Psa 88:2 | KingComments | STEP | This psalm is the saddest psalm in the entire book of Psalms. Other psalms can be sad and gloomy, yet are mixed with faith confidence and ultimately hope and victory. Psalm 88, however, is somber from beginning to end. The last word of this psalm is “darkness” ( ). The only ray of hope in this psalm is the Person to Whom the psalmist addresses in this psalm: the “LORD, the God of my salvation” ( ). Here we find a reference to the name Jesus, which means ‘the LORD is salvation’. The psalm is the prayer of a man who suffers incessantly. He complains about the terrible, harsh oppression that brings him to the brink of death. Yet day and night he called upon the LORD. In the application of this psalm to Christ, we see the suffering He underwent because of the curse of the law. In the application to the believers, both of Israel and the church, we see the suffering that is necessary to be purified and come to glory. The suffering of the psalm is applicable to the suffering of the remnant in the end time, just before the coming of the Lord Jesus. The remnant will suffer so greatly during the great tribulation that it will seem to them as if there is no end to their need, and that darkness will win out over light. The psalm also reminds us of the suffering of the Lord Jesus. Through His suffering He could become the source of living water. This is “a maskil” or “a teaching” from the maskilim ( ). By virtue of His suffering, the joy of the city of God can be there with all who are in it ( ). All who are in it, Jew and heathen, and share in the blessing, have been delivered from the power of the devil and are counted as belonging to that city. This psalm is called “a Song” ( ). The song is not, however, as it usually is, a song of praise, but a song of lamentation, in which sadness and despair are sung. According to the meaning of “according to Mahalath Leannoth” – the meaning follows below – we may take it to mean that the song is sung by a downcast with weak, gloomy, melancholy voice, with a tone of minor. For “a Psalm of the sons of Korah” see at Psalm 42:1. For “for the choir director” see at Psalm 4:1. The song is sung “according to Mahalath Leannoth”, showing that it is a lament. The word mahalath occurs only in Psalm 53 ( ). “Mahalath” means ‘sickness’ or ‘suffering’. “Leannoth” means ‘humiliation’. It refers to ‘humiliation through suffering’ as the necessary way to glory and blessing – the spring of living water. This points first of all to the humiliation of Christ through suffering on the cross of Calvary, as the basis for all the blessings of the remnant ( ). The rock had to be struck if He were to become for us a source of living water ( ). Secondly, it points to the path of suffering that Israel had to go through, the purging of the remnant, through Assyria, the disciplining rod of God ( ; cf. ; ) in order to arrive at the glorious redemption. Compare the way Joseph’s brothers had to go, the prison, in order to come to restoration. For us, too, it is true that we are first we suffer with Christ and then are glorified with Him ( ). This psalm is “a maskil”, “a teaching”. See further at Psalm 32:1. The psalm is a maskil “of Heman the Ezrahite”. It is the only psalm of him in Psalms. Heman is a wise, a Levite, a Korahite, a singer, a son of Joel and a grandson of Samuel ( ; ; ). He is included in the tribe of Judah. He is also called “the king’s seer to exalt him [literally: lift up the horn] according to the words of God” ( ). The psalmist in his deep distress turns to the “LORD”, whom he calls “God of my salvation” ( ; ). The last straw, the only ray of hope in this otherwise gloomy psalm of suffering is that he knows God as the God of his salvation. Satisfied with perils of death, the psalmist seeks refuge in God. Surrounded by dangers and enemies, he looks upward. “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come?” Then he looks even higher to heaven and confesses: “My help [comes] from the LORD” ( ). Therefore he turns to Him. In the midst of distress, faith clings to the God Who has promised to deliver. At the same time, it makes his situation even darker, because the God Whom he knows does not answer. This is a dramatic perception. He addresses God and cries out before Him “by day and in the night”. This “cried out” – literally “shouted” – indicates a penetrating and powerful prayer from a heart that is overcome by the gravity of the distress. Literally it says: “By day I cry out, and in the night [I come] to You.” The need is so great that he comes to God day and night, without ceasing, and cries out before Him. As soon as he wakes up in the morning, he resumes to pray and plead ( ; cf. ). But God does not seems to pay attention to him. The Lord Jesus also “offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears” to God ( ). That is in Gethsemane, in anticipation of the suffering for sin. He knows what it is to have a deeply burdened heart and can therefore sympathize with the remnant and all who feel this way. With Him, however, there is not the hopelessness that characterizes the prayer here. He cries out in the full knowledge that God hears Him. Heman urges the God of his salvation to let his prayer come before Him, that is, in His presence ( ; cf. ). For it seems that the door to God is closed, that his prayer does not reach Him. God does not seem to be listening, but he does not give up and asks Him: “Incline Your ear to my cry.” Here he uses that strong word “cry” again. He knows that God is there, although He seems to have withdrawn from him.

