WFW: Psalms of Lament

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? (Psalm 22:1 NIV)

When Our World Turns Upside Down

“Pain to deep for words” “Inexpressible joy” “Unspeakable evil”

These simple phrases reveal the truth that sometimes, we’re unable to put strong feelings into words. Recently, I wrote “10 (New) Ways to Instantly Become More Attractive.” The general message of the article was that we should adopt a positive attitude and minimize our troubles. That is certainly true to a point; others do find hopeful people appealing.

However, God knows that there are legitimate occasions in our lives when we need to “vent” about an intensely negative experience. And sometimes our own vocabulary utterly fails us. In his loving grace, He has provided a whole collection of Old Testament literature that we can use to aid us in our prayers and worship.

Known as the Poetic Books or Wisdom Literature, they’re positioned between the Law and the Prophets. The Law (Pentateuch or Torah) consists of the first five books of the Bible, including Genesis and Exodus. Largely historical, they are God’s words to man. The Prophetic Books (Joel, Malachi etc.) are God’s enforcement of the Law through the prophets, they reveal the nature of the heart, and they are spoken in oracles.

Five Books of Wisdom

The Poetic Books or Wisdom Literature consist of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. They are man's words back to God and affirm our human experience and emotions.

1. Ecclesiates. For instance, Ecclesiastes is an expression of “cynical wisdom” which acts as a foil against adopting a Godless outlook on life. This atheistic view denies the reality of a resurrection, a final judgment, and the saving grace of God. Ecclesiastes is intended to help people over the age of forty embrace life in a fresh way as they reflect on their blessings.

2. Job. The beauty of the “speculative wisdom” found in the Book of Job affirms the truth that humanity is corrupted by sin and under the dominion of Satan. Job experienced six levels of depression as he encountered the complete collapse of his world. Depression is a human emotion and part of the human event.

In conversations with four “comforters,” Job argues that life is unfair; suffering is not necessarily the result of personal sin; and this life is not the way God originally intended it to be. We are reminded that God is the solution to the problems of life and not their cause, and we can trust in God’s sovereignty and righteousness.

3. Proverbs is the quintessential book of “prudential wisdom.” It contains memorable maxims and common sense applications of the Ten Commandments that young people can learn in order to make responsible choices in life.

4. Song of Songs. The beauty of the Song of Songs is to be found in its celebration of the Jewish concept of yada (to know); it promotes sexual love within the context or “wise choice” of marital fidelity.

5. The Book of Psalms is filled with prayers and musical hymns addressed to God rather than by God. Affirming the emotions, they express truth about Him in poem form. The poetic vocabulary of the psalms is full of metaphors and imagery in order to evoke a response that is heart-centered, rather than to express a system of doctrine that is to be taken literally.

How the Psalms Encourage

The psalms can be used as a beneficial guide to prayer. As a formal means of expression, the psalms aid the worshipper in expressing difficult thoughts or feelings. The second benefit of the psalms is by example. They demonstrate how we are free to be honest with God in expressing our joy, anger, discouragement and other strong feelings. Finally, the psalms demonstrate the importance of reflecting on what God has done. Disciplined mediation of the psalms helps to fashion in us a life of holiness and mercy.

Three Categories of the Psalms

1. Psalms of Orientation. “Life is good.”
• Songs of Creation. 145, 104, 33, 8
• Songs of Torah. 1, 119
• Wisdom Psalms. 37, 14
• Songs of Retribution. 112
• Psalms of Well-being. 131, 133

2. Psalms of Lament or Disorientation. “Lord, how long?”
• Personal Lament. 3, 20, 22, 44, 13, 86, 35
• Communal Lament. 74, 79, 137
• Regret over sin. 51, 32
• Laments of hate. 137, 109
• Darkest Psalm. 88

Interestingly, the Laments (complaint-anger) are the largest group, numbering more than sixty corporate and individual laments.

3. Psalms of New Orientation. “Thank you, God!”
• 23, 30, 100, 66, 91

I’m indebted to the book, How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth by Fee and Stuart for some of the information above. Also used were notes from a Northwest University Exegesis & Hermeneutics class.

“Much Christian piety and spirituality is romantic and unreal in its positiveness... But such a way not only ignores the Psalms; it is a lie in terms of our experience.”—Dr. Walter Brueggemann

Photos: {dpade1337}, M3Li55&40 & vial3tt3r7 (Flickr)

Related: For more Scripture quotes and sweet Christian fellowship, join Amydeanne and the other sisters for Word-Filled-Wednesday at The Internet Cafe. WFW is about celebrating the gift of creativity through God’s Word.




Up Next—Humor: A Deacon's Ordination

Did you discover a favorite Psalm during a time when life was especially painful?