Lenten Devotional, Day 33: Take Three: Stave of Six

Dear Saints,

Rest in these Lord's Day Readings at His feet: Ezekiel 37:1–14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6–11, John 11:1–45.

At EGC the sermon will fix upon the concept of "waiting" as in Psalm 130:5–6: "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his Word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning."

This is the day I don't comment per se.  But I had this "take three" on Psalm 130 ready to go, and yesterday was more missive than devotional.

PSALM 130 REFLECTION THREE

(stave of six)

The Beasts of Ephesus tore flesh from limbs;

Ar'pagus rent with mocking repartee.

Survived the foul of prison on a hymn,

But could not wrest my own iniquity.

Have squalled in night depths deeper than the sea,

But ne're until the Dayspring was set free.

Notes:

• I've already explained the stave of six form.  But notice again the problem-solution, tension-resolve feel separating the quatrain and couplet.  Our forbears would have called this particular dilemma: The Dark Night of the Soul.

• Dayspring is a double entendre meaning both Jesus and morning.  "Squall" is also a double meaning, that is both violent storm and desperate cry. One more: "Wrest" is to break free from as in a bondage.  But as a homophone with "rest" it gives the two-sides-of-a-coin effect: wrested from the bonds of sin to rest in God's gace & forgiveness.

• If you noticed "foul ... on a hymn" could evoke as well the notion of "on a wing (fowl) and a prayer," well, you get an A+ for the course and can skip the final week :)

• I suppose I could have called this: Paul's Reflection on Psalm 130.

• Also alludes in order: 1 Corinthians 15:31–32; Psalm 7:2, 57:4; Acts 23:10; Acts 17:18, 32; 26:34; Proverbs 12:18; Acts 16:25; Matthew 26:30; Romans 7:24; Psalm 38:4;  Lamentations 2:19; Isaiah 26:9; 2 Corinthians 11:25, Jonah 1:12; Psalm 30:5; Lamentations 3:22–23, Luke 1:78.

The Only Best in/is Christ,

tIM