When Sheol Comes (Psalm 116:1-4) // Sunday, April 26, 2020

When Sheol Comes (Psalm 116:1-4) // Sunday, April 26, 2020

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Psalm 116:1-4 (Common English Bible)

1 I love the Lord because he hears
my requests for mercy.
2 I’ll call out to him as long as I live, because he listens closely to me.
3 Death’s ropes bound me;
the distress of Sheol found me—
I came face-to-face with trouble and grief.
4 So I called on the Lord’s name:
“Lord, please save me!”


Summary:

This two-week worship series, themed “A.P.I.D.T.G.” (All Praise Is Due To God), is inspired by the Jay Electronica and Jay-Z song “A.P.I.D.T.A” from their new album, A Written Testimony, and the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) Book of Psalms.

A.PI.D.T.A. (All Praise Is Due To Allah) was created in grief the night of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant’s death. In this song, Jay Elect rhymes “I go to my Lord quietly, teardrops on our faces… it’s like teardrops become waterfalls by the time they reach my (shoe)laces.” He seeks divine comfort in the midst of his grief. In the Psalms, Sheol refers to the netherworld or the realm of the dead. The Psalmist reminds us that when Sheol comes after us, we are to go after God.

Reflection Questions:

  1. What is a word, phrase or image that comes to mind when you read or hear the text?
  2. What does this scripture teach you about calling?
  3. What does God invite you to do, change or be through this passage?