My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? (Psalms 22:1 ESV) … How long, O Lord ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Psalms 13:1 ESV)
The Book of Psalms is the largest book in the Old Testament. As to form and content, it is a collection of songs and hymns, poems, prayers and praises defining the nation Israel, which was called into a special covenant relationship with the creator and sustainer, Jehovah God.
As to its appeal, it is one of the most beloved portions of the Bible for many people because it is a book of the heart. It is a book of experiences that are universal identifying with and expressing the range of thoughts, aspirations, and emotions of people everywhere in every era of human existence.
Many psalms are classified as psalms of lament, in which one cries or expresses deep sorrow, grief, calamity, destruction, or even despair as in Psalms 22 and 13.
These two psalms portray the person who is on the verge of giving up hope from suffering, affliction, or being pursued by enemies. On a deeper level, these psalms present situations, which are compounded by the frustration of unanswered prayer, or no response from God in the midst of something that could paradoxically shake and shatter a person’s faith.
These two psalms open up with what we are often told not to do — question God. In times past, we have been discouraged and sometimes maligned for questioning God. For doing such was considered not exercising faith or expressing trust in him.
Questioning God was an ancient tradition expressed in the Bible, such as Cain in Genesis 4:9 with “Am I my brother’s keeper?” and Abraham in Genesis 15:2 “What good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son to inherit my wealth?” Even the prophets questioned God. As to troubling situations, Job is considered the greatest questioner outside of the Psalm writers. In Job 13:24, he asked God “Why do you turn away from me? Why do you treat me as your enemy?”
Questioning God is not a sign of unbelief. It is actually an indication that a faith relationship with God exists. As a matter of faith, the more acute a troubling situation is, we should draw closer to God and earnestly communicate with him, even with questions, especially when it seems he is nowhere near or doesn’t respond to our need and cries for help.
These two psalms present the feelings of being forsaken and forgotten by God, compounded by the silence of not hearing a sound from heaven’s throne. This provokes the psalmist’s faith to seek understanding by way of questioning. Not with questions seeking information, per se, but seeking an understanding as to why and how long God will hide himself and delay any action on their behalf.
If you are wrestling with the inward emotional effects of God’s silence in a troubling situation, continue to trust and draw near to God in prayer. Follow the path of the psalmist in these two Psalms by reflecting on God’s character, and recall how trust in him always resulted in his rescue.
Rev. Johnson A. Beaven III is pastor of Citadel of Faith Church of God in Christ. Contact him via email at jabeaven@gmail.com or Twitter @jbeaven. For more information, visit www.johnsonbeaven.com and www.CitadelCOGIC.com.
