The Court of the King

A prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and before Yahweh pours out his complaint. Psalm 102:1 (in the Hebrew text)

Complaint – No one likes a whiner. Constant complaining is wearisome to all. Complaint is an irksome word, a word that brings annoyance, avoidance and anger. Why does the afflicted man tread on God’s good graces by insisting on such irritating behavior? Does God really listen to the complainer?

Dig deeper. Siyach certainly means complaint. Job uses the word a lot. His cry before God was so deep that he says nothing will rectify his claim (Job 7:13, Job 9:27 and Job 10:13). But siyach describes more than grating demand. Siyach is the word for meditation, contemplation and even thoughtful repentance. Psalm 77 reveals this deeper understanding. If you have not read Psalm 77, you have not reached the bottom of the well.

Psalm 77

I cry out before the Lord. My soul refuses to be comforted. I grow faint. I am greatly troubled. Why? Because I have considered the history of God with His people, I have mediated on His character and pondered Him with my soul and I simply cannot believe that He will abandon me forever. The God that I serve, the God that I love, is not a God who is governed by His anger. He is a God of compassion, mercy and long-suffering kindness. He is the Almighty Ruler Who bends to rescue. He is the God Who works wonders.

In the court of the King, the afflicted raise their complaint. It is the contemplation of life as it is, a meditation on the meaning of sorrow and grief. They stand before the altar of the One Who sacrificed to remove their defects. And they offer a prayer, a proclamation that God is good. He will not leave us alone in this foreign land. In the darkest night, He will comfort.

We wait, O Lord, for You.

Topical Index:  siyach, complaint, Psalm 102:1