A Psalm Unlike Any Other

The title I have taken for this Psalm is borrowed from James Montgomery Boice’s exposition. He in turn borrowed the phrase from the literature of the Middle Ages where the phrase was employed to describe deep emotional or mental anguish.

Little is known of the author Heman the Ezrahite, apart from the fact that he ranked with Asaph and Ethan as one of the grand trio of David’s musicians (1st Chronicles 15:19). The fact that the 89th Psalm is written by Ethan and that this Third Book of the Psalter is dominated by the compositions of Asaph, would indicate that the Heman of David’s era was likely the author.

While Heman is shrouded in much mystery and obscurity CH Spurgeon was correct in his assessment of the man, based on what we learn from this Psalm:

“…whoever wrote the Psalm must have been a man of deep experience, who had done business on the great waters of soul trouble.” (Treasury of David)

There are Psalms I have anticipated covering in this series. Psalms 23, 40, 46, 91, 100 and 103 are a delight. But as I looked ahead and meditated upon the 88th my heart struggled. This is one long sad and sorry lament.

There are other laments in the Psalms. They generally conclude on a note of praise and comfort. The Psalmist is drawn away from earthy pain to the grace that God can provide. This is not the case here. This Psalm begins with a cry and concludes in the darkness. There is little light.

When Life Never Works Out

But is there a purpose in all of this terrible suffering? This dark night of the soul is for those people for whom life never works out. These are people who never can get past or beyond the afflictions that this world has thrown at them.

The brokenness of life and of the world is a tragic reality.

Coming out of remembrance season we have been reminded of this. I think the brutality and senselessness of the Northern Ireland Troubles has left us with a cohort of people who cannot get past what happened to their loved ones. For many there is no closure. The lack of justice haunts them. Sometimes it’s not even justice they desire but information. Often that is not forthcoming. A peace process which released the murderer and gave the perpetrator a seat in Government has only served to enhance the pain. The survivor feels left behind. It’s not just the victims of Republican terrorism who experience the hurt. The pain and the tears are just as real as that experienced by the victims of loyalist terrorism. These people can empathise with Heman’s lament.

That is just one example but there are many. I remember reading about Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank. His family perished at the hands of the Nazis in those death camps. He was one of the emaciated figures who survived. He had no family, no home, no country. He had nothing but pain and sorrow. A dark night of the soul indeed.

But there are ordinary examples. A bereaved widow or a bereft parent spends a lifetime defined by the pain of searing loss. An abused young person carries the pain through adulthood and into old age.

Ultimately, what have any of us got to look forward to in this life? – only death. When you come face to face with suffering and death you quickly learn how fragile our earthly dignity can be. The strongest are brought low, the independent become dependent, and the things upon which we have built our lives are stripped away. The long night of the soul is coming for us all.

The Hope of the Old Testament Saint

We must factor in the theology of these Old Testament writers. They did not benefit from the revealed truth that we possess in this New Testament age. Christ had not yet come. They could not look back to the life, death and resurrection of the One who promised – “because I live ye shall live also”. They did not enjoy the prophecies of Paul regarding the resurrection nor the words of John pertaining to the glories of the New Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 21-22).

There were occasions when the Holy Spirit broke into the thinking of an Old Testament saint, giving a snapshot of hope with regards to the future. Job clearly realised a living Redeemer knowing that one day after the old body had disintegrated he would see with his own eyes (Job 19:25-27). David foresaw fullness of life and pleasures forevermore which comforted him greatly (Psalm 16:11). These were fleeting glimpses, however. It was like seeing a strangely familiar figure in a crowd but then the form disappears. For the most part the Old Testament saint lived with the pain and suffering of life without the firm knowledge of the glory that is to be.

We must remember that divine revelation was progressive. David possessed a fuller revelation of God’s purposes than Moses, and by the time of Malachi the unfolding of divine truth had advanced further still. Yet even the most enlightened Old Testament saint did not possess the fullness of revelation that we enjoy in this New Testament age. The coming of Christ, His death, His resurrection and the subsequent revelation of the apostles brought into clearer focus the glorious purposes of God.

Bearing this in mind, we must not be harsh or critical of Heman’s anguish. He was a man struggling with his faith in the circumstances and in the measure of revelation available to him.

