Psalm PSALM—NOTE ON Psalms 88:1. This is an individual lament. It is suited for a person who is so overwhelmed with troubles that even his friends shun him, and who suspects that the Lord has shunned him as well. The psalm does not specify the troubles, only that they feel like God’s punishment. Most laments close on a confidant note, but Psalms 88:1 has no explicit statement of confidence. However, there is insistent appeal to God (v. Psalms 88:1, “day and night”; v. Psalms 88:9, “every day”; v. Psalms 88:13, “in the morning”). The psalm instills a tough faith in its singers by reminding them to keep turning to God (the “God of my salvation,” v. Psalms 88:1), even during times when it seems that God does not answer.

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