- Prophets Priests Kings III
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Over the last few weeks, we have talked about David’s failures with Bathsheba, Amnon, and Absalom. Despite all of David’s problems, one thing he did know how to do was repent and lament. Many of the Psalms he wrote were Psalms lamenting his sin or the situation he had gotten in.
“I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes (Psalms 6:6-7).”
Christian Fox says “While the psalms of lament were written by a variety of psalmists, in various circumstances, and for varying reasons, they share a common structure and pattern. Nearly all the laments move from the negative to the positive, from sorrow to joy, and from fear to trust. The laments represent the journey of the soul. In following the way of the psalmist, we can learn the art of lament so that we, too, can cry out to God in the midst of our pain.
The psalms of lament share a number of common elements, but the three main ones are:
1. Crying out to God. These songs of sorrow begin by crying out to God. They come before God just as they are, with tears streaming. They don’t clean up the mess of their lives before seeking out their heavenly Father. God already knows what is going on in their minds and hearts, so they don’t pretend that their lives are better than they actually are. The psalmists voice the depths of their pain with vivid descriptions and adjectives.
2. Asking for help. The psalmists then ask for help. They beg God to rescue them. They ask for relief from their pain. They ask for help and salvation. Whatever their needs are, they ask God to step in and provide for them: “O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!” (Psalms 71:12).
3. Responding in trust and praise. These song writers don’t cover their pain but they also decide not to live in it either. Throughout the laments, the writers often reference God’s character, His past acts of salvation, His power and wisdom, His love and faithfulness. Because of this they ultimately decide to trust in Him.
As the psalmists like David, cry out to God and remember who God is and what He has done, they end their laments with a response of trust, praise, and worship. Sometimes when we read these laments, it seems like they have an abrupt ending. We might wonder, how do the psalmists go from feeling as though their lives are ending to praising God? The laments do not take place in real time. Before writing, the psalmists have gone through a journey of wrestling with their thoughts and emotions, of crying out to God over and over, and of reminding themselves of the truth. And in so doing, they respond in trust and praise God: “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever” (Psalms 86:12).
Learning this pattern from the psalms of lament, and adopting it as our own helps us to cry out to God with our own pain, sorrow, grief, and fear. Following the way of the psalmists turns our gaze from ourselves and toward the One who alone can save us. The more we do so, the more we find ourselves in the presence of our gracious Father in heaven, that place where we are encouraged to go: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).”
The key here is to not get stuck. We feel the weight of our pain or sorrow but after that, we push forward from the negative to the positive, from sorrow to joy, and from fear to trust. Some people turn their fearful laments into complaints; Christians should turn their fearful laments into prayer.
Let’s look at Psalm Chapter 3. David is the author, and his son Absalom has betrayed him and has overthrown him as king. He presumably was trying to kill him. I can’t imagine what David must have felt like, sadness, pain regret, depression, and hopelessness. If my son ever turned his back on me like that, I’m not sure how I could recover. That’s where we find David in this psalm.
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah,
(Psalms 3:1-8)
I’m not sure what you’re going through today or maybe what you have been going through for years, but maybe you need to lament. Maybe you need to lament over your marriage, over your financial situation, over your children, or over your health.
Stop. Take some time right now to pause. Take a breath and think about what it means to lament. Let’s internalize these steps. Cry out to God, ask for help, and respond with praise.