You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths. You have laid me in the lowest PitThis phrase reflects a deep sense of despair and abandonment, often associated with Sheol, the realm of the dead in Hebrew thought. The "lowest Pit" suggests a place of extreme desolation and separation from God. In biblical context, this imagery is used to express profound suffering and alienation, as seen in other lament psalms like Psalm 40:2 and Psalm 88:3-5. Theologically, it can be seen as a type of Christ's descent into death, as referenced in Ephesians 4:9, where Christ descends to the lower earthly regions. This phrase captures the feeling of being overwhelmed by circumstances beyond one's control, a common theme in the lament literature of the Old Testament. in the darkest of the depths
The "darkest of the depths" emphasizes the intensity of the psalmist's plight, suggesting a place devoid of light and hope. Darkness in biblical literature often symbolizes chaos, evil, and judgment, as seen in Genesis 1:2 and Exodus 10:21-23. This imagery can also be connected to Jonah's experience in the belly of the great fish (Jonah 2:2-6), where he describes being in the depths of the sea, a metaphor for being cut off from God's presence. In a prophetic sense, this darkness can be seen as a foreshadowing of Christ's experience on the cross, where He endured separation from the Father, as described in Matthew 27:45-46. The phrase underscores the severity of the psalmist's suffering and the perceived absence of divine intervention. Persons / Places / Events 1. Sons of KorahThe authors of Psalm 88, a group of Levitical singers and musicians who served in the temple. They are known for their deep and often somber psalms. 2. Heman the EzrahiteTraditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 88, Heman was a wise man and a musician in the time of King David, known for his wisdom and musical contributions to temple worship. 3. The Lowest PitA metaphorical place representing extreme despair and separation from God, often associated with Sheol, the realm of the dead in Hebrew thought. 4. Darkest DepthsSymbolic of profound spiritual and emotional darkness, indicating a state of hopelessness and distress. Teaching Points Understanding DespairRecognize that feelings of deep despair and darkness are part of the human experience, as even the faithful can feel abandoned at times. The Reality of SufferingAcknowledge that suffering is a reality in a fallen world, and the Bible does not shy away from expressing the depths of human anguish. Crying Out to GodEven in the darkest moments, we are encouraged to cry out to God, trusting that He hears us even when we feel distant from Him. Hope in God's DeliveranceWhile Psalm 88 is a lament, it is part of a larger biblical account that includes hope and redemption, reminding us that God is ultimately our deliverer. Community SupportEncourage believers to support one another in times of darkness, reflecting the communal aspect of the Psalms and the importance of bearing one another's burdens. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the imagery of "the lowest pit" and "darkest depths" in Psalm 88:6 resonate with your personal experiences of despair or spiritual darkness? 2. In what ways can the communal nature of the Psalms, as seen in the authorship by the Sons of Korah, encourage us to seek support from our faith community during difficult times? 3. How do other biblical figures, such as Jonah or Job, provide examples of faith and perseverance in the midst of suffering, and how can their accounts inspire us today? 4. What practical steps can you take to cry out to God in your own times of distress, and how can you cultivate a habit of seeking Him even when He feels distant? 5. How can you be a source of hope and support for others who may be experiencing their own "lowest pit" moments, and what scriptures can you share to encourage them? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 40:2This verse contrasts the despair of Psalm 88:6 by describing God's deliverance from a "miry pit," highlighting the hope of redemption. Lamentations 3:6Similar imagery of being placed in dark places, reflecting the theme of suffering and lamentation. Jonah 2:2-6Jonah's prayer from the belly of the fish echoes the themes of being in the depths and calling out to God from a place of distress. Job 17:13-16Job's lament about Sheol and the darkness parallels the feelings expressed in Psalm 88:6, emphasizing the universality of human suffering. People Abaddon, Ethan, Heman, Korah, Mahalath, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Dark, Darkest, Darkness, Deep, Deeps, Depths, Hast, Laid, Lowest, Nether-most, Pit, Places, RegionsDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 88:6 4257 pit Psalm 88:1-9 5970 unhappiness Psalm 88:1-18 5831 depression
8613 prayer, persistence Psalm 88:3-18 5265 complaints Psalm 88:6-9 8615 prayer, doubts Library Out of the Deep of Doubt, Darkness, and Hell.
O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night unto Thee. Oh! let my prayer enter into Thy presence. For my soul is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh unto Hell. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in a place of darkness, and in the deep.--Ps. lxxxviii. 1, 2. If I go down to Hell, Thou art there also. Yea, the darkness is no darkness with Thee; but the night is as clear as the day.--Ps. cxxxix. 7, 11. I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my calling. …
Charles Kingsley—Out of the DeepHow to Make Use of Christ as the Truth, that we May Get Our Case and Condition Cleared up to Us.
