Sunday, December 18, 2011

12/18/11: Psalm 88

Psalm 88
Written by the Sons of Korah (Who is Korah?)
A troubled man whose friends and relatives 'disdain' him cries to God for help, but God does not seem to respond.



Verse Observation Interpretation Application
1O Lord, the God who saves me,
day and night I cry out before you.
2May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
3For my soul is full of trouble
and my life draws near the grave.
4I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man without strength.
5I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.
6You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
7Your wrath lies heavily upon me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah
8You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
9my eyes are dim with grief.
The man describes his predicament. He is weak and is near the grave, his friends have left him and he says that God's wrath is on him. He is praying and he wants the Lord to listen to his prayer.
I call to you, O Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
10Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah
11Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction?
12Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
The man is calling to the Lord every day. He does not want to die, asking rhetorical questions if the dead can praise the Lord or if He shows his wonders to them
13But I cry to you for help, O Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14Why, O Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?
15From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death;
I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.
16Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.
17All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.
18You have taken my companions and loved ones from me;
the darkness is my closest friend.
The man repeats what he says in the first part.

That's all for today. I suppose I should start slowly. I still need to get the hang of this HTML and OIA thing.

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