Would you turn to the 88th Psalm? Before I read this psalm, this is what Charles Spurgeon
called the darkest psalm. You'll notice in the title, Psalm
88, it's called a leonoth, in that
title above the first verse, a leonoth, which means a brow
beating. And while the psalm does begin
with a glimmer of hope, O Lord God of my salvation, after that,
there's no hope at all expressed in this psalm. And the reason
a dark song, it is the song of the Lord that he cried in the
darkness while he was on the cross. He was in the dark for
three hours. And this is his cry from the
darkness. And just saying that I was telling
Lynn while we were driving over here, I feel so. I don't know what the Lord went
through. There's no way I can understand that. I can read it
and we can make a few comments, but as far as understanding,
very little. But let's read this Psalm together. Like I said, the first statement
gives us a glimmer of hope when he calls him, O God of my salvation. And from there on, there's nothing
but darkness. Another statement, some people
have used this psalm and other psalms to say that the Old Testament
saints didn't understand much about the afterlife. Look in
verse 10 before I read the psalm. Wilt thou show wonders to the
dead? Shall the dead arise and praise thee? See love. Shall
thy loving kindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness
in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in
the dark, and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?"
Now, quite a few commentators have said that these Old Testament
saints didn't really understand the afterlife, but that's ridiculous.
Job said, I know that my Redeemer liveth. and that I'll see him
on the after days. David said, as for me, I'll behold
thy face in righteousness. I'll be satisfied when I awaken
thy likeness. Now it's obvious from many scriptures
that the Old Testament saints understood the afterlife just
like you and I do. But let's read this psalm together. And remember, this is the cry
of the Lord in the dark. Psalm 88. O Lord God of my salvation, I
have cried day and night before Thee. Let my prayer come before
Thee. Incline Thine ear unto my cry,
for my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto
the grave. I am counted with them that go
down into the pit. And that's talking about eternal
destruction. This is how I'm counted. I'm counted with them. You know, he was numbered with
the transgressors, wasn't he? Now, I know that a man was writing
this psalm and he was talking about how he felt. I realize
that. But more than anything else, this is the Lord in the
darkness. I am counted with them that go
down into the pit. I am as a man that hath no strength,
free, the word free means adrift, adrift among the dead, like the
slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more,
and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the
lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps, Thy wrath lieth hard upon
me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy ways. Thou hast
put away mine acquaintance far from me. Thou hast made me an
abomination unto them. I'm shut up. I cannot come forth. Mine eye mourneth by reason of
affliction, Lord. I have called daily upon thee.
I have stretched out my hands unto thee. Wilt thou show wonders
to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise
thee? Shall thy loving kindness be
declared in the grave? Or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in
the dark and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
But unto thee have I cried, O Lord, in the morning shall my prayer
prevent thee. Lord, why castest thou off my
soul? Why hidest thou thy face from
me? I am afflicted and ready to die
from my youth up. While I suffer thy terrors, I'm
distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me. Thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily
like water. They compass me about together.
Lover and friend has thou put far from me and my acquaintance
into darkness. Let's pray. Lord, how thankful we are for
the Lord Jesus Christ, that he willingly took our place and bore the fierceness
of your wrath as only he could do and put it away. And Lord,
we confess he is all of our salvation. We look to him only. We ask that
you would give us grace to being able to worship him, to worship
you by your spirit. We pray that you deliver us from
hearing the words of a man and the ideas of a man, but that
you would speak to our hearts from your word. Lord, forgive us of our sins.
For Christ's sake, cleanse us. We ask that you unite our heart
together to fear thy name. Be with all your people wherever
they meet together. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. That's a dark song, isn't it?
He starts off with a statement of hope. Verse one, oh, Lord,
God of my salvation, and I'm thankful he starts there. Oh,
Lord, God of my salvation. And then he expresses utter darkness. Being cut off. Now, remember, I mean, we say
this quite often, but this is the psalmist speaking as he felt.
No question about that. Maybe you felt this way before.
