What do we do when we feel unfairly treated – not only by other people, but by God? How do we handle questions without answers? What do we do when life is difficult and all our previous certainties and assurances about and from God seem to have dissolved like melting snow? How do we grieve as a community and lament corporately?
The Psalms of Lament give us answers to these questions, articulating for us the many questions and feelings of bewilderment, hurt, confusion and deep sorrow which life brings, as well as giving us ‘climbing pegs’ or anchor points on which we can put our weight as we climb through life’s challenges.
Psalm 44 looks at the sense of abandonment by God (Ps 44:9-16) which defeat brought to Israel. What makes this worse for the people is their sense of innocence (Ps 44:17-22), the sense that this punishment is not deserved. Disaster is viewed as coming directly from God (Ps 60:1-3, Ps 80:4-6) and rejection as hard to bear (Ps 74:1). Tragedies such as the invasion of Israel and the desecration of the temple form the theme of some communal psalms of lament (e.g. Ps 74, Ps 79), with a sense of heaviness and burden caused not only by the situation and sin, but by the mocking of unbelievers (Ps 79:10) and a longing to see others acknowledge the might and majesty of God (Ps 79:10-13).
These psalms encourage us to voice our questions and bring our woes directly to God. So often, we take these things to everyone else or else we squash them, repressing the feelings and internalising our grief, failing to address God directly. It does us no good to refuse to acknowledge the doubts and fears which erode our faith. Instead, these psalms show us how to be honest with God.
These psalms also show us that even in the midst of doubt and pain and questions, there is a willingness to hold on to known truths about God. Ps 44:1-3 acknowledges God’s mighty actions for Israel in the past. Psalm 74:12-17 acknowledges God’s creative power and might. Psalm 80:1-2 looks at God as Shepherd and guide (see also Ps 23) and acknowledges God’s might and power: ‘You sit enthroned between the cherubim’, cf Ps 99:1, Is 37:16). Psalm 85:1-3 looks at God’s restoration, forgiveness and cessation from anger in the past, with later verses (Ps 85:10-13), focussing on God’s love, faithfulness, righteousness, peace and provision. Our tendency is to let these truths slip through our fingertips like sand when the stormy times hit, but the psalmists show us that doubt and faith, questions and trust, pain and rejoicing, sorrow and joy can indeed co-exist side by side.