A Weapon in Each Hand to Fight the Darkness

I got to fill in for one of our Sunday School teachers yesterday morning, and took the opportunity to look at one of the most challenging Psalms – 88. In the English and original Hebrew, the last word of the song is “darkness.” The only positives in the Psalm is the sons’ (of Korah) opening address to “the God of my salvation” and meditation on the perfections of God in 88:10-12 (“wonders,” “lovingkindness,” “faithfulness,” and “righteousness”). Everything else is dark in the Psalm. We spoke about the place of lament and emotional discipleship in the life of the congregation, since the song is titled “for the choir director.” This is in stark contrast to contemporary Christian worship, which is a pep rally, and the suffering of the saints with depression, which is too often alone. The Spirit’s work through the teaching ministry of worship (“be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,” Ephesians 5:18,19) is neglected, since these days challenging emotions are not dealt with in the context of corporate discipleship as they would be in a Psalm-based liturgy. Psalm 88 (and similar Psalms), voiced by the congregation as a whole, would teach us a Spirit-inspired way of walking through depression and darkness. This seems like a valuable thing to do. As I pointed out to the Sunday School class, however, we have some Christian cultural expectations to overcome to utilize this Spirit-empowered scriptural tool. I can imagine our worship leader taking us through a Psalm like 88 and the uncomfortable reaction of the congregation. Some would have their brows furrowed as they struggled through the dark lyric, and others would joke their way out of the experience. The worship leader might be quickly questioned for putting such a “downer” of a song in the line-up.

We need this. I know not just from my place as overseer of the souls of the congregation (I know where many places of darkness are), but from my own experience with difficult days and weeks. Corporate lament and emotional discipleship would be an ultimate blessing to the people.

With this fresh on my mind this Monday morning (woke up at 5 a.m. worrying over a few specific souls), I read the apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7).

Ah, I’m jealous for this. I want this for dozens that I’m thinking of this very moment as I write this. How, Lord, can I help my fellow brothers and sisters find this? They have the peace with God that comes through being justified by faith in Christ (Romans 5:1). But this peace in Philippians 4:7 is a guarding peace promised to believers as we sometimes walk a very dark path. How, Lord? Then I saw the word, “and” (yes, it’s in the Greek, too). This precious promise is announced in connection with something that comes before it. Commands.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7, the bold marks the specific imperative verbs).

The God-Who-is-present (“The Lord is near.”) works through...

• ...our rejoicing in the Son (Who is called “the Lord” in 1:2; 2:11,19; 3:8,20; 4:23). Which means we are looking to Jesus regularly as He is on abundant display in the Scripture, and rejoicing in what we see.
• ...our cultivated reputation as gentle (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 3:2; James 3:17). “To all men.” Challenging. It’s hard for some to let themselves be seen by others when they’re in the midst of the darkness.
• ...our refusal to anxiousness (Jesus issues similar commands in Matthew 6:25-34//Luke 12:22-26; Matthew 10:16-20//Luke 12:11,12; Luke 10:38-42). Interestingly, the apostle Paul describes anxiousness in a positive way in Philippians 2:20. Apparently, worrying over the spiritual welfare of other believers is acceptable!
• ...our thankful petitions to the Father (“God” is so identified in 1:2; 2:11; 4:20).

The Guardian of souls promises to work a protecting peace over those who pursue these disciplines (remember, they are commands, not suggestions). I’m not saying any of these things are easy to accomplish – especially for someone in a Psalm 88 kind of darkness. But it’s there.

The Spirit has shown me two weapons in two days to help others fight the darkness (Psalm 88 and Philippians 4:4-7). Pray with me, beloved, that He will wield them powerfully through the congregation and through this wholly inadequate overseer.

Psalm 88:9-17 in the ARP Psalter

Glory in the Lament of the Believer

“But of the Son He says [in Psalm 102:25-27], ‘...You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands; they will perish, but you remain; and they all will become old like a garment, and like a mantle You will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end’” (Hebrews 1:8,10-12).

Who is this “He” Who speaks of the Son as the unchanging Creator and Consummator of all material existence? He is “God” in Hebrews 1:1, a “God” Who “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the world” (1:2). God the Father speaks of His Son in this quote from Psalm 102.

Yesterday I was reading through the Psalms for the day (12,42,72,102,132 – one of our men called us to worship with Psalm 42) and noticed something interesting in Psalm 102. This Psalm is the one which is quoted in Hebrews 1 to prove the absolute and eternal uniqueness of the Son, relying on the Father’s witness from the Scriptures. How does the Father testify? Through God the Holy Spirit. Twice in the letter to the Hebrews the Holy Spirit is said to be speaking through ancient inspired Scripture (3:7-11//Psalm 95:7-11; 10:15-17//Jeremiah 31:33,34).

The Father speaks of His Son through the Spirit-breathed Scripture. Trinitarian scripture-based theology. Today. And it shines through in far more than pulpits or theology classes. Consider the Psalm from which we drew this precious truth.

The title: “A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD.” After the title, verses 1-11 live up to the title.

Verse 12 is the hinge of the Psalm. Like so many Psalms, the inspired singer is never reluctant to vent his heartbreak and complaint. Just lamenting is not enough, though. The Psalms almost always follow this by speaking truth (about God) to pain. The Psalm doesn't deny the pain, but it doesn't let it dictate worldview or reality. It speaks truth in the midst of the pain. Verse 12 begins with that great scriptural word “but” (in the Hebrew it’s a single prefixed letter, ו). After this verses 12-28 speak truth about the eternal God (102:12), the compassionate and gracious God (102:13), the building and revealing God (102:16), the hearing God (102:17), and the condescending God (102:19,20).

Then we come to our text from Hebrews 1:10-12. I want to quote it again, but not in its New Testament context (the Father testifying about the Son through the Holy Spirit). When the Holy Spirit originally inspired this text, it was in the midst of pain, loneliness, weakness, and mocking. Not of God, of course, but of the Psalmist. A human being having a very human day:

“I say, ‘O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days,

Your years are throughout all generations.

Of old You founded the earth,

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

Even they will perish, but You endure;

And all of them will wear out like a garment;

Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.

But You are the same,

And Your years will not come to an end.

The children of Your servants will continue,

And their descendants will be established before You” (Psalm 102:24-28).

In the midst of a prayer of pain and sorrow, the Holy Spirit inspired words that testified to the Father’s exalting of the Son. This is the treasure of the Psalter, and why it needs to be the regular spiritual diet of the believer. We need the balm of its truth applied to our struggles, doubts, fears, and pains every day. The Holy Spirit speaks great transcendent truth that raises us up out of today (into God’s faithfulness into future generations and eternity) and out of ourselves (into the glorious eternal Son of God). The text of Hebrews 1:10-12 doesn’t arise out of a theology textbook. It arises out of Psalm 102:25-27 in the plea of a hurting believer.

Even in our grieving prayer, the Holy Spirit does the will of the Father by glorifying the Son (this is the beautiful truth of Romans 8:26-39). Pray the words of truth in the Psalter and be part of this glory, beloved.