Psalm 88

I'm just gonna apologize for the length now. So you may want to print this and read it when you have insomnia. If it doesn't put you to sleep, nothing will.

Ok, so as I've been up since about 3:45 am, after going to sleep around 1:00 am :-o and have been sporting a migraine and nausea and dizziness since sometime yesterday afternoon; as I'm going to groan my way to work in a few hours until about noon when I head to a funeral; as I have, for quite sometime, dealt with seamingly one blow after another...

I was going over Psalm 88. I read a commentary that just seems so utterly wrong to me and wanted some other opinions on it.

The site is http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-psalm-88.htm and the commentary by Warren E. Berkley suggests that unlike other commentators, he believes Psalm 88 to be a lament of one who is sinning

Now I'm not going to be able to say I don't sin. I get angry, I act selfishly at times, I don't always do what I know I should and sometimes don't even KNOW what I should do (who I should throw out - shut up Tammy). LOL Sorry it's been awhile and I needed to harass her to get the discussion going.

But I was drawn to 88 because it sounds a lot like my own prayers often do.

The writer said "It is a continuous, bitter expression of one living deep in despair, sometimes with language that may seem to border on reproach against God." and he was convinced it was written by one suffering from their own sin.

He starts verse 1 with: "O Lord, God of my salvation." Whoever the writer was; whatever the personal context, the first thought in the opening sentence of the poem affirms two things: The writer needs salvation.

MY first thought is "O Lord, God of my salvation." is of one recognizing God is their Lord and saviour...not that they NEED salvation but acknowledge God HAS saved them. Otherwise it seems they would say O Lord God save me. But they didn't.

He goes on to verse 3 stating his belief that the writer is afflicted by their sin and not suffering from other sources of affliction. He continues about the writer speaking of God afflicting him, cutting him off, shutting up His voice, etc.

Now I'm definitely no scholar and maybe this guy is but David cried a lot about his affliction and being in the pit. Job accused God of bringing his calamity on him while still recognizing it was God's right to do so. Yet we know Job was a righteous man and did not suffer any of his affliction because of sinning. Though his friends did their best to convince him that he suffered due to some sin he was engaging in.

It's when things go from bad to worse, satan tries accusing me again of being punished for something. A vague something as well. That because I get out of sorts at times or fail to pray over a meal earlier, or had a bad thought...that this is God's punishment. It's a good thing I've gotten better at spotting this. I may mope a bit....right now I'm moping a lot praying God removes my nausea :-( But any of those thoughts do not exceed the day or typically the hour. Whereas I could start to entertain and hold to such a lie for a week or more just a couple short years ago.

So in recognizing this same condemnation that wants to rear it's ugly head, I read Mr. Berkley's commentary as being one aimed at condemning the mournful rather than in encouraging one another in their troubles.

I can relate a lot to 88 right now yet I know of no sin that would be cause for such affliction or that I do not feel sorrowful for aside from the physical affliction, which Mr. Berkley says the Psalmist is not speaking of physical affliction.

Psalm 88 KJV

O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

(probably why my migraine)

Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

(I've been sick for so long that I sometimes think the grave might be preferable unfortunately.)

I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:

(If I didn't keep reminding myself that GOD is my strength, I wouldn't even get out of bed most days.)

Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

(I have felt this same way and yet I recall Job did as well but not because of sin. But because he would come to know God like he never had. And affliction is also what changes our sins of anger, selfishness etc. Cause I have changed greatly in these areas from where I started so they serve a purpose.)

Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

(God doesn't want us to be acquainted with just everyone. After we accept Christ, He better put our drinking buddy far away from us. It's not gonna feel good leaving old friends behind but if they're not headed towards Christ, we have to.)

Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

(God had to show Elijah how to hear Him...in quietness. Yet it's not always easy to obtain quietness with everything clamoring around us and even the cacophony in our own minds that assail us during trouble. So does God hide or do we just not see when He's quietly standing in plain sight?)

I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

(Amen on being distracted.)

Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

So do you agree with our comentater Mr. Berkley or does his analysis seem to be condemning of one who was mournful and crying out to God for help and understanding? Most of the Psalms were cries for help or songs of praise. I can't see why Mr. Berkley would think 88 to be any different.