Maybe I felt this way before. But every psalm first is Christ
himself speaking. I remember one time reading that
there's 22 Messianic Psalms. No, there are 150 Messianic Psalms. And each one is Christ speaking. That's the way I have to look
at it first. And who else could say, thy fierce wrath has gone
over me. The Lord is talking about the
wrath he experienced as the sinner's substitute when he was in darkness. That three hours of darkness.
And like I said, I, I feel like, um, and I ought to feel this
way every time I preach, but I feel like such a fool trying
to express things that I just don't really know anything about.
I haven't experienced what the Lord experienced, nor have you,
but we're given some view of what Christ experienced as the
sinner's substitute. And we can look on. That's about
all we can do. Look on and let's look in verse
one. Oh, Lord, God of my salvation.
I have cried day and night before thee. Now, I love the way he
calls him, Oh, Lord, God of my salvation. Now read. Jonah, Jonah,
chapter two, the prayer from the whale's belly. And Jonah
is such a type of Christ. And if you read his prayer in
Jonah chapter two, and remember, this is Christ's prayer. And
how does he end that glorious prayer in Jonah chapter two?
Salvation is of the Lord. And that's exactly what the Lord
is crying in his darkness. He still knew salvation is of
the Lord. And let me say this. I want to
make sure I get this out before I forget to say it. Everyone who's experienced God's
wrath hated God. The Lord Jesus Christ loved him
as he was experiencing his wrath. That makes this different than
anything else. Anyone who's ever experienced
the wrath of God has hated him for it. They've resented him.
They've cursed him. They have no love for him. But the Lord Jesus Christ, even
when he was experiencing God's utter and complete wrath, he
loved him with all his heart. And for him to be separated from
him to feel no longer the presence of God was something you and
I just can't enter into. Verse two, let my prayer come
before thee, incline thine ear unto my cry, bend down and hear
me. He was crying to his father at
this time. Four, verse three, my soul is
full of troubles. Now that word troubles is the
same word generally translated evil and wickedness. Genesis six, five, and the Lord
saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, that's
the word, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil. There's the word again, same
word translated wickedness and evil continually. Now, on the
cross or before the cross, you remember the Lord praying, if
it be possible, let this cup pass for me. Now, he wasn't simply
talking about the physical anguish that he was going to experience,
although if you knew you were going to be crucified, how much
would it stress you out? I mean, just the sheer physical
agony, but The Lord was talking about knowing the content of
that cup. The content of that cup was the
sins of God's elect. Sin does not, it breaks my heart
that I have to say this, but I've got to be honest, sin doesn't
break my heart the way it ought to, but oh how he hated sin. to be made sin. Now, he never
committed a sin even when he was made sin, but he bore the
filthiness of the sins of his people. Everything with regard
to sin, he was made to drink up. Now, once again, he never
committed sin, but he experienced, he knew sin. He didn't know it,
now he does, when he drank that cup. Now, somebody says, explain
that to me. I can't. I can't. Scripture says he was made sin
when he drank the content of that cup. He said, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me. But was it possible? No, this
is God's eternal purpose to glorify himself and save his people. So he says, my soul is full of
troubles. My life draweth nigh unto the
grave. I'm getting ready to die. Verse four, I'm counted with
them that go down into the pit. Now he's talking about going
to hell now. I'm counted. Remember he was
numbered with the transgressors. I'm counted with them that actually
go into the pit. I, verse four, as a man that
hath no strength. Free or drift, verse five. among the dead. Like the slain
that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more, they're
cut off from my hand. Now, what the Lord was experiencing
at this time is the father was not remembering him in mercy.
The father was not remembering him in favor. Remember the way
the thief said, Lord, remember me? There wasn't any of that
for the Lord Jesus Christ. He was cut off. He felt the complete
absence of God. Once again, when I'm saying things
like this, I feel like a fool trying to express this, but the
Lord does give us this song. Verse six, thou has laid me in
the lowest pit in darkness. in the deeps. Now, the Heman
who wrote this song, no doubt, I don't know what he was going
through that made him write this, but this is more specifically
what the Lord Jesus Christ experienced. And notice he doesn't say this
with anger. He doesn't say this with resentment. He knows that
this is what he deserves because he was guilty when he took his
people's sins on himself. And he says, thou hast laid me
in the lowest pit. He's not saying this in resentment
and anger, but he's knowing the Lord's the one who did this.
