The Psalms of Lament Annotation
Human suffering and disability are widespread globally. Severe pain, injury, or illness could cause emotional and mental misery. The Bible covers all aspects of life, including human suffering. In the Old Testament, several authors describe instances whereby devout followers, such as David and Job, complained to God about their sorrow and agony through songs and prayers or laments. Despite most Bible readers associating the scriptures of Psalms with songs of praise, worship, and thanksgiving, David’s laments cover a significant portion of the book. In the paper, I will highlight the themes of disability and suffering as described in Psalms 88:6-12 (New International version). I will also depict parallels between Psalms 88:6-12 and Job 3:1-26. Moreover, I will connect these two portions of the Bible with material about uncertainty, grief and God’s reward from the chapter “From Laughter to Mourning and Back Again” in the book Holding Hands with Pascal: Following Christ with a special needs child.
Annotated Bibliography
Psalms 88 is an excellent example of a lament whereby the psalmist, Heman the Ezrahite, complains to God about his suffering, admits his sinfulness, and begs God to deliver him from his misery and sorrow. The next portion of scripture originates from Psalm 88.
“You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.7 Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;9 my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you.10 Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you?11 Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction?12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion” (Psalms 88: 7-12)?
The start of the eighty-eighth psalm is an acknowledgement by the psalmist that God is his savior. The first statement, “O LORD, God of my salvation” (Psalms 88:1), is the ray of hope depicted by the writer in the sombre passage. The psalmist demonstrates that despite going through unbearable pain, sorrow, and suffering, he could still talk to God. During trying times, most people become distant with God because they do not understand their predicament. Psalm 88 shows we can always take our complaints to God. The psalmist tells God about his fear of death and losing his relationship with him. Similarly, he blames God for his deep sorrow. Heman believes that God’s wrath is the cause of his endless suffering; therefore, he proceeds to plead with the creator to hear his prayers urgently. After focusing on his problems and deep sadness, he switches his focus back to God, who is the only one that can save him.
Job was a great man of Faith who righteously followed God. However, he went through a catastrophic period, which made him lament to God. In Job 3:3, he cursed the day he was born. In Job 3:20, the Bible states, “Why is light given to him who is in misery?” In the scripture, Job questioned why God permits people to continue living in despair and suffering. In his anger, Job laments to God that, in his opinion, death would be better than a life of distress and depression. Nevertheless, he chooses to persevere until his appointed time of death. In 3:21, Job adds, “To those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure.” The passage about Job’s distress is comparable to the psalm of Heman the Ezrahite. Both Heman and Job lament to God about their deep sadness and suffering. Nevertheless, the two authors’ grievances differ because Jobs prefers death, while Herman dreads losing his life.
The chapter “From Laughter to Mourning and Back Again” in the book Holding Hands with Pascal: Following Christ with a special needs child is an account of human grief, suffering, and uncertainty. Having discovered that their son Pascal was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis, the parents were filled with despair. Thus, they wept bitterly to express their emotions (Bruehler, 2014). The severe sickness of their son was abrupt, and the parents were sad and confused by the unexpected occurrence. Nevertheless, they found solace in the word of God from the book of Luke 6:21, which says, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” The writer explains that God’s blessings are present even when in times of grief (Bruehler, 2014). Additionally, God’s promise, through Jesus Christ, of a future of laughter and happiness for people going through suffering and pain is a source of inspiration for Pascal’s parents. In contrast, both Job and Heman do not have the revelation of eternal life after death. The old testament writers were unaware of the Kingdom of God, which was later preached by Jesus Christ in the new testament. Job believed that death was like a state of a deep sleep, whereas Heman describes it as a dark place. Pascal’s parents used God’s scriptures to find the motivation to face their tough situation, and they found comfort in Christ’s promises.
Reference
Bruehler, B. B. (2014). Holding hands with Pascal: Following Christ with a special needs child. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock.