Psalms 88:1-18 - Homilies By C. Short

Light in the darkness.

This is the darkest, saddest psalm of all the Psalms.

I. A PICTURE OF THE MOST DESPAIRING MISERY . Scarcely possible to think that such unalleviated misery ever existed.

1 . Utter physical and mental weakness and prostration. (Verse 6.) As good as dead.

2 . Utterly forsaken of all his friends. (Verses 8, 18.) And God had put them from him.

3 . Cast off from God, by reason of is wrath. (Verses 7, 14, 15, 16.) He is abandoned utterly both of God and man; i.e. he thought so. But no one really is.

4 . This misery had been nearly lifelong. (Verse 13.)

II. RESOLUTE PRAYER IS THE LAST RESOURCE OF THE PROFOUNDLY MISERABLE .

1 . His prayer was persistent. (Verses 1, 13.) Day and night, morning and evening.

2 . He makes the greatness of his affliction an argument for being heard. (Verses 2, 3.)

3 . He prays to know the " why " of God ' s wrath towards him. (Verse 14.) The affliction is a mystery the reason of which he would have made clear. He makes no confession of sin as explaining the terrors of God from which he is suffering.

III. SOME GLEAMS OF FAITH AND HOPE BREAKING THROUGH THE DARKNESS OF HIS DESPAIR .

1 . God is the God of his salvation. (Verse 1.) Notwithstanding all he says of his abandonment.

2 . God is worthy of praise for his loving kindness and faithfulness. (Verses 10, 11.) He could still believe in these.

3 . He prays for the righteousness of God to be manifested to him. (Verse 12.) He cannot help uttering these deep-grounded faiths that made him still cling to God in the most despairing moments. None can abandon themselves to utter despair who have seen God in Christ as the Father.—S.