Comforting a friend
If we read this psalm of Asaph as written for Jeduthun, then it seems that Jeduthun has fallen into a deep depression.
Psalm 77
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
Asaph gives voice to Jeduthun's mental state: soul, spirit and heart
I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul (nefesh) refuses to be comforted.
I want to think of God, but then I want to roar;
I want to meditate, but then my spirit (ruach) faints.
You keep my eyelids from closing;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I think of earlier days, an eternity ago.
I want to remember my music in the night.
I want to meditate with my heart (lev),
and search through my spirit (ruach).
Asaph digs deeper to what he thinks is Jeduthun's real question
Would the Lord reject me forever,
would He no longer love me?
Has His faithfulness vanished forever,
His word silenced once and for all?
Has God forgotten to be gracious,
does His compassion hide behind His wrath?
And I say, "I know what torments me:
the hand of the Most High is no longer the same."
Asaph's wants to provide Jeduthun with a song to cure his mental state
I remember the deeds of the LORD—
yes, I remember your wonders of old,
considering all your works
and keeping in mind your mighty deeds.
Asaph applies the cure and sings this song for him
Your way, God, is a holy way—
what god is as great as our God?
You are the God who works miracles,
You have shown Your power to the nations,
Your arm has delivered Your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
When the waters saw You, O God,
when the waters saw You, they trembled,
a shudder ran through the oceans.
The clouds poured down water,
the heavens thundered loudly,
your arrows flashed back and forth,
your thunder rolled around booming,
lightning illuminated the world,
the earth trembled and shook.
Your way ran through the sea,
your path through the wide waters,
but your footprints remained invisible.
You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Reflections
It was the last year of high school. A 17-year old friend was going through hell, got diagnosed with Crohn's disease and would have to live with a colostomy from that day on. We did not know what to say or write to her. In the end my brother and I wrote a song for her, with images that I drew for each verse. We pictured the "I" on the beach, looking out over the sea and imagining children playing in the skies with clouds and sunlight. We had worked on it for weeks and sang it once for her in the hospital, hoping it would help her a little bit.
I read psalm 77 here as if our songwriter Asaph is doing something similar for his friend and fellow musician Jeduthun. He gives words to Jeduthun mental state: his soul (nefesh) is crushed and his spirit (ruach) faints. He needs to meditate in his heart (lev) to find a way out (we will come back to those words later.) Jeduthun feels as if God has abandoned him. The man who was once inspired with visions, melodies and words, no longer felt the presence of God. He no longer felt loved. And he despairs: will this feeling remain forever? Asaph sees a deeper question behind it: can I trust God to remain faithful to me or is God changing, capricious even? Asaph does not answer that question with a statement. He answers with music that transport Jeduthun back in time to a God who is manifestly there for his people.
Do you remember the story of David, when he was asked to play music for king Saul whenever Saul suffered from a dark spirit? Asaph too believed that music and song could alleviate Jeduthun's anguish. Asaph describes how God led Israel out of Egypt, through the sea. His words are vivid and dramatic, and I have no doubt that his melody moved from a lament to a song a praise. I hope it helped a bit.
The problem with the song for our friend with Crohn's disease and with Asaph's psalm for Jeduthun, is that it may not have been enough. The song ends on a high note, but the soul is still depressed. And just like we saw with king Saul, the depressive and anxious moods returned regularly. Thoughts and prayers may seem inadequate. Is it not naive to think that a song will change anything? The next psalm that we will look at even more closely, Psalm 42/43, will address that question.
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