Sermon Tone Analysis
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*ENDURING THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL*
!
PSALM 88
In 1934 a prominent Sports columnist in Toronto named Charles Templeton became a Christian.
Many who heard him preach the Gospel were convinced his ministry would eclipse that of Billy Graham.
He had met Graham in 1945 at a Youth for Christ rally and toured Europe with Graham sharing the pulpit in proclaiming Christ.
Templeton later founded his own church that soon outgrew its 1200 seat capacity.
One magazine stated that Templeton set a new standard for mass evangelism.
Who could have predicted that years later Templeton would reject Christ and embrace agnosticism?
What happened?
Templeton explained that he had trusted in Christ at an early age when he was naïve and inexperienced.
As he grew older his “reason” began to challenge the most fundamental beliefs he had held.
Templeton pointed out that he lacked the intellectual skills and theological training to withstand the questions and doubts that plagued him.
He even took his concerns to Graham who himself was unable to answer the deep questions of doubt Templeton posed.
Graham was unable to help Templeton.
Though he could not answer the questions, Graham maintained his faith despite the fact it seemed unreasonable.
Templeton considered Graham’s choice of “faith” as intellectual suicide.
The two grew apart.
Author Lee Strobel recently interviewed Charles Templeton for his book, /The Case for Faith*[1]*/.
Strobel asked Templeton whether there was anything particular that caused Templeton to lose his faith.
Templeton responded that the turning point was a photograph he had seen in /Life/ magazine of an African woman holding a dead baby looking up to heaven in utter despair.
“Is it possible to believe that there is a loving or caring Creator when all this woman needed was /rain/?”[2]
Templeton went on to say that only a “fiend” would destroy a baby and kill its mother with agony when rain was all that was needed.
He then considered all the plagues that had swept across the earth killing all kinds of people, in most cases painfully.
It became crystal clear, Templeton said - an intelligent person cannot believe there is a deity who loves.
OPENING THOUGHT:
/Has there been a time in your life since trusting in Christ that you experienced a crisis so devastating, so sorrowful that you questioned the very existence of God? Describe the situation.
How did you come through the doubts?
What was the outcome?/
For Templeton the issue was not his own suffering or misfortune but seeing that of others.
Many who hear the Gospel of Christ and accept it lose their faith due to the personal trials they encounter.
Jesus described these in a parable he taught concerning a sower and the different types of soils on which he sowed seed.
Specifically, Jesus stated that some of the seed fell on rocky ground where there was not much soil.
The plant sprang up immediately because there was not much depth of soil.
When the sun rose, however, they were scorched and withered away due to lack of root (Matt.
13:3-6).
Jesus later explained that the rocky ground represents the man who hears the word, accepts it immediately with joy, but has no firm root in himself.
His faith is temporary for when affliction or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away (Matt.
13:20-21).
Psalm 88 is a treasure in the canon of Hebrew poetry.
Its realism is stark.
It is filled with terms of darkness and despair.
It is penned by a man determined to not cease crying out to God despite an acute sense of feeling abandoned by God.
It is possible, perhaps, that this Psalm describes the challenge that people face in their walk of faith more realistically than any other.
It offers no easy answers, no cheap solutions.
As we read through this Psalm, we will discover a man who has been afflicted for a long time, a man who is surrounded by adversity, a man who sees no way out.
This man is exhausted to the point of death.
He carries as a burden the terrors of the Lord.
Abandoned, seemingly, by God, left alone by his closest friends all he can now do is look to the God who saves.
There will be no happy ending, there will be no miraculous rescue, and there will be no sudden remembrance of the Lord that brings joy or hope.
The final word in the Hebrew text is darkness.
Darkness is where he leaves us.
But in this darkness, he teaches us a very valuable lesson: seek God always even if you must do so during the longest, darkest, gloomiest, more despairing night of your soul.
INSCRIPTION:
| 1. tl;x]m' > lWx – sickness, travail.
From a root meaning to be in pain, anguish.
2. tAN[;l.
> hn;;[; (Piel~/Infinitive~/Construct) - affliction, oppression, humiliation.
Strong term carrying the idea of forced submission, punishment, inflicting of pain.
|
/Song of praise.
For (the) sons of Korah.
For (the) director of music concerning (the) 1sickness leading to 2afflicting.
Maskil.
For Heman the Ezrahite/.
The name Heman is mentioned several times in the OT (I Kings 4:31; I Chron.
6:16, 33, 39, 43-44; 15:17, 19; 16:41-42; 25:1-6; II Chron.
5:12; 35:15).
He was a temple singer, a descendant of Levi.
That’s really all we know.
Interesting though how one who regularly leads the congregation in praise of God can find himself in the depths of dark trials.
No one, regardless of ministry role, is immune from encountering intense affliction.
* *
THE DEPRESSED CONDITION (88:1-5):
| 1. yTiq.[;c' > q[;c; – to cry for help.
From an Arabic term “to sound as thunder.”
The force is to call out for help under great distress.
2. h['b.f'
> [;bef' - to be satisfied, have enough, to be full.
|
/Yahweh, God of my deliverance; /
/Daily I 1cry out in the night prominently before you./
/ /
/It is coming before Your face, my prayer;/
/Cause to incline Your ear, to my cry./
*/ /*
/For it is 2filled with troubles my soul;/
/and my life, to Sheol has caused to reach./
(Ps.
6:1-7)
/ /
/I am counted, with (the) ones descending (in) (the) pit;/
/I have become, as a mighty man void of strength.
/(Is.
14:9-10)
/ /
/Among the dying ones, free, as slain ones, ones lying (in) (the) grave, whom you remember not again;/
/Even they, from Your hand they are cut off.
/
This man has been afflicted for a long time.
His troubles are intense.
His soul is filled with misery.
He feels his life has come in contact with the grave.
His strength is gone.
He is in a pitiful condition (6 different words used of the grave).
He is viewed as one on his way into the ground.
Despite sensing that God has forgotten him, has cut him off, he cries out to God – the God of his deliverance – day and night.
He goes before God prominently calling upon God to hear his cry.
Is it in vain?
Will God indeed incline His ear?
Is God even there?
Note the two paradoxes these verses present: 1) death brings freedom (v.
5; cf., Job 3:13); 2) the Psalmist calls on the Lord despite feeling He is absent.
Jesus told a parable concerning an unrighteous judge and a widow (Lk.
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