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Psalm 88

Psalm 88 is a psalm of lament, attributed to Heman the Ezrahite. It expresses deep sorrow, despair, and a sense of abandonment by God. Unlike other psalms of lament, it ends without a resolution or hope, which makes it unique in its tone of persistent darkness. The psalm reflects a person in profound distress, crying out to God but feeling unheard, isolated, and overwhelmed by affliction.

Psalm 88:1-10 (NKJV)
1 O Lord, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
2 Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave.
4 I am counted with those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man who has no strength,
5 Adrift among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And who are cut off from Your hand.
6 You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In darkness, in the depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah
8 You have put away my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
9 My eye wastes away because of affliction.
Lord, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.
10 Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah

The psalmist cries out to God with desperation, expressing unrelenting suffering. He pleads for God to hear his prayer, feeling as though his soul is near death and his strength is gone. He describes himself as abandoned and isolated, lying among the dead and forsaken. The imagery of being in a pit reflects deep despair. God's wrath feels overwhelming, and friends have turned away, intensifying his loneliness. Despite daily prayers, the psalmist feels unheard, questioning whether God's help can reach him even in death.

Psalm 88:11-18 (NKJV)
11 Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12 Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But to You I have cried out, O Lord,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Lord, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
15 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught.
16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have cut me off.
17 They came around me all day long like water;
They engulfed me altogether.
18 Loved one and friend You have put far from me,
And my acquaintances into darkness.

The psalmist continues to question whether God's goodness can be displayed after death, suggesting the urgency of his need for deliverance. He cries out persistently, wondering why God has abandoned him and hidden His presence. The suffering feels lifelong, as if he has faced affliction from his youth. Overwhelmed by God’s perceived wrath and terror, he describes himself as drowning in relentless troubles. In his despair, even loved ones and friends seem distant, leaving him in total isolation and darkness. The psalm concludes without any resolution, emphasizing the depth of the psalmist's anguish.

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