Save Me for the Sake of Your Steadfast Love (Ps. 6)

[Sung Psalm: 5]

Psalm 6 teaches us the art of lamentation.

We’ve talked a lot about complaints – and the importance of complaints. A complaint is where you recognize that something is wrong, and so you bring a complaint to someone who can do something about it. In that respect a complaint takes a legal form. Here’s the problem – here’s what I want you to do – now please do it!

A lament can be connected with a complaint. Here in Ps 6, the language of lamentation and complaint are woven together. But the lament does not need to include a complaint.

Job 3 is the classic lament. Job spends a whole chapter lamenting his birth and his life – but there is no complaint in Job 3.

The book of Lamentations includes some complaints, but is largely taken up with lamentation – weeping – wailing over Jerusalem.

Psalm 6 teaches us how to lament – how to weep over our sin and over the corruption that is in the world because of sin.