In formulation for Sunday ’ s sermon on the need for lament in biblical worship, here are ten-spot observations from Psalm 13, an individual lament of David .
1. Psalm 13 is an individual psalm that was recorded for public use.
Psalm 13 begins with the superscription ( mho ), “ To the Choirmaster. A Psalm of David. ” From this inhale introduction, we learn the source of this Psalm ( David ) and how it was to be used ( in the corporate assembly, as led by the choirmaster ). This use of first-person pronouns ( I, me, my ) in corporate idolize is concern, because it causes the corporate gather to speak of personal pain. This teaches us something about our own spill the beans today and the use of pronouns, but it besides shows us how these Psalms were used. distinctly, they are meant to be used by all the saints, even as they come from the personal life of David.
2. Psalm 13 is prototypical psalm of lament.
In the Bible we find individual laments ( Pss. 6, 13, 22, 35, 28, 42–43, 88, 102, 109, 142 ; Jer. 20:7–11 ) and bodied laments ( Pss. 44, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 89 ; cystic fibrosis. Lam. 5 ; Jer. 14 ; Isa. 63:7–64:12 ; Hab. 1 ). These psalms typically express a sense of godhead loss and longing for God ’ s tax return. While each lament is unlike, they follow a typical form :
- Invocation / Address to God
- complaint
- petition ( sulfur )
- expression of Trust
- Vow of Praise
Psalm 13 follows this practice as David cries out to God, unburdens his soul, makes his petitions, and finishes with a vow of praise .
3. Psalm 13 should be read with Psalms 3–14.
These twelve psalms of David express the grief he experienced prior to his coronation. Many of the themes expressed in one psalm are picked up and developed in others. For example, Psalm 12:3–4 record David ’ s petition to cut off those who boast “ we will prevail ” and Psalm 13:3–4 carries a like prayer for God “ to enlighten his eyes, lest his enemy say, ‘ I have prevailed. ‘ ” Likewise, Psalm 13 ’ randomness fourfold cry “ How long ? ” responds to God ’ s promise to act in Psalm 12:5 ( “ I will arise ” ), a bible that responds to earlier petitions ( “ Arise, O LORD ” in Ps 3:7 ; 7:6 ; 9:19 ; 10:12 ) .
By observing these shared words in proximate psalms, we learn how the Psalms tell a unite narrative. all in all, we should read Psalm 13 as a lamentation that trusts in God ’ second promise but grieves that his promise has not yet been fulfilled .
4. David’s confidence in God’s salvation is found in Psalm 3 and answered in Psalm 18.
Reading Psalm 13 canonically ( i.e., with obedience to the musical arrangement of the early Psalms ), we discover that David ’ s assurance for salvation stems from his belief that salvation comes from the Lord. As Psalm 3:8 reads, “ Salvation belongs to the Lord ; your bless be on your people. ” This confidence leads him to pray for salvation in Psalms 9:14 and 14:7, because he trusts his God will save him .
In God ’ s perfective time, this redemption is presented as Yahweh ’ s rescue of David from Saul ( see Psalm 18 : united states secret service ). Psalm 18:1–3 press out David ’ s joy in Yahweh ’ s long-anticipated redemption :
I love you, O Lord, my military capability.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my jesus,
my God, my rock candy, in whom I take recourse,
my shield, and the horn of my redemption, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies .
5. In Psalm 13, death is the enemy.
As David waits for the redemption of God, his life is put in hazard. Verses 3–4 place it this manner ,
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God ;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my foe say, “ I have prevailed over him, ”
lest my foes wallow because I am shaken .
David pleads for God to answer him and to keep him from death ( v. 3 ). His request for his eyes to be enlightened reflects the parlous situation of his liveliness. furthermore, we should observe the contrast between David ’ mho enemy ( singular ) and his foes ( plural ). In context, it seems that death, as a remarkable enemy, is pursuing David. His foes, in turn, will rejoice if his first enemy succeeds .
consequently, David prays for God to save his life. strikingly, as we move to the adjacent part of Psalms ( 15–24 ), there are stated ( Ps 16 ) and implied ( Ps 22 ) references to resurrection. By reading Psalm 13 with the remainder of the Psalms, we can see how these Psalms work together to answer David ’ sulfur prayers .
