What is the meaning of Psalm 88:12? Will Your wonders “Will Your wonders…” (Psalm 88:12) • The psalmist knows God’s “wonders” are real, historic acts—Red Sea parting (Exodus 15:11), the plagues, daily mercies (Psalm 77:11-14). • He is not doubting their reality; he is pleading that the same miracle-working power might intervene now. • By asking, he tacitly affirms that God alone performs wonders, a theme echoed in Psalm 89:5 and Daniel 4:3. • The question carries a worship impulse: God’s wonders deserve to be celebrated, yet suffering seems to silence the praise that normally follows such works. be known in the darkness “…be known in the darkness…” • “Darkness” points to the realm of death (Psalm 88:3-6) and the felt absence of hope (Job 10:21-22). • Knowledge of God’s works is designed for the living (Psalm 27:13). In the grave, testimony ceases, so the psalmist laments the possibility of losing that platform. • Similar cries appear in Psalm 6:5—“In death there is no remembrance of You.” • The verse assumes that testimony is a vital part of God’s plan: wonders are intended to be “known,” shared, proclaimed (Psalm 107:2). or Your righteousness “…or Your righteousness…” • God’s “righteousness” is His covenant faithfulness expressed in just deeds (Psalm 36:6; Isaiah 45:21). • The psalmist longs for that righteousness to break in now, vindicating him and displaying God’s moral order (Psalm 119:40). • By invoking righteousness, he appeals to God’s consistent character; what God has done before, He can do again (Psalm 71:15-16). in the land of oblivion? “…in the land of oblivion?” • “Oblivion” speaks of the grave where memory and influence vanish (Ecclesiastes 9:5; Psalm 143:3). • The lament is not theological denial of afterlife but a real-time fear that, if death wins, the present generation will never see God’s deliverance. • Once laid in the tomb, the psalmist’s voice would be silenced, erasing an opportunity for God’s righteousness to be celebrated among the living (Isaiah 38:18-19). • The phrase underscores how urgent earthly deliverance feels to sufferers who still want to magnify the Lord in the congregation (Psalm 22:22-24). summary Psalm 88:12 voices a heartfelt plea: “Lord, if I die under this weight, who among the living will see Your miracle power and proclaim Your just character?” The verse affirms that God’s wonders and righteousness are factual, historic, and worthy of praise—yet they are meant to be proclaimed by breathing saints, not hidden in silent graves. The cry invites us to seek God’s intervention now, so His glory can be broadcast while we have life and breath. |
    |