When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he knew
his father did this, so he's not saying it in resentment,
but oh, the pain of his soul when he says thou has laid me
in the lowest pit. In darkness, this is his cry
from the darkness, in darkness, Verse seven. Thy wrath lieth
hard on me. Thou hast afflicted me with all
thy waves. Turn with me for a moment to
Lamentations, chapter one. Right after the book of Jeremiah. Verse 11, look at the last phrase
of verse 11. Oh Lord, see oh Lord and consider
for I am become vile. I was born vile. I didn't become
vile. I was born vile. But the Lord
Jesus Christ, when he took the sins of his people upon himself,
This is what he says with regard to himself. Verse 12, is it nothing
to you all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow
like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me wherewith the Lord
hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. Now those are the words of the
Lord Jesus Christ from the cross. Is there any sorrow like my sorrow
in the day the Lord afflicted me with his fierce anger? Verse 8. Psalm 88 verse 8. Thou has put away mine acquaintance
far from me. Thou has made me notice he's
ascribing all this to his father. Thou has put away my acquaintance
far from me. Thou has made me an abomination
unto them. I'm shut up. I cannot come forth."
Now, all of his disciples had forsaken him and fled. He was
alone. He didn't have anybody helping him. He was all by himself
alone. And he attributed this to his
father. Thou has put away mine acquaintance far from me. Thou
has made me an abomination. I'm shut up and I can't come
forth. I can't get out of this. I'm stuck in this. Now I'm sure
someone has felt that way in their depression. But this is
the Lord Jesus Christ feeling the awful weight of the wrath
of his father. Verse nine. Mine eye mourneth by reason of
affliction. Lord, I've called daily upon
thee. I've stretched out my hands unto thee. I couldn't help but think of this
scripture when I thought of the Lord mourning in his pain of being separation from
his father and and all of the wrath of God coming down upon
him and him feeling this in the darkness on the cross. I thought
of the scripture, you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich. Yet, for
your sakes, he became poor. And this is what this is a reference
to. That you through his poverty might be rich. To think of what the Lord suffered
for our sakes. Verse 9, mine eye mourneth by
reason of affliction. Lord, I've called daily upon
the, I've stretched out my hands into the, you see, he never quit
believing when he was on the cross. He never quit desiring. He never quit stretching forth
his hands into the father, how he loved his father, even while
he was experiencing nothing, but his father's wrath. Now,
like I said, these, uh, in introducing this, this has been used to say
that the old Testament saints did not understand the afterlife. Well, let me tell you what this
is. This is the Lord's argument for the resurrection. Look at it. Verse 10, Psalm 88,
10, will thou show thy wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise
and praise thee if I stay dead? Will you be able to show your
wonders? Will I be able to praise thee if I stay dead? Shall thy
lovingkindness be declared in the grave? If I stay in a grave,
how am I going to declare your lovingkindness? Or thy faithfulness
in destruction? If I stay in the grave, will
I be able to declare your faithfulness? Shall thy wonders be known in
the dark, the thick darkness, and thy righteousness in the
land of forgetfulness? Now, what this is, is his argument,
even at this time for the resurrection. If you don't raise me from the
dead, he knew his father was going to raise him from the dead,
but still he felt nothing but darkness and he felt cut off.
And he says, how can your glory be manifested if I stay in the
grave? Now, let me remind you, the reason
for the cross is the glory of God and the salvation of his
people. The gospel declares the righteousness
of God. Now, the Lord is saying, if you
don't raise me from the dead, how is your righteousness going
to be declared, your righteousness and salvation? I'm the gospel
is the is I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it's
the power of God and the salvation to the Jew first and also to
the Greek for therein in the gospel is the what righteousness
of God revealed. When he was raised from the dead,
the righteousness of God is revealed. The righteousness of God demanded
his resurrection because he put away sin. He satisfied God. And the Lord is saying from the
cross, if you don't raise me from the dead, I righteousness
will not be declared. Verse 13, but unto thee, Have
I cried, O Lord, and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee?
