Episode Transcript
Psalm 38 (NIV)
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
...
9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
all day long they scheme and lie.
...
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies without cause;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil
lodge accusations against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
21 Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.
CONSIDER THIS
Today’s post is from A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. He holds the Methodist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School and served as president of Asbury Theological Seminary for fifteen years. She is a gifted musician and was one of the driving forces that helped bring to fruition the Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. We will share some of their writing on the Psalms on Sundays.
This is the third of the seven penitential psalms (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143). This psalm, as with the first two, reveals David’s deep anguish before God over his sins. It is important to notice how the language of this psalm of repentance has filtered down into the liturgies we have inherited in the church. In this psalm, David describes feeling weighed down by his sins, saying, “Your hand has come down upon me” (v. 2). His health is suffering because of his sin. David says, “There is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin” (v. 3). Finally, he says the guilt he is experiencing has become “a burden too heavy to bear” (v. 4).
If your church uses the historic liturgy for the confession before communion, please notice how the language of this psalm has found its way into our services. The liturgy says, “Almighty and most merciful Father, we have wandered and strayed from your ways like lost sheep [this is from Isaiah 53:6 and Psalm 119:176] . . . we have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things that we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us.” This final phrase comes directly from Psalm 38:3, 7. The liturgy goes on to say, “We earnestly repent, and are deeply sorry for these our wrongdoings; the memory of them weighs us down, the burden of them is too great for us to bear.” This phrase comes from Psalm 38:4. In short, the Psalms have always been the prayer book for the people of God. As noted on the earlier Penitential Psalms, they provide the basic grammar of the repentant life, which should be one of the deepest marks or badges of the Christian life.
For the Awakening,
Timothy and Julie Tennent
THE HYMN
Sing Psalm 38 with the Seedbed Psalter today. We suggest the tune MORNING SONG ("My Soul Gives Glory to My God"). You can hear the tune played online by Julie here. If you listen to the podcast audio version, we will sing the psalm in this same tune. For your convenience, the words from the Psalter are printed below.
1 Lord, don’t rebuke me in Your wrath, in anger don’t chide me;
2 Your arrows pierce me and Your hand is heavy upon me.
3 Because of Your great wrath, I’m sick; my bones are weak from sin;
4 My guilt o’erwhelms me like a weight, too deep to bear within.
5 My wounds, they fester loathsomely, because of sinful pride.
6 I am bowed down, brought very low; and mourn all day inside.
7 My back is filled with searing pain; in me no health is found;
8 I’m feeble and crushed utterly; my anguished groans abound.
9 My longings lie before You, Lord, and You hear all my sighs;
10 With pounding heart, my strength fails me; the light’s gone from my eyes.
11 My friends and neighbors stay away, because they see my lot.
12 Foes set their traps and seek my life, and all day long they plot.
13 I’m like the deaf who cannot hear; like mute, who cannot speak;
14 I’m like the one who does not hear, whose mouth no words can speak.
15 I wait for You, O Lord, my God, and You will answer me;
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat; exalt themselves o’er me.”
17 For I am just about to fall; my pain’s always within;
18 So I confess iniquity; I’m troubled by my sin.
19 Too many are my enemies, who hate me without cause;
20 They pay me evil for my good; and slander without pause.
21 O Lord, do not forsake me now, and be not far from me.
22 O Lord, my Savior, hear me now; come quickly to help me!
