Hear My Cry — Psalm 103 Poem
Introduction
Like Eagles Wings, I wrote Hear My Cry for my church as part of a sermon series on Psalm 103. The primary inspiration for this poem was verses three and four.
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
In this Psalm, like so many others, the psalmist reflects on God’s relationship with Israel during the Exodus. Exodus 32 tells how the people of Israel began worshiping another god when they thought Moses had died on Mount Sinai. When Moses returns, he is furious. He smashed the tablets with the law and commandments. In chapter 34, God tells Moses to cut new tablets and once again ascend Mount Sinai. Atop the mountain, Moses pleads for God to have mercy on Israel.
So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
Hear My Cry
Hear my cry, Redeemer,
for my heart is heavy.
Show your servant favor,
though my sins are many.
Rescue me from Sheol,
and take away my shame.
For the longing of my soul
is to bless your name.
Rejoice in what the Lord has done!
He has heard your weary cries.
He gave His one and only Son.
Death is defeated, the King is alive!
Wrap-up
God responded to Moses’ cry for mercy by renewing his covenant with Israel. Even though Israel continually rebelled against God, he was faithful to his promise. God took Israel as his people again. He commanded them they must only worship him. They must obey his commands, remembering how he blessed and redeemed them. God’s covenant with Israel was not only about remembering what God had done for them, but what he promised to do through and for them in the future. Jesus came as the ultimate healer and redeemer, as God promised. God forgives those who recognize their need for his forgiveness and trust he alone can provide it.