Emotional Extremes Found in the Psalms

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 87-88

 

Psalm 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

(NKJV)

 

As we read and study the psalms, we are exposed to raw emotion. The extremes of these emotions are joy and elation and fear and despondency. The psalms in this text are both psalms of Korah and give us a glimpse of a man having elation and joy regarding the city of God and despondency. As we study these psalms, most of us can relate to times in life when we experienced both extremes.

 

In Psalm 87, the sons of Korah offer up praise for the glories of the city of God, or Zion, the city of the foundation of God (Psalm 87:1). The Lord loves the gates of Zion even more than the dwellings of Jacob, or Israel, with glorious things spoken of Zion (Psalm 87:2-3). The psalmist makes mention of Rahab, or Egypt and Babylon, places of exile, and beholds Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia with him born there (Psalm 87:4). People will speak of those born in Zion, with the Lord recording that they were born there (Psalm 87:5-6). The singers and musicians will say all their springs are in Zion (Psalm 87:7).

 

In Psalm 88, the emotions of the sons of Korah shift from joy and elation to praying for help in despondency, with the psalmist crying out day and night to the God of his salvation (Psalm 88:1). He pleads with God to let his prayer come before Him and to incline his ear to listen (Psalm 88:2). He acknowledges his soul is full of troubles and his life drawing near to death, believing he is counted among those going down to the pit, and being like a man with no strength (Psalm 88:3-4). He feels adrift among the dead like the slain lying in the grave whom the Lord no longer remembers and who are cut off from His hand (Psalm 88:5).

 

The psalmist feels like a man laid in the lowest pit, in darkness, and in the depths, with the Lord’s wrath heavy upon him by affliction from the Lord's waves of wrath (Psalm 88:6-7). The Lord has put away his acquaintances far from him, making him an abomination to them, with him feeling shut up and unable to get out (Psalm 88:8). His eyes were wasting away from affliction, with him calling out and stretching out his hands daily to the Lord (Psalm 88:9).

 

He then asks if the Lord will work wonders for the dead and if the dead will arise to praise Him (Psalm 88:10). He continues asking if the Lord’s lovingkindness will be declared in the grave and his faithfulness in the place of destruction (Psalm 88:11). He continues asking if the Lord’s wonders will be known in the dark and His righteousness in the land of forgetfulness (Psalm 88:12). However, it is to the Lord that he cries out with his morning prayer coming before Him (Psalm 88:13).

 

The psalmist then asks if the Lord will cast off his soul, hiding His face from him, because he is afflicted and ready to die from his youth, suffering terrors and distraught (Psalm 88:14-15). The Lord’s fierce wrath has gone over him like water, with His terrors cutting him off, coming around him all day long like water, engulfing him altogether (Psalm 88:16-17). Loved ones and friends have been put far from him by the Lord, with his acquaintances thrown into darkness (Psalm 88:18).

 

The psalms record people crying out to the Lord in praise and in need of help. Psalm 87 is a short psalm of praise for the glories of the city of God, Zion, with Psalm 88 a prayer for help from one in despondency. Both are psalms of Korah, showing a man praising God for his presence in the city of Zion and yet a man who is distraught (Psalm 88:15). Such is the range of emotions felt by people following God, ranging from praise at the divine presence of God in their lives to the despondency of living in a fallen world. Thankfully, our time of trouble in a fallen world is temporary, with eternal life with God in our future (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

 

In John 16:33, Jesus told the disciples that in this world they would experience trouble, reminding them that He overcame the world through His resurrection. This warning from the Lord indicates that life will have times of need when we must cry out to the Lord for help, and times of praise as we remember Jesus overcame the world. This is why a disciple of Christ must be disciplined through practicing the spiritual disciplines of studying the Bible (Acts 17:11), prayer (Ephesians 6:18), and fellowshipping with other disciples of Christ (Hebrews 10:25). Studying the Bible equips us with the truth in all the situations of life. Prayer empowers us by letting us know God is there to help us. Fellowship with other disciples encourages us through struggles.

 

However, the first step of becoming a disciple of Christ is to pray for the forgiveness of your sins and to make Jesus the Lord of your life through a heartfelt belief in his death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 10:9-10). If you are reading this and have never taken this first step of becoming a disciple of Christ, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you meant what you just prayed, know that God has forgiven all your sins and that you now have a relationship with God and are a child of God (Romans 8:16). Like any relationship, it grows as we get to know each other. While God already knows all about us, we must study the Bible, the word of God, to learn more about Him. If you just prayed, I encourage you to find a Church that teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.