6. The anguish of David is physical and spiritual.
Peter Craigie makes this observation .
The psalmist prays that the Lord would “ enlighten ” his eyes ; the eye that was dim was clouded with both ill health and its attendant grief ( cf. Job 17:7 ), so that the prayer is a request for restoration to health and rescue from grief. When the eye was enlightened, it would signify a state of health ( cystic fibrosis. Deut 34:7 ). But there is more than a entreaty for physical health in the psalmist ’ s supplication ; at a deeper level, he desires to return to close fellowship with the Lord. Thus, when God ’ s confront was hidden, the light of his countenance could not shine upon the psalmist ( see vv 2-3 ), but when God turned to him again, not only would the psalmist see the light of the divine countenance, but his own eyes would be enlightened. ( Psalms 1–50, 142 )
While the language of Psalm 13 reflects physical affliction and the menace of end, there is besides a spiritual and emotional impact. Yahweh is lacking to David and without God, he feels the motionlessness that results .
such a combination of forcible and spiritual despair reminds us that we are psycho-somatic unities, which is a technical means of saying our souls impact our bodies and our bodies impact our souls. consequently, this teaches us the exemption we have to pray for forcible health, even as 3 John 2 instructs that God ’ s give of health will constantly serve the purpose of our inward sanctification ( californium. 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 ) .
7. Psalm 13 has three coordinates for David’s lament—the absence of David’s God, the affliction of David’s soul, and the attack from David’s enemies.
In the open verses, the fourfold “ How long, O Lord ? ” questions the absence of God ( v. 1 ), the sadness in David ’ s soul ( v. 2a ), and the dominance of David ’ south enemies ( v. 2b ). In these three directions, we see what is happening in David ’ randomness soul .
importantly, these three coordinating griefs repeat in vv. 3–4. He cries out for God to consider and answer him ( v. 3a ), to enlighten his eyes and spare his life ( v. 3b ), and to protect him from his enemies ( v. 4 ). From the repeat of these three complaints, we can infer how they impact one another and the way that one grief follows another .
critically, when David expresses his vows in verses 5–6, he turns all of his attention to God. The enemies fall from view and he turns his eyes aside from himself. rather, he casts himself on the Lord and he trusts that when God considers him, all will be well .
indeed, we can learn much this overture to grief. While multiple factors typically vex our soul, it is the Lord to whom we can trust. When we entrust ourselves to him, we can trust him for our animation and for the enemies who stand against us. David models this and we have reason to consider the consequence of his life and imitate his religion.
Read more: 13 Author Websites That Get It Right
8. David’s confidence is found in Yahweh’s loyalty.
Whereas many songs today express God ’ s love in amatory terms, the nature of God ’ s covenant love carries the theme of loyalty. As Gerald Wilson observes ,
The psalmist finds the grounds for hope in Yahweh ’ randomness hesed—translated here as “ unfailing love. ” The term has more of “ loyalty ” or “ enduring allegiance ” about it than the emotions we normally associate with “ love. ” The context is one of committedness to a covenantal agreement between parties—perhaps a king and a vassal. The covenant spouse who demonstrates enduring commitment to the covenant relationship and faithfully fulfills his covenant obligations, not because he is forced to but because of a smell of committedness to the relationship—such a person is said to do hesed ( “ unfailing [ covenant ] love ’ ). ( Wilson, Psalms Vol. 1, 279 )
As a general rule, we would do well to imitate the way in which the Psalms talk of God. And in this lawsuit, we learn that David ’ s assurance to praise God in the midst of seeming abandonment comes from God ’ s unfailing covenant promises .
