Lament + Grief — Psalm 137
PSALMS - Essential Songs of the Saints • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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almost 2/3 of the psalms are laments — complaints to God about life, even God himself
major credit goes to pastor Brady Boyd from New Life and Lisa Harper.
this psalm likely written by Jeremiah, according to the septuagint
Psalm 137
Psalm 137
The psalmist expresses the deep sadness stemming from recollection of exile in Babylon, where the the Hebrew population had been deported in the 6th century (2 Kings 24).
over past two plus years i’ve been learning how to properly lament and grieve (past pain, friendships lost, gross misunderstanding, character assassinations and false assumptions by others, people leaving our church, failures, etc)
Lament is honesty with God, expressing our heartache and pain.
Lament is honesty with God, expressing our heartache and pain.
When we get honest with God, we bring it to the light, and allow the light of the world to bring life.
Ps 137vs7-9
Psalmist expressing pain of remembering what was done to them…
not a proof text to make abortion ok.
Babylon is treated in the same manner as Babylon treated Jerusalem, it will be right. The Judge of all the earth (Gn. 18:25) will have acted (Rom. 2:5–6). 8 recognizes the justice of what Babylon did to Jerusalem (you have done, ‘you repaid’). The ruins they see evidence the justice with which the world is run by a Holy God; that justice will be Babylon’s portion. 9 records the savagery of Babylonian ‘justice’ (cf. 2 Ki. 8:12; Is. 13:16; etc) and as they did so it will be done to them. Does the Psalmist say he wants it to be so? No, only that it will be so. That is the sort of world we live in under God.
v 9 correlates to jesus’ statement, “with the same measure you use, it will be used to you..” referring to our condemnation of others, which we never should participate in.
Luke 6:37–42 — “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” 39 Then Jesus gave the following illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch? 40 Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. 41 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 42 How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”
We long to see injustice and evil judged and made right. This why we lament.
“when we are not honest with God about our pain and heartache, we reveal how little we trust His capacity to heal us.” - Lisa Harper
Some say, “prayer doesn’t help!”
“Prayers may go unanswered, but never unheard. We often falsely perceive God’s silence for His absence. ” - Lisa Harper
God listens and cares.
Often we overcorrect that, we stop caring and listening and just start responding.
Lashing out is the worldly way of Lamenting.
Lashing out is the worldly way of Lamenting.
when we sow in the soil of worldliness, we reap ungodly results. Sow to the flesh and you reap fleshly corruption…
Gal 6: 7-10 - Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.
this whole passage in chap 5:5-6, 13-6:10 are getting us to realize how we treat people matters. Go read it entirely this week.
“i can say what i want!” — not according to Paul. You crucified your rights when you buried in baptism.
I’m just telling the world the truth…truth with added condemnation is legalism. truth without spirit working is legalism. Grace without truth leads to lawlessness.
we lash to condemn others; we lament to confession our pain and disappointment
Sometimes our sarcasm is just gaslighting and lashing out.
gaslighting: manipulate (someone) using psychological methods into questioning their own sanity, memory, or powers of reasoning. We belittle, with sarcasm, their perspective or experience.
lashing out seems to be a gaslighting version of condemnation.
“All trees in the garden and only one we couldn’t eat from… God knew that if we gained the capacity to judge, we’d destroy the community we need.” - Lisa Harper
To lament is to mourning. lament, mourn, sorrowful, and grieve are all synonyms in the scripture.
Grief is not ungodly; it’s the passage way to receive comfort.
Grief is not ungodly; it’s the passage way to receive comfort.
Matthew 5:4 - “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
“Grief is not ungodly. It’s gateway to revival. The tears we don’t t weep become barriers to restored joy.” - Lisa Harper
Grief is not a storm we outrun or outlast; it is a gift and invitation to ride waves to experience a dimension of God’s presence.
Advice for when you enter time of grief:
Advice for when you enter time of grief:
1. Admit the new reality aloud.
1. Admit the new reality aloud.
be outdoors
not alone.
2. Sit and weep
2. Sit and weep
you can’t just keep going. you have to stop and choose stillness
you can’t run on fumes. you can’t run to distractions.
you can clear your calendar and slow down.
tears are good. tears soften and revive the soil of our hearts. tears are kept by God
Psalm 126:5–6 “5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”
3. We remember what we lost and recall God’s faithfulness.
3. We remember what we lost and recall God’s faithfulness.
we are people wired for story.
So much of the OT is a story of God’s redeeming work.
Remember accurately or you will accuse God falsely.
jerusalem was home and will be once again. home of the presence and glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10
2 Corinthians 4:16–18 “16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
We hope for what we cannot see
hope for restoration
hope for presence of God
hope for renewal of all things
One way we cling to hope and remember God properly is by being re-membered to his body during the communion of the saints. To gather and be re-membered as the body….no longer isolated by grief, but worshipful in recalling God’s goodness.
loneliness is as dangerous to the human body as smoking 15 cigs a day.
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PRACTICING THE WAY
As disciples of Jesus, we know our allegiance to Him as King is expressed in our daily practice. We are not pursuing perfection but want to practice our faith each day. These practices will point you toward spiritual formation as an apprentice (disciple) to Jesus.
(1) Start the Bible Recap reading plan.
(2) Recite this prayer/liturgy daily: “Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We confess that we have often failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love. Forgive us, we pray, and free us for joyful obedience; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Direct what we shall be, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen. ”
(3) Talk it Over (with friends, a spouse, or your Group)
The message was focused on the Biblical way to grieve and lament. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?
Read Psalm 137. What does this Psalm teach about God?
On a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being waterfall from they eyeballs) how often/easily do you cry? What was/is your perception of those who cry?
Lamenting is crying out to God for justice. Lashing out is condemning others and taking justice into our own hands. What does Jesus teach us about this tension? Read Luke 6:37-42.
Read Galatians 5:5-6, 13-6:10 . What does this passage tell us about living a life of faith?
Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10. What do you notice about God? What do you notice about hope?
In the message, we heard some practical advice for when you find yourself in a season of grief. Which one of those is the hardest for you to practice?
Pray this prayer aloud as a group: “Father, may the Holy Spirit have full dominion over me: in my home, in my character, in every word of my tongue, in every thought of my heart, in every feeling towards my fellowmen; may the Holy Spirit have entire possession.”
