“From the Depths of the Earth”

Read Psalm 71. What did David imply when he asked God to bring

him up “again from the depths of the earth” (Ps. 71:20, NKJV)?

In Psalm 49 we found a touching expression of hope in the resur-

rection, in contrast to the false assurance of the fool who trusted in his

wealth. In Psalm 71, David seeks security and hope from God, while

surrounded by enemies and false accusers who say that God has for-

saken him (Ps. 71:10, 11).

Amid his trials, David finds comfort and assurance in recalling how

God had cared for him in the past. First, he realizes that God had upheld

him from birth and even had taken him out of his mother’s womb (Ps.

71:6). Then, he acknowledges that God had taught him from his youth

(Ps. 71:17).

With the certainty that God was his rock and his fortress, David

pleads with Him, “Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continu-

ally” (Ps. 71:3, NKJV). “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do

not forsake me when my strength fails” (Ps. 71:9, NKJV). “O God, do

not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!” (Ps. 71:12,

NKJV). And then David adds, “You, who have shown me great and

severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the

depths of the earth” (Ps. 71:20, NKJV).

The expression “from the depths of the earth” could be under-

stood literally as an allusion to the future physical resurrection

of the psalmist. But the context seems to favor a metaphorical

description of David’s condition of deep depression, as if the earth

were swallowing him (compare with Ps. 88:6 and Ps. 130:1). So,

we could say that “it is primarily figurative speech, but also hints

at a physical resurrectio­n .”—Andrews Study Bible, p. 726, note on

Psalm 71:20.

In the end, what’s important to grasp is that, whatever our situation,

God is there, He cares, and ultimately, our hope isn’t found in this life

but in the life to come—the eternal life we have in Jesus after our resur-

rection at His return.

We all have had some terrible moments of discouragement. How,

though, can focusing on the ways that the Lord has been with

you in the past help you press on ahead in faith and trust in the

moments when He seems far away?