Psalm 88

1. O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
2. Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
3. For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
4. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
5. Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
8. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
9. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
10. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
11. Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
12. Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13. But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
14. Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?
15. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
17. They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
18. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

Psalm 88 is one of the most somber and lamenting psalms in the Bible. It is a cry of deep distress and anguish from a soul overwhelmed by troubles and feeling abandoned by God. The psalmist begins by addressing God as the “God of my salvation,” indicating a relationship and previous experiences of deliverance, yet currently feeling forsaken.

The psalmist describes a state of extreme suffering, feeling as if life is nearing its end and being counted among the dead. The imagery of being in the lowest pit, in darkness, and overwhelmed by God’s wrath paints a vivid picture of despair. There is a sense of isolation, as friends and acquaintances have been put far away, and the psalmist feels utterly alone.

Throughout the psalm, there is a persistent cry for God’s attention and intervention. The psalmist questions whether God’s wonders and faithfulness can be proclaimed in the grave, expressing a longing for deliverance and an opportunity to continue praising God in the land of the living.

Despite the bleak tone, the psalmist continues to reach out to God, showing a glimmer of hope in the act of prayer itself. The psalm ends without resolution, reflecting the raw and honest nature of human suffering and the feeling of divine silence in the midst of profound pain.

Psalm 88 serves as a powerful reminder of the depths of human despair and the importance of crying out to God even when we feel abandoned. It encourages believers to bring their darkest emotions to God, trusting in His ultimate sovereignty and faithfulness, even when immediate relief is not evident.