Godly Sorrow

Psalm 88/ Joel 3/ Luke 16/ 2 Corinthians 7

Get to Know you Questions:

What is your Favorite Food?

How would your closest Friend describe you?

How did you first become interested in Christianity?

What is something God has brought you through?

Prayer Service…

What are you thankful for?

What are you struggling with this week?

Godly Sorrow

Psalm 88 is a Song…

King James Version Psalm 88

A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.

Heman served as one of the singers in King David’s procession when the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem and later functioned as “the king’s seer” and music director for the temple

Psalm 88 is regarded as the bleakest in the collection; every other psalm in which the psalmist cries out to the Lord resolves into praise or celebrates God hearing the prayer, but not Psalm 883

professional worship leaders—have felt this way, and that God invites and receives lament even when one cannot wrap it in trust1.

professional worship leaders—have felt this way, and that God invites and receives lament even when one cannot wrap it in trust1.

Laments typically begin with an address to God, then turn to portray the crisis at hand before moving to petition for divine help, and finally conclude with a sudden shift to a positive tone….. This is not a normal lament bc the tone does not shift to a positive tone… The Author leaves us hanging in this dispair….

That heading is basically the title and musical instructions for Psalm 88. It tells us something about who wrote it, who was supposed to perform it, and possibly how it was meant to be performed.

Here’s the breakdown:

“A SONG”

This simply identifies the piece as a song or sacred composition intended to be sung.

“A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH”

The Sons of Korah were a family or clan within the Levites who were associated with the worship and music ministry of ancient Israel.

Korah himself is remembered in the Old Testament for rebelling against Moses (Numbers 16). But his descendants continued to serve God. Several psalms are attributed to the “Sons of Korah,” including Psalms 42, 44–49, 84, 85, 87, and 88.

So this doesn't necessarily mean that every member of the group wrote the psalm. It can indicate that the psalm was associated with their musical/worship tradition.

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER”

This means the psalm was given to the person responsible for directing the musical worship.

In other words, it was something like:

“Give this song to the worship leader/choirmaster.”

It wasn't simply a private prayer—it was intended to be used in public worship.

“ACCORDING TO MAHALATH LEANNOTH”

This is probably a musical instruction, although scholars aren't completely certain about the exact meaning.

“Mahalat” may refer to a particular melody or musical style. “Leannoth” may have something to do with singing, especially a particular kind of lament or afflicted/lowly song.

Because the Hebrew terminology is ancient and obscure, we can't say with certainty exactly what the original musical direction meant.

But the important idea is that Psalm 88 was apparently intended to be sung to a particular tune or style.

“A MASKIL”

“Maskil” is another Hebrew musical/literary term. Its exact meaning isn't completely certain, but it's generally associated with a contemplative or instructive psalm.

The word comes from a Hebrew root associated with understanding or insight.

So you could think of it as a psalm meant to make you think deeply or gain wisdom through what is being expressed.

“OF HEMAN THE EZRAHITE”

This identifies Heman the Ezrahite as the person associated with the psalm.

Heman appears elsewhere in Scripture as a wise man and as someone involved in Israel's worship and music. In 1 Chronicles 6 and 1 Chronicles 25, Heman is specifically connected with the musical ministry of the temple.

There's also an interesting detail here: Psalm 88 is one of the darkest psalms in the Bible.

The psalmist cries out to God from a place of extreme suffering, loneliness, and darkness. And unlike many other lament psalms, Psalm 88 doesn't end with a clear statement of relief or victory.

It essentially ends in:

“Darkness has become my only friend.” — Psalm 88:18 (paraphrase)

And yet, the heading tells us that this very prayer was brought into God's worship.

That's actually one of the most powerful things about Psalm 88.

It shows us that biblical worship isn't limited to:

“God is good! Everything is wonderful!”

Sometimes worship looks like:

“God, I don't understand what is happening. I feel abandoned. I'm hurting. But I'm still bringing my pain to You.”

Psalm 88 gives us permission to pray honestly when we're hurting, rather than pretending everything is okay.

And notice how the psalm begins:

“O LORD, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you.” — Psalm 88:1

Even in the darkest psalm, Heman still calls God “my salvation.”

That's an important tension in the psalm: he feels like God is far away, but he keeps praying to God anyway.

That can be a really meaningful theme to discuss in a Bible study.

Psalm 88 is attributed to “the sons of Korah” in its superscription, though the psalm itself is more specifically credited to Heman. The heading identifies it as “a Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite,” (Ps 88) indicating that Heman composed or performed this particular psalm.

The sons of Korah were a Levitical family with a significant role in Israel’s worship. Heman traced his lineage through Korah, descending from Assir, Ebiasaph, and ultimately Korah himself, (1 Chron 6:33–38) making him part of this distinguished musical lineage. Heman served as one of the chief musicians appointed by David, alongside Asaph and Ethan (1 Chron 15:17), and his family maintained prominence in temple worship throughout Israel’s history.

The Korahite family produced multiple psalms—several others in the Psalter also bear their name in their superscriptions. The sons of Korah are identified as part of the Levitical singers who praised God during the reign of Jehoshaphat, (2 Chron 20:19) demonstrating their continued musical leadership across generations. While the psalm collection as a whole is associated with the sons of Korah as a guild or family of musicians, Heman’s specific attribution in Psalm 88 suggests he was the individual composer or performer responsible for this particular lament.

