Psalm 88 is very special to me since being in Israel last year. The heading for this Psalm says:
A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician; set to chant mournfully. A didactic or reflective poem of Heman the Ezrahite.
I would like to add: Most likely to have been quoted by Jesus of Nazareth while He was being held in the underground pit at the house of Caiaphas. Pastor Bill Novak read this Psalm when we were in the underground pit. Jesus would have been lowered into it from the top by ropes tied around His body and left in total darkness until they were ready for Him. At that time they would have pulled Him up by the ropes to continue the "trial". Read this Psalm again, picturing Jesus being held in total darkness. It will have SO much more meaning to you! Here are some pictures of the pit:
Romans 16:19 says:
19 For while your loyalty and obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I would have you well versed and wise as to what is good and innocent and guileless as to what is evil.
I was reminded of a song we used to sing in church. Here is a version of it by Chris Tomlin:
Numbers 20:7-12:
7 And the LORD said to Moses, 8 Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink. 9 So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as He commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock and Moses said to them, Hear now, you rebels; must we bring you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
Moses did NOT do what God had just told him to do! We see here that the LORD said is was because they didn't believe Him. Another reason that this was so inappropriate for Moses to do is because the Old Testament is filled with types and shadows that point TOWARDS the Messiah and God's great plan of Salvation. They had already struck the rock for water once, at God's instructions, in Exodus 17:6. We see this in 1 Corinthians 10:4:
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Once "smitten" (crucified), He did not need to be smitten again! The Old Testament comes alive in the light of our New and Better Covenant, doesn't it! I LOVE the Word of God!
Shalom in Him!
