Greatest Hits of the OT: Psalm of Lament Psalm 13

Snippet of sermon by of Rev Dr Maggie Low

Lament Psalms are number one in the collection of Psalms as they form the largest number. There are only 30 psalms of praise but there are 40 psalms of lament. We see that the people of God were often bringing their complaints to God. Christians often have this misconception: Good Christians are supposed to praise the Lord all the time, they are not supposed to question God for the things that they do not understand and the unfairness of it all.  When we live this conception, we fail to admit our true feelings and to be honest before God; we end up suppressing or repressing them. The Psalms of Lament shows us how to express our disquiet to God so that we can encounter Him in a deep and personal way. Ps 13 is a good representation of a lament psalm.

This psalm lists 3 things that we often complain about:

1. God  2. Himself  3. Enemies

1. V1: Complain about God. Isn't that an audacious thing to do: to complain about God to His face? Testimony: There was a Church member who met with multiple losses at one time: He lost His job, lost his girl-friend, his mom was diagnosed with cancer and a while later, his dad too. She asked if he had told God how unfair it was for him to go through all these altogether. He shared how fearful he was that he could not utter his complaint about God, “What if God strikes me dead for complaining to God.” To register a complaint is an act of faith because it is in complaining that we recognize God as One who cares and does not forsake us. Because we know He is supposed to protect and defend us, in faith we complain, “it doesn't seem like you Lord.” That helps to keep us clinging on to Him. God recognizes that we are made with emotions, and God cares about our emotions. To be angry and sad are not bad in themselves because that's what makes us human in the face of pain, fear, rejection, loss, abandonment. God cares. If you bring to him your struggles, you will be able to hear him speak. If you do not complain, you are likely to turn away from him.

V2 Complaining about himself. It is ok to tell God our pains and sorrows, our inability to comprehend what's happening in our lives. Illustration: a woman who had been widowed for 10 years but never got over it. When asked if he had brought his mother to a counsellor, the son replied that there was no need. It would be sufficient to just pray and trust God. But God wants us to pour our hearts to him so that he can heal us. Have you been keeping them all inside? Do we believe in God who is empathetic walking side by side with us? We always point to Job as our example, being stoic about his loss, Job 1:21“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” We fail to continue to read and discover how Job began to complain for the next 37  chapters. God was patient with Job, willing to hear him out and it was in this complaining, that he encountered God himself.

V3 Complain about his enemies: Enemy in the singular refers to death here. Foes in v 4b is in the plural referring to friends, colleagues, family members etc. Have you been played out by friends? Abused by a family member? What are you facing at work: backstabbing, people taking credit for the work you do, people accusing you wrongly? Christians also have another misconception that we should forgive and not get angry with our enemies. But immediately we suppress our hurts, get depressed, find ourselves releasing our pent up anger at our family members. It takes time to heal a wound and it is no use simply to put a plaster over a deep wound. We have to squeeze all the infection out of the wound first; be it our anger, our desire for vengeance. The longer they remain inside of us, the more they will fester and create much more damage. We need to release it to God who can heal us. When we turn to the God of justice and leave our hurt with Him, we are ready to be healed.

God gives us permission to complain. He invites us to bring to him our struggles. V 3-4 is the call for help and the Psalmist believes that God can see and answer. “MY God” tells us that this psalm is a personal psalm of lament. Jesus uttered Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” when he hung there on the cross. Between God and us is a committed relationship. God will respond because we are his children. We need to cling to this personal relationship that we have with God.

Even though the front part is filled with complaints, in V 5-6 the Psalmist reveals and affirms his confidence in God. It is through complaining that we truly learn to rely on the character of God. God is/has

1. Khesed: v 5 “I trust in your unfailing love.”  Dr Maggie shared about an old lady that lived in her then husband-to-be’s house. She was destitute when her children make off with her money. Her husband’s family took her in and looked after her till the day she died even though they were not really related. This is a wonderful example of Khesed. That's what God does to us: He takes us in and takes care of us. Unfailing love.

2. I will sing because God has been good (גמל gamal ) to me. His praise of God is based on the character of God. Instead of the usual Hebrew word “tov” the Psalmist used an interesting word in Hebrew: Gamal which means fullness, bountifully, comprehensively, exhaustively. 帮人帮到底 idea.

God cares deeply for us and he has his own timing when it comes to responding. The man mentioned earlier in the sermon did find a job, an excellent girl-friend. His mom came to know the Lord. Although his dad has passed away, he came to know the Lord as well. Previously he was always resistant to the gospel. This is God's Gamal. God invites us to bring our sorrow, our laments to him. Tell him about your enemies, because he is your personal God. Look at his character, hang on to God's goodness which will surface in his own time. Truly live for God, listen to Him. Walk that path towards God.

REFLECTION EXERCISE

1.     Are you worried because life is unfair? Have you been betrayed by friends? Are you angry with your circumstances? Simply be honest with him, take these things to him in prayer.

2.     Ask the Lord to help you see his unfailing love (Khesed) and his goodness (Gamal).