We must also remember that God wrote this into the inspired word of God. Therefore, there is benefit to be gained even for us in this New Testament age.

But what can be the benefit of such darkness and despondency? The answer is found in honest realism. Things often do not work out. We are on the long slow march to the grave. Life is not easy. And when we are faced with such circumstances we will know when reading Heman’s prayer that we are not alone.

The God of My Salvation

Often we fail to see the positives when they are looking at us right in the face. This is the case with Psalm 88. At least this was my experience. I wondered – How can I present such a Psalm? This is so dark…where is the ray of light? I read it several times and then suddenly the truth of the opening two words struck my heart with force:

“O LORD God of my salvation”

This man believed in a God who was Jehovah – the one Who had entered into an unbreakable covenant with His people. This God of the covenant was His salvation. This didn’t spare him the pain and the suffering. The sorrow and the tears were still real but the One to Whom He prayed was the God of his salvation.

Heman didn’t understand why these things had happened to him. He would have been flabbergasted to know that several thousand years later we would be discussing his heart wrenching lament. But he believed in God enough to cry out.

Brethren and sisters – there will be times when we won’t see any light. There will be no green shoots of encouragement. We will be left questioning everything but remember this – we will have a God to pray to, One who is our salvation. This God listens, He is bound by His covenant promises and He understands every feeling that we experience. These are very real comforts that we must not underestimate.

Alone in the Darkness

Life throws some strange and unforeseen events together.

Heman felt himself to be a dead man. His life was drawing close to the grave and he was descending into the pit. He kept crying, he kept praying but there was no response.

Perhaps he had suffered from ill health because these problems afflicted him from his youth (v15). At some stage he felt alone and betrayed. His near acquaintance had gone from him (v8). His lover and friend were now far away (v18). He was alone in his darkness.

Heman is not denying the sovereignty of God, nor is he abandoning his faith. Indeed, he recognises that his suffering is taking place under the hand of the Almighty. Yet this only intensifies his anguish. How can the God of his salvation permit such overwhelming sorrow? These are the painful questions that fill the Psalm.

Yet Heman had a desire to be spared so he could serve and live for God. ‘Can your lovingkindness be made known in the grave?’ he cried. ‘Will your wonders accomplished in the darkness?’ (v10-12). If there is a request – this is it. He desired life that he might praise. If this is Heman’s desire then it is worthy and noble.

Scholars comment that this is a Psalm which is virtually impossible to outline. It is a collection of spontaneous thoughts. But that’s how life is when we are suffering the dark night of the soul. There is no reason. There is no logic. We frequently make no sense because we are in pain. We are definitely not alone when we read Heman’s account.

The Man of Sorrows

The ultimate purpose of this Psalm may well be Messianic. This may not immediately appear to point to Christ but there is no denying that herein we see the cross.

Christ too cried out to God, knowing he could pray but at the same time was He was cut off and alone – “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?”

He was full of troubles as the man of sorrows. All His friends forsook him. He was left alone. Even Judas, a most trusted member of his little group had betrayed Him. Peter, the boldest of the group who often appeared to be the most loyal – denied Jesus with oaths and curses.

Ultimately when you are alone, suffering and in pain think of Christ and what He experienced for us. Therein we discover our comfort, our grace and our hope. He was alone that we might never be alone.

A Note for Your Journey

This Psalm may not speak directly to your present circumstances. One day, however, it may become a precious companion.

You may not feel its message today. One day you will. Always remember this. When your back is against the wall you will want to know where to turn. Then you may remember Heman the Ezrahite. You will discover that you are not alone and that “In every sorrow that rends the heart the man of sorrows hath a part”.

This is exactly what happened to the passengers and crew of the Learjet which crashed in Florida on 1st November 2026. The captain was Jeff Gregory, an experienced pilot and a Christian. As the aircraft plunged towards the ground, a man’s voice could be heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer in the background of the co-pilot’s final radio transmissions. Friends of Gregory believe that it was his voice. All nine people aboard perished in that terrible tragedy.

We cannot begin to imagine the terror of those final moments. Yet amid the confusion and the desperate calls for help, there was a prayer. It is a sobering reminder that even when all earthly hope has disappeared, the believer still has a God to whom he can cry.

Yes, even in the long dark night of the soul, the Lord is there