Hopelessness and Despair | Psalm 88

The two major types of psalms found in Israel’s prayer book are songs of praise and songs of lament. Songs of praise direct one’s attention to God and acknowledge Him for His greatness. Songs of lament are quite different. They are songs that cry out to God over the evil of the world and express one’s pain due to sin. While many of the songs we have looked at this semester have been songs of praise, it is healthy to reflect on the psalms of lament as well. This week we will look at Psalm 88 which is the only lament song that doesn’t end with hope. Listen in as we seek to understand why God gave us this psalm of hopelessness and despair and what we should learn from it.