What are the psalms of lament?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

A lament is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow, often addressing societal sins, personal suffering, or feelings of guilt. Common throughout the Bible, especially in the book of Psalms, where about one-third of the psalms are laments, these poems and hymns first describe intense pain or distress while also calling out for God's help. Laments can be communal or personal. Laments remind us that sin will not ultimately prevail, placing our trust in God for justice and restoration. Typically, they conclude with an expression of hope, affirming the belief that God will make things right. Just as the psalmists expressed their frustrations and sorrows in the psalms of lament, so we are to live with honesty before God, expressing our struggles and grief while ultimately trusting in His faithfulness to bring healing, justice, and restoration.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Psalms of lament, including Psalm 3, 6, 13, 22, 25, 42, 43, 51, 55, 69, 74, 77, 88, 102, and 130, express sorrow, grief, and pleas for God's intervention, often transitioning from distress to renewed hope and trust in His faithfulness.
• Some laments are known as community laments. For example, Psalm 94:3–6 says, "O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless."
• There are also laments known as personal laments. Many times, throughout Psalms, David who is being pursued by his enemies who desire to kill him cries out to a seemingly absent God. For example, Psalm 55:2–5 says, "Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me" (Psalm 55:2–5).
• There is a theme throughout the personal laments of feeling forgotten and abandoned by God: "How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?" (Psalm 13:1–2).
• In Psalm 43, the psalmist expresses great pain at feeling forgotten and rejected by God due to the injustice and oppression he is experiencing at the hands of his enemies: "For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" (Psalm 43:2). The end of this psalm reflects a conscious decision of the psalmist to direct his eyes to God and hope in Him: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 43:5).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus used laments to express grief, such as in the story of Lazarus (John 11) and prior to His own death on the cross (Matthew 26:36–46).
• Jesus lamented over Jerusalem at their rejection of Him and the city’s coming destruction (Matthew 23:37–39; Luke 13:34–35).
• Several passages talk about mourning over sin (1 Corinthians 5:2; 2 Corinthians 12:20–21; James 4:9–10).
• We also mourn the brokenness and death so prevalent in the world, but as believers we do not do so without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).
• Believers are called to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). We can join others in their lament.
• Lament in the New Testament becomes a prayer of longing for God’s kingdom to come.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Psalms of lament reflect personal sorrow and grief due to individual hardship, sin, guilt, or loss. They are a seeking of the Lord at the times when He feels the most distant. Whether communal or personal, the psalms of lament generally shift focus from grieving, fearing, and complaining to thanking the Lord for His faithfulness and goodness within the midst of hardship. Generally speaking, the psalmist returns to a place of trust in God each time he falls into fear and despair: "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God" (Psalm 42:11; see also Psalm 55). These psalms, and Jesus’ example, demonstrate to us that before the Lord we are free to fully and deeply lament, knowing that He cares for us (Psalm 62:8; Hebrews 4:14–16; 1 Peter 5:7). And when we look to Him, we are also free to be encouraged by His steadfastness, the truth of His character, and the hope we have in Him (2 Corinthians 1:3–7; 1 Peter 1:3–9).

We all experience opposition, hardships, and fear within our lives. The psalms of lament are refreshingly raw in their open expression of emotions. They show us that we can be totally open and honest with God about our frustrations, even in our most difficult of times when it feels like He is far away. And on the other end of the spectrum, they show us that the best way to process our struggles and grief is by expressing them to God, praising Him in the midst of them, and turning our attention to a place of total trust in the Lord and His ability to make all things right.

UNDERSTAND

• Psalms of lament express raw emotion, often grief and sorrow.
• Psalms of lament cry out for God’s intervention and justice.
• Psalms of lament move from despair to hope as the psalmist focuses on God's faithfulness.

REFLECT

• In what areas of your life do you feel overwhelmed with grief or sorrow? How can you bring those emotions honestly before God?
• How does trusting in God’s faithfulness during times of distress impact your perspective on your struggles?
• When in your life have you transitioned from despair to hope in God? How did that shift occur?

ENGAGE

• How do the psalms of lament help us navigate difficult emotions and find healing in God?
• How do we see both personal and communal laments in the Psalms, and how can we relate them to our own lives today?
• How can we encourage each other to fully grieve in our struggles? How can we encourage one another to then move from grief to hope in our struggles, just as the psalmists do?