You know, the Lord never quit believing. I love the scripture, though
he slay me, yet will I trust him. While he's being slain by
the wrath of God, he says in the morning, my prayer is going
to prevent thee. It's going to come before thee.
He never quit believing God. Even in utter darkness, he never
quit believing God. Verse 14, Lord, why castest thou
off my soul? You remember him crying, my God,
my God, why have you forsaken me? He knew why. He knew why. He's saying this so we might
know why. He knew he was made sin. He knew he was bearing the
sins of his people. He knew why, and he's saying
this that we might know why. Lord, why castest thou off my
soul? Why hidest thou thy face from
me? Verse 15, he says, I'm afflicted
and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer thy terrors,
I'm distracted. Now think of this, the Lord, was the man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief from his youth up. Now he knew when he said, I must
be about my father's business. When he's 12 years old, he knew
what that business was. He knew the whole time he was
here, what was going to happen to him. I hesitate to use this illustration,
but when I was a kid, my mom, my dad would be at work,
and my mom would say, when your dad gets home, you're getting
it. He's going to whip you. And I
remember all day long, my stomach would be in knots, thinking about
what was awaiting me. That's almost regret using because
I wouldn't want to compare that with what the Lord was waiting,
having the wrath of God poured upon him. And yet, even then,
while he was this man of sorrows acquainted with grief, he was
also the one who for the joy that was set before him, he got
joy knowing what he would accomplish by this wrath he was going to
experience. Oh, he rejoiced to know he was
going to glorify his father. He rejoiced to know that he was
going to save every one of his people. Looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before him, yes, he was a man of sorrows, and he was also a
man of intense joy, knowing He says, I'm afflicted and ready
to die for my youth up. While I suffer thy terrors, I'm
distracted. Look what he says again in verse
16 and 17. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me.
Now, who could that be but the Lord Jesus Christ? I could never
say, his fierce wrath goes over me. It went over him though,
that it might not go over me. This is only Christ speaking.
No man could make this statement, thy fierce wrath has gone over
me. Only the God man, the Lord Jesus
Christ, that he experienced the wrath of God on the cross. Thy
fierce wrath goeth over me, Thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily
like water. They compassed me about together.
Now the picture he's given us is being when you're submerged
in water, water's hitting every part of you, isn't it? There's
no part of your body that is not exposed to the water when
you're submerged in water. He was submerged in wrath. Because
of the sins of his people, he was submerged. And he says in
verse 18. Lover and friend. Hast thou put
far from me. And my acquaintance. Into darkness. Now, what he's saying is I'm
alone. Lover and friend, have you put far from me? Once again,
he knows this is his, his father is the first cause of what he's
going through and he's not angry. Lover and friend, you put far
from me. And I think about this. He was, he didn't have his disciples
looking up at him from the cross and saying, we know you're doing
for this. You do, you're doing this for us and we love you for
it. No, they all forsook him and fled, the scripture says.
There were some women there, but all the disciples had forsaken
him and fled. He was by himself. He didn't
have the encouragement of his disciples. He didn't have the
encouragement of his father. He was all by himself. And that
last phrase, my only friend is darkness. It doesn't read that way in the
King James version, but that is what it really means. The only acquaintance I have,
the only friend I have at this time, is this thick darkness. Now, this is what the Lord and
we don't. Like I said, I in some respects,
I feel ashamed even trying to talk about this because I know
so nothing about it, not so little, so nothing. But he does give
us this song. to let us know what he experienced
as the sinner's substitute. You know the grace, let me repeat
this again, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
though he was rich, rich in fellowship with his father, rich in the
praise of angels, rich in possessions, you know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, he owned everything. He said, the cattle on a thousand
hills is mine. If I was hungry, I wouldn't tell you about it.
He owns everything. Though he was rich, yet for your
sakes, he became poor. He had no light from his father
that you, through his poverty, might be rich. Amen.