==================

Someone Read….

Psalm 88:1–7 “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: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free 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 waves. Selah.”

Someone Read….

Psalm 88:8–12 “Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and 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 shew wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. Shall thy lovingkindness 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?”

Someone Read…

Psalm 88:13–18 “But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; And 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 am distracted. 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. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, And mine acquaintance into darkness.”

“There is a benefit to being separated from Friends and loved ones.”

“Jesus sometimes rotates our attention away from what is good to help us become spiritually mature.”

“ “Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and my acquanteces into darkness. (PS88:18)”

“Sometimes that good thing or good friend is returned; sometimes it is replaced with another good thing.”

??Can anyone share about a time where God took something out of your life??

Job (Livestock/ Servants/ Wind Destroyed his house/ Children…)- Job

Abraham was Commanded to Offer Isaac- Genesis 22:1-19

The Lord may chasten believers by removing companionship—Rebekah never saw her favorite son Jacob again due to family dissension caused by her own deception. - Genesis 27

“No infant enjoys being weaned.”- We dont like being weaned!!

Missionary Story…

“There was a missionary preachin in the bush of Nothern Kenya and watched a mother coat her breast in manure in order to convince her insistent child not to suckle.”

“The weaning worked but not without some wailing.”

“God weans his Children from good things to develop spiritual maturity but it is still not enjoyable.”

Those who Whinned while God was weaning…..

Isreal Complained…. while God was taking them from Slavery-> Freedom

Numbers 11:1–6 “And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the Lord burnt among them. And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.”

Jonah

Jonah 4:1–4 “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?”

!!!The Bible portrays murmuring as evidence of failure to trust God,1 and Paul explicitly forbade this practice among believers.!!!

1 Corinthians 10:1–5 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”

Hebrews 3:7–11 “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)”

“Obedient service to Jesus can take us away from our friends and family both physical and emotionally.”

Matthew 10:37–39 “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”

“Sometimes those closes to us do not understand our obedience (this was true for Jesus’ family), which can cause them to distance themselves from us.”

John 7:5 “For neither did his brethren believe in him.”

Mark 3:21 “And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.”

“We are intended to live in community, and when our obedience causes relational drift, God gives us new friends and spiritual families to embrace.”

Mark 10:29–30 “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”

“The sorrow of loneliness purges, simplifies, and points us to Jesus.”

“Some lessons are learned only under duress.”

James 1:2–4 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

Romans 5:3–5 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

“The psalmist prayed.”

“Make me to understand the way of Your precepts” Ps 119:27

“Behind the request was the recognition that we must often learn through adversity.”

“Ease is good for many things but learning is not of of them.”

“Loneliness positions us to hear from Jesus, away from the din of other voices.”

Lamentations 3:26 “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.”

Zechariah 2:13 “Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: For he is raised up out of his holy habitation.”

James 1:19 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”

“Paul stated that godly sorrow is “not to be regretted” 2 Corinthians 7:10 Becasuse it produces benefits such as diligence, zeal, and vindication (vs.11).”

2 Corinthians 7:10–11 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

“Loneliness can lead to focus, sanctification, channeled energy, renewed reverence, appropriate longing, passion, and ultimately the Lord’s public endorsement.”

“There is a time to be surrounded by family and Friends, and there is a time to stand alone and be deepened by the sorrow of separation…. and both give life.”

“When Obedience leads to loneliness, this leads to greater affection.”

Psalm 142:4–7 “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, But there was no man that would know me: Refuge failed me; No man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge And my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; For I am brought very low: Deliver me from my persecutors; For they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise thy name: The righteous shall compass me about; For thou shalt deal bountifully with me.”

“Not only do we feel closer to Jesus when we feel farther from everyone else, but he has greater joy over the spiritual death this develops in us.”

(In all honesty…. As we get closer to God we may seem farther away from others bc of the seperation Sinful man experiences from God, but i believe we are actually closer to them bc when we are closer to God and more like him we will love and want relationship with them more…)

“God cannot love us more, but He can have greater joy when our sorrow leads us to look, Think , and act more like Him.”

“It is by entering the loneliness of God that we encounter His companionship most deeply.”

================

Reflection Questions

Reflection & Invitation Questions

What stood out to you most from Psalm 88, and why?

Have you ever experienced a season where God removed something—or someone—you deeply valued? What did that experience teach you?

What is the difference between bringing our sorrow honestly to God and simply murmuring or complaining?

Is there something good in your life that you may be tempted to depend on more than you depend on God?

How can loneliness or separation sometimes deepen our relationship with Jesus?

Have you ever gone through a difficult season that, looking back, God used to mature your faith?

What do you think God may be trying to teach you through a hardship, disappointment, or season of waiting right now?

According to 2 Corinthians 7:10–11, what can “godly sorrow” produce in our lives? Where do you see a need for that kind of sorrow or repentance?

When you feel distant from God, what helps you continue seeking Him instead of pulling away?

What is one thing you need to surrender to God today, trusting that even in sorrow, He remains “the God of my salvation”?