Doxologist ContentPsalm 6: Part I
According to Broyles many of the Psalms were written objectively for a community. So the question to keep in mind when reading Psalm 6 isn’t necessarily a subjective point of view as in: “‘out of what circumstances was the psalm written’ but rather ‘for what kind of circumstances is it appropriate?’”.
The theme
The overall theme of this psalm centers around waiting on the Lord while suffering through the trials of ill-health. Though the psalm seems to focus on physical sickness “I am languishing / my bones are troubled” emotion and mental health may be in view here as well “my soul also is greatly troubled”. First, this psalm is a request to receive love instead of wrath. Second there’s a plea for healing and third that God would rescue him from death so that His praise can continue as a witness to the living “in Sheol who will give you praise?”
Jesus and Psalm 6
After meditating on this chapter I wonder if Jesus prayed Psalm 6 in the garden of Gethsemane. (Mark 14, Luke 22) It’s just a guess but this prayer would certainly be appropriate. A bed flooded with tears, troubled bones, it all seems kind of hyperbolic. But consider the weight that Jesus carried. He knew he would have to bear the sin of the world alone, become sin on our behalf (2 Cor 5:21) and face the most horrific of deaths. The beating and crucifixion that Jesus endured is hard to even imagine. But to be separated from the Father with whom Jesus had enjoyed perfect communion for all eternity…that’s unfathomable. And yet Jesus’ words in Luke 22:42 “not my will, but yours, be done” could very well have been followed by Psalm 6:8-10.
“Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.”
No promises of health and wealth
Because of sin, we live in a world of entropy. This flies in the face of the nonsense that prosperity theology spews about the Christian meaning of life being about favor with God as evidenced by material wealth and physical health. Keep in mind that while verses 1-2 is a plea that God not “rebuke….in anger” nor “discipline me in your wrath” there isn’t an admission of specific sin. So in this case, sickness is not being caused by specific sin. Prosperity types have to do some serious exegetical acrobats in light of the book of Job and the apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”. Teaching faithful lovers of Jesus in the midst of their suffering that disease and poverty is divine judgement for secret sin is nothing short of spiritual terrorism.
Personal reflection
Our culture is so pain-free oriented that we have medication for every ailment. Death and dying usually happens out of sight from others in hospitals or nursing homes. Medical technology certainly is common grace from God that all of us enjoy. But we all will face physical, emotional or psychological entropy. The question is, what will we do when we have to live through those trials? I wonder if we, as a culture, supplement the dark realities of life and death with the local news, horror movies or violent music?
By the grace of God I have enjoyed good health all my life. Aside from a ruptured eardrum as a teenager, horrible heart burn a couple years ago and a medication allergy that caused insanity inducing itching for 2 days, my body has been relatively trouble free. So quite honestly, “languishing” and having “troubled bones” doesn’t quite compute since I’ve never had to endure too much physical agony.
I’m convicted of a couple things reading this Psalm. I don’t suffer well. What is the first thing I think of when I’m in pain or something isn’t quite right? I want to remedy the situation and unfortunately prayer isn’t always my first response. We all want magic pills to make problems go away. But we should never see the gospel in this light. See, God sometimes brings trouble our way so that we see our desperate need for Him and realign our lives in a God honoring way. Deuteronomy 8:5 says:
“Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you”
I enjoyed your thoughtful comment. I just wish we didn’t have to make the error of suggesting that the entire word shouldn’t be considered. It made me flinch when you made the comment about prosperity teaching.
Blessings are blessings, whether as experiences of pain and/or suffering, and that holy discipline that only our Father can best apply to our evidently entropied existence, or as experiences in great harvest, and/or the returning emotionally palpable favor of God. Those experiences are the ones that defy entropy and physics and glorify our universal creator. Why, we need both ends of the spectrum of God’s relationship to us, and we will know and have both and all the in-betweens. It all comes from our Father and according to our riches in glory in Christ Jesus. The scriptures can be applied as medicine when any other agent will be less than. But the real question isn’t can we get better, but do we grow to love God and Jesus more deeply as we experience this gift of life on our maker’s terms?
The only reason I reply is because I think Jesse Duplantis and many others in his circle really do preach well. But I thought your comments were very thoughtful and thought-provoking, too. We need all the gifts at our reach and to be considered. And so importantly, all the Word of God!
Thanks for the thoughtful words, Myra.
In response to your comment “I just wish we didn’t have to make the error of suggesting that the entire word shouldn’t be considered.”
I think my point about prosperity gospel preachers is, in part, saying that they are NOT considering the entire word. The point of our life as Christians, and the point of the gospel for that matter, isn’t about personal prosperity. It’s about Christ and him crucified. The beef I have with prosperity teaching is that it says that we don’t have to be like Jesus. Meaning we shouldn’t ever be broke, sick, despised and or betrayed. These things happen in real life to real people who are faithful Christians and while all Christians will one day be with Jesus, we will receive an unfathomable inheritance and physical health, those blessing may not happen in there and now.
I do believe that God blesses some people with money, health, prosperity and influence. But God is not required to give us those things and prosperity is not a measure of Godliness. And we certainly are not to demand these things from God. The prosperity gospel does not translate well when the reality of someone’s life isn’t health and wealth. And that’s why it is dangerous. If it doesn’t translate to someone in a poor country, to someone who is sick and suffering chances are it’s a fake gospel.