88:1ffHave you ever felt as though you have hit bottom? The writer is so low that he even despairs of life itself. Although everything is bad and getting worse, he is able to tell it all to God. This is one of the few psalms that gives no answer or expression of hape. Don’t think that you must always be cheerful and positive. Grief and depression take time to heal. No matter how low we feel, we can always take our problems to God and express our anguish to him.
Life Application Study BiblePsalmsChapter 88
Psalm 88
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 936, 937, 938
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
88Psalm 88
1“They have all become citizens of Jerusalem.”
2The people will play flutes* and sing,
6The source of my life springs from Jerusalem!” Theme: When there is no relief in sight. God understands even our deepest misery. Author: Heman, one of the sons of Korah (possibly the same man mentioned in 7Chronicles 15:19; 16:41; 25:4-5 as a musician and the king’s seer) 8For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. A song to be sung to the tune “The Suffering of Affliction. 9A psalm* of Heman the Ezrahite. 1 O LORD, God of my saivation, I cry out to you by day. Icome to you at night.
2 Now hear my prayer;listen to my cry.3 For my life is full of troubles,and death* draws near.4 Tamas 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 ina 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.8 You have driven my friends awayby making me repulsive to them.Tam 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;Ilift my hands to you for mercy.
10Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead?Do the dead rise up and praise you?
11Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love?Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction?*
12Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds?Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?13 © LORD, I cry out to you.I will keep on pleading day by day.4 O LorpD, why do you reject me?Why do you turn your face from me?
15Thave been sick and close to death since my youth.I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors.
16Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me.Your terrors have paralyzed me.
17They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long.They have engulfed me completely.
18You have taken away my companions and loved ones.Darkness is my closest friend.
Theme: God's promise to preserve David’s descendants. God’s promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who will reign for eternity. The love and kindness promised to David is ours in Christ. Author: Ethan (a Levite leader and possibly one of the head musicians in the Temple, 1 Chronicles 15:17, 19), or one of his descendants
Textual footnotes
- on 44:4.
- The name is used here as a poetic name for Egypt.
- 88:TITLE Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.
- 88:3 Hebrew Sheo!.
- 88:11 Hebrew in Abaddon?
Life Application Notes 3 notes
88:5Our feelings may be as obvious and painful as those expressed by the psalm writer, but they are never the complete picture. tn fact, our feelings are usually very unstable. When we bring our unedited feelings to God, we allow him to point out where they are incomplete. We are in trouble whenever we give our feelings divine authority or assume that God can’t handle what we feet. Praying the psalms teaches us to bring God everything about us and trains us to experience his presence even when our feelings tell us otherwise.
88:13,14The writer of this psalm was close to death, perhaps debilitated by disease, and forsaken by friends. But he could nature and angels. See Deuteronomy 33:2, Luke 2:13, and Hebrews 12:22 for more about angels. I
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 937
Interlude
Study feature · page 937
Interlude
Study feature · page 937
still pray. Perhaps you are not so afflicted, but you know someone who is. Consider being a prayer companion for that person. This psalm can be a prayer you can lift to God on his or her behalf.
Study feature · page 938
Interlude
Study feature · page 938
_ the name of a mythical sea
89:1ff This psalm was written to describe the glorious reign of David. God had promised to make David the mightiest king on earth and to keep his descendants on the throne forever (2 Samuel 7:8-16). But Jerusalem was destroyed, and kings no longer reign there. So these verses can only look forward, prophetically, to the future reign of Jesus Christ, David's descendant. Verse 27 is a prophecy concerning David’s never-ending dynasty, which will reach its fulfillment and highest expression in Christ's future reign over the world (see Revelation 22:5). 89:5. In the courts of heaven, a host of angels praise the LORD. This scene is one of majesty and grandeur to show that God is beyond compare. His power and purity place him high above