Lord that He was responsible for his servant’s troubles! God’s hand put him into the pit (sheol, the grave), and God’ anger was flowing over him like breakers from the sea (see 42:8). Whatever sickness he had was caused by the Lord and Made him so repulsive that his friends avoided him (see 31:1). He was without health, without light, and without friends—and he felt like he was without God! He was a prisoner and there was no way to escape. Like Job, Heman wanted to know why all this suffering had come to him.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I mentioned above that this psalm is like reading different parts of the book of Job, and Job was a very difficult book for me to study because of all the troubles that Job went through and also because he did not realize the reason as to why all these things were happening to him. It seems that Heman was in the same boat. It is hard to face difficulties in life and not knowing why you are facing them. If I cause a problem and face difficulties because of it then that is something, but if difficulties just come into my life without knowing why then it is more difficult. 1Corinthians 10:13 says “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” The word “temptation” can also be translated as trial and knowing the truth of this verse helps in times of trials and temptations even though it still will probably be rough at least I know that God has a purpose and will provide a way to escape.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Even though when times are tough I must always believe that the Lord is in control and has a purpose for me when I go through troubles.
5/15/2012 10:50:26 AM
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