{"id":1215,"date":"2025-12-12T20:05:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/?p=1215"},"modified":"2025-12-12T20:05:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:05:23","slug":"a-prayer-from-the-darkness-psalms-2516-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/12\/a-prayer-from-the-darkness-psalms-2516-18\/","title":{"rendered":"A Prayer from the Darkness – Psalms 25:16-18"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are times when God seems absent. It seems that direction and blessing are gone. We have no sense that our prayers are being heard. We may be in a time of stress and trial, where there seems to be no relief in sight. Service that formerly brought us joy becomes dry and unrewarding. And we ask: Why? <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

At this point, the theological knowledge of God’s Omnipresence doesn’t help. This tells us that God is theoretically present. But, since the evidences of God’s favor seem missing from our life, this theoretical knowledge is no comfort. If God is present, why does God seem to be standing apart from us? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Psalms often speak of these times. There is no denial there. The reality is that God’s most devoted followers sometimes go through dark times when God seems absent. I have often reflected on this. It seems strange to me, but it is true: there have been seasons of blessing and seasons of darkness. I don’t know why. There have been times when I seemed to be living under a curse. Then, there have been times of blessing. And, it often doesn’t seem to make sense. I’ve never been able to connect these times of curse with moral faults either \u2014 something I notice Job’s companions tried to do for also him \u2014 and failed. Times of darkness happen unexpectedly, without warning or underlying reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, in such times we find ourselves praying as the Psalmist does here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verse 16:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u05e4\u05bc\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05d4\u05be\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b7\u05a5\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05e0\u05bc\u05b5\u0591\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05db\u05bc\u05b4\u05bd\u05d9\u05be\u05d9\u05b8\u05d7\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05d3 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05e0\u05b4\u05a3\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b8\u05bd\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.”<\/em> (NRSV.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I encounter the word “turn” in the Hebrew Bible, for some reason I expect to encounter the word \u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05d1, so often used by the prophets in their calls to repentance. But, this is a different word: \u05e4\u05bc\u05b8\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4. Strictly speaking, this word need not mean “turn.” It might mean “approach.” The psalm does not necessarily picture God as “turned away” from David. But, at the very least, God must be sought. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact is, sometimes God seems far away. It seems as if our prayers make no difference. The blessings that signify God\u2019s favor seem absent from our lives. And, our heart cries out: turn to me, O God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The psalmist says: \u201cfor I am poor and lonely.<\/em>\u201d The word \u05d9\u05b8\u05d7\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05d3 means solitary or alone. The word \u05e2\u05b8\u05e0\u05b4\u05a3\u05d9 signifies \u201cpoor\u201d or \u201coppressed.\u201d Thus, the Psalmist is both: lonely and without resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are few things as spiritually corrosive as sustained loneliness. Pastors come to recognize what I call the “Shut-in Syndrome.” Loneliness feeds depression. To be both lonely and oppressed is the lowest state one can reach emotionally. (I think this is what Simone Weil spoke of as “affliction.”<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the midst of such a low state, we can come to a kind of unbelief that says: Even God has abandoned me \u2014 I am nothing \u2014 I am forgotten \u2014 I am worthless.<\/em> That is just the time for this prayer: Turn to me God and be gracious to me.<\/em> We cannot wallow in our loneliness and despair. But, it can be a gateway to seeking God. In a strange way, we find here a deep kinship with Jesus, who cried out on the Cross (in the words of another Psalm): \u201cMy God, My God, why have you forsaken me.\u201d<\/em> Jesus meets us in our God-forsakeness, because Jesus himself has been there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChrist leads me through no darker rooms
Than he went through before;
Those who into God\u2019s kingdom come,
Must enter by this door.\u201d
\u2014 Richard Baxter (1615-1691).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God often meets us most profoundly in our moments of darkness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verse 17:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u05e6\u05b8\u05e8\u05a3\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05d1\u05b4\u05a3\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d7\u05b4\u0591\u05d9\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b4\u059d\u05de\u05bc\u05b0\u05e6\u05bd\u05d5\u05bc\u05e7\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b7\u0597\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0\u05b5\u05bd\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distress.” <\/em>(NRSV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In regard to the first phrase, the older translations have \u201cthe troubles of my heart have enlarged\u201d<\/em> \u2014 a further lament. The newer translations have \u201crelieve the troubles of my heart\u201d<\/em> \u2014 a cry to God. The second option brings it into parallel meaning with the phrase that follows: \u201crelieve… bring me out.\u201d<\/em> Here the mind turns from consideration of the darkness, to consideration of that one who can bring relief. This is a turn from despair to hope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verse 18:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05a3\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b8\u05ad\u05e0\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b8\u05dc\u05b4\u0591\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u059d\u05e9\u05c2\u05b8\u0597\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b8\u05dc\u05be\u05d7\u05b7\u05d8\u05bc\u05b9\u05d0\u05d5\u05ea\u05b8\u05bd\u05d9\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.” (NRSV).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[For some unknown reason, this verse deviates from the alphabetic pattern of the rest of the Psalm.<\/a> This verse should begin with the letter \u05e7 but doesn\u2019t. Adam Clarke remarks: \u201cThe word which began with \u05e7 koph<\/em> has been long lost out of the verse, as every version seems to have read that which now stands in the Hebrew text.\u201d]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And, here is the deepest realization in our darkness: our own sin. Circumstances may oppress us. Enemies may oppose us. Friends may betray us. But, more disturbing than all of this is the realization of our own moral failure. We have betrayed ourselves. We have failed ourselves. We cannot always blame circumstances and other people \u2014 simply leaving it at that. We have our own moral failure to face up to \u2014 and confess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, what if there is nothing on our conscience? Does this means that there is no possibility that we have failed nonetheless? What if we have omitted some great good we might have done? What if we have done evil and thought it was good? We do not know that to be the case \u2014 but isn\u2019t it still likely that it is? In which case, we pray: \u201c\u2026and forgive all my sins.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term \u05e9\u05c2\u05b8\u0597\u05d0 for \u201cforgive\u201d also often signifies being lifted up<\/strong>. Forgiveness lifts us up from our sense of guilt and shame, it brings us once again into an attitude of hope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A PRAYER<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

O God,
who did yourself send your Son
through the darkness of the Cross <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet us in our darkness.
Hear our prayers
Forgive our sin <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lift us up
Teach us to hope again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We pray this
through Jesus Christ, our hope.
Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are times when God seems absent. It seems that direction and blessing are gone. We have no sense that our prayers are being heard. We may be in a time of stress and trial, where there seems to be no relief in sight. Service that formerly brought us joy becomes dry and unrewarding. And we ask: Why? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":97,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,26],"tags":[565,564,108,566,45,215,563,568,567,328,212,65,66,508,569,111],"class_list":["post-1215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-studies","category-praying-the-psalms","tag-abandonment","tag-absence","tag-adam-clarke","tag-affliction","tag-bible","tag-conscience","tag-darkness","tag-forgive","tag-forsaken","tag-god","tag-guilt","tag-prayer","tag-praying-the-psalms","tag-psalm-25","tag-sin","tag-turn"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1215"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1224,"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1215\/revisions\/1224"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.craigladams.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}