From the Depths

Text: Psalm 6:1-10, Title: From the Depths, Date/Place: NRBC, 12/21/08, AM
A. Opening illustration: Some other story about pain, ask Francis if I can share the summary of her year in pain.
B. Background to passage: Again we are not given a background, but a new notation about this song being played on an eight-stringed harp. But when we read this psalm, we can see that this is what those of previous generations called “the dark night of the soul.” David gives us a real life testimony of one of his darkest times, and how God blessed him with showers of mercy and grace.
C. Main thought: In our darkest moments when we feel the most alone, we can call out to God, and He delivers.

A. Pain from the soul (v. 1-7)
1. Some classify this psalm as a lament, some as a penitential psalm. I think it is both. I think that we have an extremely painful situation (as evidenced by the text) that David is experiencing, and probably desperately attempting to discern a possible cause, so that he can determine a solution. So maybe his situation is directly related to sin, and maybe not, but it hurts, and a solution is needed! David begins with asking God not to rebuke and chasten him in His anger. So David doesn’t assume that he has done nothing to deserve this. He at least allows for the possibility that this is divine retribution for some sin or error he has committed unknowingly. And of course there is also the Job situation where even God has said that he is righteous, and there is not necessarily a sin being rebuked. (Of course, if we focus on ourselves for an extended time, sin will flourish.) The bottom line is that David is in immense pain, so much so that he feels like God has abandoned Him, cannot sleep, and cries all night instead. In fact, he has cried so much that his eyes don’t work right and have grown weary. He says that his bones and his soul are troubled. And he calls out to God to remember him before he dies. And he calls upon God to exercise mercy (hesed), which is a beautiful word translated mercy, or lovingkindness, or covenant love, tender mercies, or goodness. Grace would be the NT equivalent. He even bargains with God about the best place to bring Him praise before men being alive rather than in the grave.
2. like Job, when suffering goes on long enough, you’ll try anything for relief, Ps 42:3, 73:26, Job 7:3, 10:1, 23:2, Lam 1:16, 2:11, 2 Cor 1:8-9, Micah 7:8-9, 2 Sam 22:2-4, Ps 18:2, 40:17,
3. Illustration: “We can rest contentedly in our sins and in our stupidities, and everyone who has watched gluttons shoveling down the most exquisite foods as if they did not know what they were eating, will admit that we can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” –C. S. Lewis, Tell about Ronnie’s submission to go into evangelism and his healing, A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. "But I don’t ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy." "But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied. "Sir," the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for." "Well, then," the emperor said,