The incident of the Levite and his concubine at Gibeah resulted in the civil war that we hear about today. About 24,000 men died and many women and children as well. In certain things the army inquired of the Lord, and the Lord gave answers at his sanctuary. In the way they found wives for the decimated tribe of Benjamin, the men of Israel were concerned that they not break their vows. However, we do not read that they inquired of the Lord concerning the actions they took. Again the theme statement is repeated, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”
This Psalm 88 is perhaps the most-dark of all the despairing psalms. One encouragement to us is that God has now revealed things about the afterlife that were not yet revealed to the psalm-writer. This psalm offers no hope or encouragement. But the presence of Psalm 88 in Scripture gives us permission when in our darkest depression to come to God in prayer speaking words like found here.
In the 4th chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul shows that he considered that time as ‘the last times’. For the Jews, the coming of the Messiah signaled the beginning of the end times. Paul's advice is just as appropriate to us as to Timothy. Half of this chapter is personal advice and encouragement to Timothy in his role as a pastor, and God has passed these words on to all in church leadership today.
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