The believer is oft complaining of darkness concerning his case and condition, so as he cannot tell what to say of himself, or what judgment to pass on himself, and he knoweth not how to win to a distinct and clear discovery of his state and condition. Now, it is truth alone, and the Truth, that can satisfy them as to this. The question then is, how they shall make use of, and apply themselves to this truth, to the end they may get the truth of their condition discovered to them. But first let us …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life How a Desolate Man Ought to Commit Himself into the Hands of God
O Lord, Holy Father, be Thou blessed now and evermore; because as Thou wilt so it is done, and what Thou doest is good. Let Thy servant rejoice in Thee, not in himself, nor in any other; because Thou alone art the true joy, Thou art my hope and my crown, Thou art my joy and my honour, O Lord. What hath Thy servant, which he received not from Thee, even without merit of his own? Thine are all things which Thou hast given, and which Thou hast made. I am poor and in misery even from my youth up,(1) …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ Our Status.
"And he believed in the Lord: and he counted it to him for righteousness." --Gen. xv. 6. The right touches a man's status. So long as the law has not proven him guilty, has not convicted and sentenced him, his legal status is that of a free and law-abiding citizen. But as soon as his guilt is proven in court and the jury has convicted him, he passes from that into the status of the bound and law-breaking citizen. The same applies to our relation to God. Our status before God is that either of the …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit His Past Work.
His past work was accomplished by Him when he became incarnate. It was finished when He died on Calvary's cross. We have therefore to consider first of all these fundamentals of our faith. I. The Work of the Son of God is foreshadowed and predicted in the Old Testament Scriptures. II. The incarnation of the Son of God. III. His Work on the cross and what has been accomplished by it. I. Through the Old Testament Scriptures, God announced beforehand the work of His Son. This is a great theme and one …
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ How is Christ, as the Life, to be Applied by a Soul that Misseth God's Favour and Countenance.
The sixth case, that we shall speak a little to, is a deadness, occasioned by the Lord's hiding of himself, who is their life, and "the fountain of life," Ps. xxxvi. 9, and "whose loving-kindness is better than life," Ps. lxiii. 3, and "in whose favour is their life," Ps. xxx. 5. A case, which the frequent complaints of the saints manifest to be rife enough, concerning which we shall, 1. Shew some of the consequences of the Lord's hiding his face, whereby the soul's case will appear. 2. Shew the …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Letter xvi to Rainald, Abbot of Foigny
To Rainald, Abbot of Foigny Bernard declares to him how little he loves praise; that the yoke of Christ is light; that he declines the name of father, and is content with that of brother. 1. In the first place, do not wonder if titles of honour affright me, when I feel myself so unworthy of the honours themselves; and if it is fitting that you should give them to me, it is not expedient for me to accept them. For if you think that you ought to observe that saying, In honour preferring one another …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Letter xxiv (Circa A. D. 1126) to Oger, Regular Canon
To Oger, Regular Canon [34] Bernard blames him for his resignation of his pastoral charge, although made from the love of a calm and pious life. None the less, he instructs him how, after becoming a private person, he ought to live in community. To Brother Oger, the Canon, Brother Bernard, monk but sinner, wishes that he may walk worthily of God even to the end, and embraces him with the fullest affection. 1. If I seem to have been too slow in replying to your letter, ascribe it to my not having …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux The Wrath of God
What does every sin deserve? God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.' Matt 25: 41. Man having sinned, is like a favourite turned out of the king's favour, and deserves the wrath and curse of God. He deserves God's curse. Gal 3: 10. As when Christ cursed the fig-tree, it withered; so, when God curses any, he withers in his soul. Matt 21: 19. God's curse blasts wherever it comes. He deserves also God's wrath, which is …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Period ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500
In the second period of the history of the Church under the Christian Empire, the Church, although existing in two divisions of the Empire and experiencing very different political fortunes, may still be regarded as forming a whole. The theological controversies distracting the Church, although different in the two halves of the Graeco-Roman world, were felt to some extent in both divisions of the Empire and not merely in the one in which they were principally fought out; and in the condemnation …
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History Sense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son.
For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. Rom. v. 14), the earth was cursed, Hades was opened, Paradise shut, Heaven offended, man, lastly, corrupted and brutalised (cf. Ps. xlix. 12), while the devil was exulting against us;--then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, Whom shall I send, and who will go?' (Isa. vi. 8). But while all held their peace, the Son [441] said, …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius Of Faith. The Definition of It. Its Peculiar Properties.
1. A brief recapitulation of the leading points of the whole discussion. The scope of this chapter. The necessity of the doctrine of faith. This doctrine obscured by the Schoolmen, who make God the object of faith, without referring to Christ. The Schoolmen refuted by various passages. 2. The dogma of implicit faith refuted. It destroys faith, which consists in a knowledge of the divine will. What this will is, and how necessary the knowledge of it. 3. Many things are and will continue to be implicitly …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 88:6 NIVPsalm 88:6 NLTPsalm 88:6 ESVPsalm 88:6 NASBPsalm 88:6 KJV
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