God does not just allow suffering; He sends it in order that He might strengthen and deliver us. And all of our suffering finds its meaning in the suffering of Christ Jesus.
The appointed Psalm for the sixth Sunday of Easter is Psalm 66:8-20. This Psalm is generally considered a psalm of Thanksgiving, even though on the surface the thanksgiving theme seems to break down in the middle of the Psalm. Although there is no consensus of thought and no certain way of knowing, the Psalm may have been written on the occasion of the end of the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem under the kingship of Hezekiah. The Assyrian general Sennacherib had surrounded Jerusalem with 185,000 soldiers and things looked bleak. However, Hezekiah beseeched the LORD and, in the night, the Angel of the LORD killed 185,000 troops (Isaiah 37). It was a great defeat which cost Sennacherib his life.
The verses assigned for this pericope begin with the blessing of God for preserving their life. Even though God Himself tested them with suffering, trials, and oppression, He is to be praised for hearing their prayers and delivering them. God is always faithful! God saves through suffering. Indeed, He has saved us through the suffering of Christ. This helps us to answer the question, “Where does suffering come from?” The answer, as found in Job and in the rest of Scripture, is suffering comes from God. He does not just allow suffering; He sends it in order that He might strengthen and deliver us. And all of our suffering finds its meaning in the suffering of Christ Jesus.
It is also important to note the change from the plural in the first twelve verses of the Psalm, to the singular in verses 13-20. It would appear the first part is spoken on behalf of the congregation/people and the second portion is the Psalmist speaking for himself.
66:8 תְּהִלָּתוֹ (te-hil-la-To) “praise; song of praise” This is the root for Psalm as well.
66:9 הַשָֹּם (has-Sam) root: שום (soom) Hiphil: “to put; to place” “who has kept...”
לַמּוֹט (lam-Mot) Qal: “to sway; to shake; to totter” Frequently, this is translated as “slip” due to its context with
feet.
66:10 בְחַנְתָּנוּ (ve-chan-Ta-nu) root: בחן (baw-khan) Qal: “to put to a test; to try; to prove”
צְרַפְתָּנוּ (tze-raf-Ta-nu) Qal: “to smelt; to refine by smelting” Note the connection to “burn,” as in Seraphim: The burning ones. Also, כִּצְרָף
66:11 בַמְּצוּדָה (vam-me-tzu-Dah) Meaning is uncertain but may be “mountain fortress; net”
מוּעָקָה (mu-a-Kah) “distress; affliction; compression (as in a heavy or crushing burden)”
בְמָתְנֵינוּ (ve-ma-te-Nei-nu) “loins; waist; hips”
66:12 הִרְכַּבְתָּ (hir-Kav-ta) root: רכב (raw-kab) Hiphil: “to cause to drive; to cause to ride”
אֱנוֹשׁ (e-Noosh) “men; people”
לָרְוָיָה (La-re-va-Yah) “saturation; over-abundance”
66:13 נְדָרָי (ne-da-Rai) “vows”
66:14 פָּצוּ (pa-Tzu) root: פצה (paw-tsaw) Qal: “to make a vow; to swear; to utter”
בַּצַּר (batz-tzar) “distress; straits; trouble”
66:15 מֵחִים (me-Chim) “fattened animal; fatling sheep”
קְטֹרֶת (ke-To-ret) “incense; smoke from a sacrifice”
עַתּוּדִים (at-tu-Dim) “male goat; sheep”
סֶלָה (Se-lah) “Selah” Difficult to translate. May be a musical or chanting notation.
66:16 יִרְאֵי (yir-Ei) “in fear of”
66:17 וְרוֹמַם (ve-ro-Mam) “exaltation; high praise”
66:18 אָוֶן (A-ven) “sin; iniquity; wickedness”
66:19 אָכֵן (A-chen) “but in fact; indeed; but truly”
הִקְשִׁיב (hik-Shiv) Hiphil: “to give attention; to listen closely”
66:20 תְּפִלָּתִי (te-fil-la-Ti) “prayer”