Songs that express God ’ s love in sentimental and romantic terms do not stand up well when God feels lacking. however, when God ’ s love is grounded in his works in redemptive history and his covenant promises sealed with Christ ’ s blood, God ’ sulfur people will be able to find cause to sing ( as David did ), even when God feels far away .
9. David’s vow of praise leads us to Jesus.
Whereas David ’ s assurance in God ’ south hesed leads us back to the promises God made to Abraham and Israel, his confidence in his future salvation leads us to Jesus. not immediately, but ultimately, David ’ sulfur words, “ my heart shall rejoice in your redemption, ” tell us salvation will come in the person and work of Yeshua .
It must have been striking when Jesus ’ south parents received the news program, “ and you shall call his appoint yeshua ” ( Matt. 1:21 ). For any congregation Jew, the news Yeshua would not only harken rear to Joshua son of Nun, the one who led the people of God into the promise land. It would besides conjure up a password that fills the Psalms. For case ,
psalm 3:8 : Yeshua belongs to the Lord .
psalm 14:7 : Oh, that Yeshua for Israel would come out of zion !
psalm 18:50 : great Yeshua he brings to his king, and shows firm love to his anointed, to David and his offspring everlastingly .
surely, those who sang the Psalms in the temple of Solomon could not have known the full entail of Yeshua, like we do. But in the lapp breath, God did. And as Acts 2:25 says of David writing Psalm 16, “ For David says concerning him ” —the him is the Christ, the son of David who would come be the salvation for David, Israel, and the universe .
fabulously, as we read the Psalms we see how God saved David. But we besides see how David trusted God for his salvation. In Psalm 13:5, he did not so far possess that salvation, but with eyes of religion he looked to the future when God ’ mho Yeshua would come .
In history, salvation was first gear given to David when God delivered David from Saul ( see Psalm 18 ). however, such an ancient salvation besides served as a type for the true salvation in Christ, and in this way we can see how Acts 2:25 speaks of David speak of Christ. Truly, as we read the Psalms, we besides should see what David was trusting in and join him in that impression .
10. Psalm 13 teaches us how to combat God’s ostensible absence.
While God is ever-present and all-knowing, it does not constantly feel that means. Psalm 13 grapples with this reality and teaches us how to respond. While iniquitous responses towards God ’ s apparent absence abound ( for example, denying his being, celebrating his non-interference, acting with emotionlessness ), Psalm 13 teaches us how to cry out to God, express our sadness, and entrust in his salvation .
On this point, the late Psalm learner, Gerald Wilson, observes four ways Psalm 13 ( and other Psalms dealing with God ’ s absence ) can be applied today ( The Psalms Vol. 1, 284 ) :
- The experience of divine abandonment is real and painful and is rightfully brought to God in laments and questions. God is not offended by our honest questions or even our heated complaints. Both confirm our desire for relationship and our faith that all is not as it should be.
- Divine absence need not be seen as the result of some failing within ourselves. Even the righteous suffer, and indeed suffering without divine intervention can be understood as one of the hallmarks of faithful living.
- Suffering the absence of God can be redemptive as others are brought to realize through our experience that the painful realities of life do not deny the existence, power, and compassionate concern of our God.
- God is worth holding on to faithfully even when we do not experience him as present.
In his signally pastoral section on Psalm 13, Wilson goes on to suggest poetic spell, self-denying service, and bodied forum as other means of suffer God when he feels absent ( ibid, 284–85 ). indeed, when we do not feel like God is near, activities that bring us in contact with his Word and his people are the following best thing .
The feeling of God ’ second presence is a mystery. For reasons known only to him ( and only sometimes revealed to us ), he keeps his presence obscure. In such moments, enduring Christians must find means of grace to hold fast to God. thankfully, the Psalms are one of those means, as are the places and people who sing those songs together. For that cause, let us continue to meditate on these ancient words and bring them into our private and corporate worship .
Soli Deo Gloria, five hundred
Share this:
Like this:
Like
Read more: 15 Mystery Series That’ll Keep You Guessing
Loading…
