Calling To God From The Belly Of A Fish

Psalm 88:1-10

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah, to be sung to the tune “The Suffering of Affliction.” A psalm of Heman the Ezrahite. A song.

1O LORD, God of my salvation,

I have cried out to you day and night.

2Now hear my prayer;

listen to my cry.

3For my life is full of troubles,

and death draws near.

4I have been dismissed as one who is dead,

like a strong man with no strength left.

5They have abandoned me to death,

and I am as good as dead.

I am forgotten,

cut off from your care.

6You have thrust me down to the lowest pit,

into the darkest depths.

7Your anger lies heavy on me;

wave after wave engulfs me.

Interlude

8You have caused my friends to loathe me;

you have sent them all away.

I am in a trap with no way of escape.

9My eyes are blinded by my tears.

Each day I beg for your help, O LORD;

I lift my pleading hands to you for mercy.

10Of what use to the dead are your miracles?

Do the dead get up and praise you?

Interlude

God sent Jonah to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh, but the prophet took a boat in the opposite direction. When a nasty storm threatened to sink the ship, Jonah knew he was the reason. He told the crew to throw him overboard, and as soon as he hit the waves, the storm let up. But Jonah’s storm was just beginning because a big fish came along and swallowed him whole.

There in the fish’s belly the prophet prayed. His prayer was a lot like Psalm 88, and no wonder. He certainly felt abandoned and forgotten, close to death in a dark place, engulfed by “wave after wave.” He begged for God’s help and promised to honor him.

The Lord heard Jonah’s prayer and caused the fish to get sick, heaving Jonah up on shore. Then Jonah headed to Nineveh to preach God’s message to the people there.

Maybe you feel like Heman, who wrote Psalm 88. You’re in a bad way, and you don’t know why. Or maybe, like Jonah, you know exactly why, and you feel terrible about it. Can God forgive you? Will he restore you?

The New Testament says that Jonah is a picture of Jesus, who also spent three days in a dark place (Matthew 12:40). God’s power raised Jesus from the dead, and he can work that same power in your life as well.

Christian brothers, shout and sing,

Death has lost its ancient sting!

Christ, the crucified before,

Is alive forever more!

Grave, where is thy vict’ry now?

See the light upon His brow,

Empty, see, the stony bed;

Christ is risen from the dead!

THOMAS O. CHISHOLM

Psalm at a Glance

This is the most mournful of all the plaintive psalms. There seems to be no mention of hope in the entire psalm.

Bible Networking

In verse 6 the psalmist speaks of being thrust into the “lowest pit.” Jesus was sent to the grave as well, and we, too, are called to die to our old, sinful self. In doing this, however, we prepare ourself to be raised to new life, just as Christ was raised from the dead. Read Philippians 3:10-11.