Psalms In My Palms - Book 4 - Lament

Laid Out

Psalms 88:1-18

      Psalm 88 is a rare psalm by Heman, the Ezrahite, one of Kroah's sons. He was appointed by David in 1 Chronicles 15:16-19; but his writing of this Psalm occurred during Solomon's reign (1 Kings 4:30-31). Ezrahite means native-born. Most of David's Psalms address his complaint but end with praise and trust in God for deliverance. However, Psalm 88 does not end in praise but in the development of personal LAMENT and complaint. The only hope is the fact that he addressed it to God whom he said was his Salvation. (Read Psalms 42:44-49;84; 85; and 87)

Psalm 88:1-2-(TLB)-"O Jehovah, God of my Salvation, I have wept before You day and night." (Well, he has brought his LAMENT to he proper place-God's presence!). "Now hear my prayers; Oh, listen to my cry,..." (When God hears by listening to us the ultimate result is an answer. Though sometimes we are not told the answer we know God heard and answered. For we read in Psalm 86:7-"in the days of my trouble I will call upon You for You will answer me."; Job 13:22-"Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, then You respond to me.")

Now Heman has come before God. He laid out his problems-Psalm 88:3-5-(TEV)-:

1. "So many troubles have fallen on me that I am close to death." (Psalm 30:3-David's answer)

2. "I am like all others who are about to die; all my strength is gone." (Psalm 143:7-David)

3. "I am abandoned among the dead; I am like the slain lying in their graves," (Proverbs 1:12-Solomon)

4. "Whom You have or gotten completely, who are beyond Your help." (Isaiah 38:18; Psalms 28:1; 31;12-David)

Turn to Psalm 88:6-9-(NKJV)-to see how he continued:

5. "You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness in the depth." (Psalm 86:13)

6. "Your truth lie heavy upon me," (Lamentations 3:7)

7. "And You have afflicted me with all Your waves." (Psalm 42:7)

8. "You have put away my acquaintances from me;" (Job 19:13)

9. "You have made me an abomination to them;" (Job 19:19)

10. "I am shut up and cannot get out;" (Lamentations 3;8-9)

He continued in verse 9:

11. "My eyes washes away because of my affliction."

But in verses 10-12 of Psalm88-(CEB)-he pleads for what he knows he needs-"I've been calling You every day, Lord-I've had my hand outstretched to You!" (Psalm 86:3)

Then he puts questions to God. He is appealing for help before he dies!:

1. "Do You work wonders for the Dead?" (Job 26:6)

2. "Do ghosts rise up and give You thanks?" (Matthew 28:7)

3. "Is Your Faithfulness in the underworld?" (Matthew 27:52)

4. "Are Your wonders known in the land of darkness,..." (Matthew 5:14-16; 4:16)

5. "Your RIGHTEOUSNESS in the land of oblivion?" (Proverbs 15:11; 27:20)

As I stated his LAMENT do not end s he went onto say in Psalm 88:13-18-(TLB)-"Oh, Lord, I plead for my life and will keep on pleading day by day." Now here is the best part, he recognizes the need to keep praying until he sees results.

He continued back to his questions:

6. "O Jehovah, why have You thrown my life Away?" (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 107:18)

7. "Why are You turning Your face from me, and looking the other way?" (Jesus asked the same question on the cross!)

8. "From my youth I have been sickly and ready to die." (Isaiah 53:5)

9. "I stand helpless before Your terrors."

10. "Your fierce wrath has overwhelmed me." (Isaiah 53:10)

11. "Your terror has cut me off. They flow around me all day long."

12. "Lover, friend, acquaintances-all are gone," (Isaiah 53:3; Psalms 31:11; 38:11)

He concludes with:

13. "There is only darkness everywhere." (Repeat Matthew 24:16)

Hamden was crying out for Help. He knew only the terror, which he believed, came from God. Again he is talking to God! (Psalm 31:1; Isaiah 53). God is still his Salvation as he said in the first verse. (Read Psalms 25:5; 27:9)

To complete this Psalm 88 we must realize that every complaint Heman gave was the story of Christ's crucifixion. (Follow the comparison in Isaiah 53:2b-7, 8b, 9a, 10a, and 12b.- "He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has born our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth...for He was cut off from the land of the living...they made His grave with the wicked...yet, it pleased God to bruise Him, He has put Him to open shame...He poured out his soul unto death. ". On the cross He proclaimed in Matthew 27:46b, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?... and yielded up the spirit and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints..were raised and coming out of the graves after the resurrection...".

Heman in his LAMENT used many phrases here, so they are prophetic statements not just hopeless depression! He spoke of the higher power given for sinful man, rejected and crucified, risen and giving eternal life to all who believe.

What a GLORIOUS STORY! (It is repeated in Mark 15:16-38; Luke 23:32-48; and John 19:17-24, 31-37). He suffered -and experienced all we will ever feel and more. Heman's Lament prophetically described these feelings. God is worth our love and devotions. I AM HIS AND HE IS MINE!

Next time...