PRÉCIS ON THE LAMENTATION OF HEMAN THE EZRAHITE: WHERE TO RUN WHEN THE DARKNESS COMES

SCRIPTURE. “O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried to You for help by day; at night I am in Your presence. Let my prayer come before You and really enter into Your presence; incline Your ear to my cry!

For I am full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol (the place of the dead). I am counted among those who go down into the pit (the grave); I am like a man who has no help or strength [a mere shadow], Cast away among the dead, like the slain that lie in a [nameless] grave, whom You [seriously] remember no more, and they are cut off from Your hand.” – PSALM 88:1-5, AMPC

KEY TERM: “TROUBLES!” ‘Ra’’ [רַע]: “Adversity, affliction, bad, calamity; great grief.’ NOTE: “The Hebrew noun and adjective רַע (raʿ, Strong’s 7451) embraces moral evil, wicked conduct, hurtful speech, harmful intent, malignant character, and the concrete outworking of such evil in disaster, calamity, or misery. Whether describing an inner disposition, an outward act, or the painful consequences of sin, the term consistently stands in antithesis to טוֹב (ṭôḇ, ‘good’).”

QUOTATION. “Christianity teaches that, contra Fatalism, suffering is overwhelming; contra Buddhism, suffering is real; contra Karma, suffering is often unfair; but contra Secularism, ‘Suffering is Meaningful.’ There is a Purpose to it, and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the love of God and into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine.” – DR. TIM KELLER, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, 2015; edited

COMMENTARY. “Have you ever felt as though you have hit rock bottom? The Writer of this Psalm sinks so low that he even despairs of life itself. Although everything seems to be bad and getting worse, he tells all of it to God. This is one of the few Psalms that gives no answer or expression of Hope. We must look elsewhere for that. Don’t think that you must always be cheerful and positive. Grief and Depression take time to heal. No matter how low we feel, we can always take our problems to God and express our problems anguish to Him.” – RONALD A. BEERS, Life Application Study Bible, 2022, p. 1243; edited

DK’S TAKE. No matter how well we organize our lives around a substantial Obedience to Christ because of our Love for Him, as the saying goes: “Life still happens!” It just has a way of doing that, often driving even the most faithful to despair, confusion and even anger. In stunning contrast to the nonsense of the Faith-Prosperity Heresy, that is not only normal, but it’s sometimes necessary in the sight of God.

Therefore we’re Free to be a normal human being while in grief or pain or fear!

THE HOPE. But there’s even better news than that, beloved. We can (and must!) ‘Run to God!’ in the midst of our most difficult perils. It is the ‘first’ thing we must do before exercising all the human options before us. More, though He appear to be Silent at times, I tell you true:

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].” – 1 PETER 5:10, AMP

As with our beleaguered brother, JOB, who suffered so immensely even though he was “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). His Crowning Moment before receiving the Lord’s magnificent Answer in returning double all that he had lost, was found here in a courageous prayer:

“Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hands [incurring the danger of God’s wrath]? [I do it because, though He slay me, yet will I wait for and trust Him and] behold, He will slay me; I have no hope—nevertheless, I will maintain and argue my ways before Him and even to His face.” – JOB 13:14-15, AMPC

THREE LESSONS. Therefore all of this boils down to Three Disciplines that God will Honor on behalf of the faithful servant who has hit A Wall.

RUN TO GOD first when your world seems to crumble all around you.

DON’T WORRY about coming to Him all pretty and devout; just be honest!

IN DUE SEASON, He will answer you and use your Suffering to make you better than you have ever been before.’

CODA. I’m convinced that all our present Anguishes are ultimately designed to make us Stronger for the days just ahead. True Christianity is not for the faint of heart. No, it is designed for the humble servants who will risk everything our King. Selah.