‏ Psalms 88:2

Introduction

This psalm is the saddest psalm in the entire book of Psalms. Other psalms can be sad and gloomy, yet are mixed with faith confidence and ultimately hope and victory. Psalm 88, however, is somber from beginning to end. The last word of this psalm is “darkness” (Psa 88:18). The only ray of hope in this psalm is the Person to Whom the psalmist addresses in this psalm: the “LORD, the God of my salvation” (Psa 88:1b). Here we find a reference to the name Jesus, which means ‘the LORD is salvation’.

The psalm is the prayer of a man who suffers incessantly. He complains about the terrible, harsh oppression that brings him to the brink of death. Yet day and night he called upon the LORD. In the application of this psalm to Christ, we see the suffering He underwent because of the curse of the law. In the application to the believers, both of Israel and the church, we see the suffering that is necessary to be purified and come to glory.

The suffering of the psalm is applicable to the suffering of the remnant in the end time, just before the coming of the Lord Jesus. The remnant will suffer so greatly during the great tribulation that it will seem to them as if there is no end to their need, and that darkness will win out over light. The psalm also reminds us of the suffering of the Lord Jesus. Through His suffering He could become the source of living water. This is “a maskil” or “a teaching” from the maskilim (Psa 88:1a).

By virtue of His suffering, the joy of the city of God can be there with all who are in it (Psa 87:7). All who are in it, Jew and heathen, and share in the blessing, have been delivered from the power of the devil and are counted as belonging to that city.

Call For Hearing

This psalm is called “a Song” (Psa 88:1a). The song is not, however, as it usually is, a song of praise, but a song of lamentation, in which sadness and despair are sung. According to the meaning of “according to Mahalath Leannoth” – the meaning follows below – we may take it to mean that the song is sung by a downcast with weak, gloomy, melancholy voice, with a tone of minor.

For “a Psalm of the sons of Korah” see at Psalm 42:1.

For “for the choir director” see at Psalm 4:1.

The song is sung “according to Mahalath Leannoth”, showing that it is a lament. The word mahalath occurs only in Psalm 53 (Psa 53:1). “Mahalath” means ‘sickness’ or ‘suffering’. “Leannoth” means ‘humiliation’. It refers to ‘humiliation through suffering’ as the necessary way to glory and blessing – the spring of living water.

This points first of all to the humiliation of Christ through suffering on the cross of Calvary, as the basis for all the blessings of the remnant (Psa 87:7). The rock had to be struck if He were to become for us a source of living water (Lk 24:26).

Secondly, it points to the path of suffering that Israel had to go through, the purging of the remnant, through Assyria, the disciplining rod of God (Isa 10:5; cf. Deu 28:49-57; Joel 2:1-14) in order to arrive at the glorious redemption. Compare the way Joseph’s brothers had to go, the prison, in order to come to restoration. For us, too, it is true that we are first we suffer with Christ and then are glorified with Him (Rom 8:17).

This psalm is “a maskil”, “a teaching”. See further at Psalm 32:1.

The psalm is a maskil “of Heman the Ezrahite”. It is the only psalm of him in Psalms. Heman is a wise, a Levite, a Korahite, a singer, a son of Joel and a grandson of Samuel (1Kgs 4:31; 1Chr 15:17 ; 19; 1Sam 8:1-2). He is included in the tribe of Judah. He is also called “the king’s seer to exalt him [literally: lift up the horn] according to the words of God” (1Chr 25:5).

The psalmist in his deep distress turns to the “LORD”, whom he calls “God of my salvation” (Psa 88:1b; Psa 27:9b). The last straw, the only ray of hope in this otherwise gloomy psalm of suffering is that he knows God as the God of his salvation. Satisfied with perils of death, the psalmist seeks refuge in God. Surrounded by dangers and enemies, he looks upward. “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come?”

Then he looks even higher to heaven and confesses: “My help [comes] from the LORD” (Psa 121:1-2). Therefore he turns to Him. In the midst of distress, faith clings to the God Who has promised to deliver. At the same time, it makes his situation even darker, because the God Whom he knows does not answer. This is a dramatic perception.

He addresses God and cries out before Him “by day and in the night”. This “cried out” – literally “shouted” – indicates a penetrating and powerful prayer from a heart that is overcome by the gravity of the distress. Literally it says: “By day I cry out, and in the night [I come] to You.” The need is so great that he comes to God day and night, without ceasing, and cries out before Him. As soon as he wakes up in the morning, he resumes to pray and plead (Psa 88:13; cf. Psa 50:15).

But God does not seems to pay attention to him. The Lord Jesus also “offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears” to God (Heb 5:7). That is in Gethsemane, in anticipation of the suffering for sin. He knows what it is to have a deeply burdened heart and can therefore sympathize with the remnant and all who feel this way. With Him, however, there is not the hopelessness that characterizes the prayer here. He cries out in the full knowledge that God hears Him.

Heman urges the God of his salvation to let his prayer come before Him, that is, in His presence (Psa 88:2; cf. Psa 27:8). For it seems that the door to God is closed, that his prayer does not reach Him. God does not seem to be listening, but he does not give up and asks Him: “Incline Your ear to my cry.” Here he uses that strong word “cry” again. He knows that God is there, although He seems to have withdrawn from him.