Feeble And Sore Broken

38  A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.

This Psalm seems rather dark. Why choose it? Why not choose a lighter one? I admit, when I found verse 8 for my blog title, I read through the Psalm and thought, “Wow, how dark and almost hopeless.” It was as if I had never read it before,  But as I meditated on it I began to think that it has something to say to our sitcom Christianity – you know, introduce a problem, solve it in 30 minutes, and move on to the next one.

What is he bringing to remembrance? His sin, or better, the sorrow he has for his sin and the deep conviction he feels and the trouble, grief and chastisement he is suffering because of it. No one seems to know what he did but he is clearly suffering the consequences for it.

I have arranged this psalm in what I perceive to be the “stanzas” (each stanza being 8 lines) and I have arranged it according to the rhyming pattern. Hebrew poetry rhymes thoughts rather than sounds and this is written in couplets. I have also removed most of the words in italics. The King James translators supplied words in italics that aren’t in the original in an attempt to help it make good sense in English.  In this case, I don’t think it worked and messes up the terseness of the poetry.

1    O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath:

      neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2    For thine arrows stick fast in me,

      and thy hand presseth me sore.

3    no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger;

      neither rest in my bones because of my sin.

4    For mine iniquities are gone over mine head:

      as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

He sinned and is now enduring the rebuke and chastening of the Lord for it. God is dealing with him in a strong way – in his soul (thine arrows and thine hand) as well as in his body (no soundness in my flesh). There seems to be a literal physical malady.

5    My wounds stink, are corrupt because of my foolishness.

6    I am troubled;

      I am bowed down greatly;

      I go mourning all the day long.

7    For my loins are filled with a loathsome:

      and no soundness in my flesh.

8    I am feeble and sore broken:

      I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

He elaborates on his condition. He is suffering greatly in his body but worse in his heart: I am troubled / I go mourning all the day / the disquietness of my heart. Not everyone who sins suffers bodily ailments (and not every bodily ailment is the result of sin), but every child of God who sins suffers this conviction. When a believer falls into sin there are many who fret, “They are getting away with it.” Read Hebrews 12:5-8 and stop fretting! Read this psalm and stopped being vexed!!

9    Lord, all my desire before thee;

      and my groaning is not hid from thee.

10  My heart panteth, my strength faileth me:

      as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

11  My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore;

      and my kinsmen stand afar off.

12  They also that seek after my life lay snares:

      and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things,

      and imagine deceits all the day long.

He lists the troubles his sin brought: he suffers inner turmoil –his strength is failing, the light of his eye is gone out, he is alienated from his family and friends, and there are those who seek his hurt.

13  But I, as deaf, heard not;

      and as a dumb man openeth not his mouth.

14  Thus I was as a man that heareth not,

      and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

15  For in thee, O LORD, do I hope:

      thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

16  For I said, lest they should rejoice over me:

      when my foot slippeth, they magnify against me.

He has only one hope, the Lord. He has nowhere else to turn. This would be the purpose of the chastisement of the Lord. God’s rebuke for his sin is intended to strip him of reliance on his own righteousness and all trust in himself.

Notice how he uses the names of God:

For in thee, O Yahweh, do I hope:

      [this is God’s personal name, and this is deeply personal]

Thou wilt hear, O Adonai my Elohim

      [Adonai is Lord; Elohim is God and refers to Him as the covenant making and keeping

      God. His only hope is Yahweh and the covenant of mercy!]

17  For I, ready to halt,

      and my sorrow, continually before me.

18  For I will declare mine iniquity;

      I will be sorry for my sin.

19  But mine enemies, lively, they are strong:

      and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

20  They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries;

      because I follow good.

The chastisement of the Lord has had it’s intended effect, he is ready to confess his sin, be restored to God and delivered from the inner turmoil and physical distress. But alas, his enemies are still there, ready to pounce on him.

21  Forsake me not, O LORD:

      O my God, be not far from me.

22  Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

His sin has had a real and tremendous impact on him and there does not seem to be an instant cure. But he is brought back to his one hope. This has taught him that he is not sufficient. He is overcome by sorrow, grief, actual physical pain, and enemies. He cannot get out on his own so he turns to the Lord. Make haste to help me. He again employs the three names of God: forsake me not O Yahweh, O my Elohim be not far from me, make haste to help me O Adonai.

He really is in a good spot, he has one and only one hope, O Lord my salvation. Not, Lord of my salvation, but simply, O Lord my salvation. “You are my salvation. If You do not undertake for me I will not and can not be saved.”

This psalm doesn’t end the way we would like for it to, with praise for forgiveness and deliverance. But this is real life. Sometimes our sin brings us low. So low we are simply overcome with the grief and pain of it and there is no way out. But the psalm ends the way God wants it to end, with the sinner turning to the Lord as his only hope for salvation.